NIAFPHFPPW--A Two-Fer!

Yes, this is food...but I shan't tell you what it is 'til the end!  (Don't you like a good mystery?)

Here it is, Saturday afternoon, and I finally have time to myself to waste spend on a blog post.  What, you say, time by yourself?  But what of Miss Chef's newly sane schedule?

Oh, that.  It took less than a month for Chef Adam to ask her to help out on a catering gig.  In fact, both he and Chef Luca wanted her help tonight.  I knew that was coming.  And it's ok. We still had time this morning to go to the farmers market and have lunch together.

First, though, part one of today's Twofer: Friday night's dinner, or as Miss Chef titled it, What Miss Chef Makes When She Has No Ideas.  We both firmly believe it doesn't have to be fancy to be good.

Leftover chicken, leftover beans, fried potatoes (my idea!) and nuked frozen corn.

Part Two is today's lunch--more leftover chicken in a melty-open face sammidge, with a few slices of farmer's market 'maters underneath.

Oh, and what's that peeking out from the towel behind?  Summer's last hurrah--corn on the cob in September!  It was some of the best we've had this year.  It's an odd, fun time at the markets right now, as we can still, if we're lucky, pick up summer's tomatoes, squash and watermelon, but we're already seeing apples and cider, and today we bought fresh chestnuts!  Last night we sat down to plan out our annual October pilgramage to the mountains for hiking, fall leaves and apples.

I don't know if this is a summer or fall crop, but here's the food I teased you with at the beginning.  I wasn't being fair, because it's not really the leaves we consider food...it's the root.

I've never seen this plant in its entirety, and wonder if it wouldn't be feasible to have a nice, attractive background in a border or flower bed, stealthily and slowly growing our own supply of fresh...

...ginger!  

Isn't it beautiful?  The elaborate shape of the roots remind me of traditional Chinese art, all sinuous, tangled up dragons and tigers.  And the bright color is so unlike the beige, dried-out clumps at the grocery store.

Miss Chef had never seen a whole plant, either, so of course she had to have some to play with.  I really have no idea what she'll end up doing with it, but that's part of the fun of living with Miss Chef!