Garlic Scapes

 

I become ridiculously excited about gourmet-sounding things that arrive in our CSA box. Garlic scapes were no exception. Garlic scapes are one of those happy excesses of nature--an unwanted garlic flower stalk that just so happens to be delicious. More delicious than the actual garlic itself, I dare say. The farmer must remove these flower stalks in order to force the plant into working harder on bulb making, instead of flower and seed making. The result is a fragrant, firm vegetable that has the cutest curls. It you happen upon these darlings at the farmer's market, make sure you snatch them up, because the season is very brief. And if you are a lucky enough duck to snag some, here is a link to garlic scape recipes.

Coming soon: Swiss Chard and Garlic Scape Grilled Pizza

Heavenly Harvest CSA Box Week 2

 

Week Two CSA Box: strawberries, swiss chard, radishes, cilantro, garlic scapes, and two (rather large) bags mixed spring lettuces. It took the girls all of an hour to eat all the strawberries, and I was left pondering how to introduce them (and me) to swiss chard. The garlic scapes look and sound exciting--so they will be getting their very own post. Trust me, they deserve it.

M is for Melissa

 

What is The Midnight Morsel?

Here are some things you can expect to read about on this blog: family recipes and the stories behind them, the things I make with our CSA box, new recipes I’ve tried, and some kitchen experiments. I will also annoy my sisters by posting about books and poetry I’ve had to read for class and found delightful. Maybe someone will find this less annoying than they do. If not, at least I've managed to annoy my sisters.

My wonderful husband of fifteen years is a high school science teacher. We are blessed to have three beautiful, funny, talented daughters. I am a full time (English major) student at Oregon State University, I volunteer with the American Youth Soccer Organization, and I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. These activities leave me with plenty of time for cooking and blogging, right?  So why add something else to my heaping plate? (Pun totally intended.)

Last term I had the opportunity to take a food writing class with Sara Jameson and loved every minute of it. Writing about food for class led me to write about my family. With every assignment, my children, my siblings, my parents, and other family members inspired me with memories and flavors of home. This blog is my way of recording our stories and paying tribute to my loved ones.

Here are a few other things I love: sewing, herb gardens, upcycling, the ocean (looking at it, not swimming in it), puns, otters, libraries, roller coasters, sleeping in, Pinterest, crochet, and hoodies with a zipper and pockets.