A ways back, I wrote about my Food Book.

Well, the electronic age caught up with me. I now have a folder on the iMac that contains recipes for the meals I want to cook this week, a menu document and a menu history document. The menu history may seem a little narcissistic but sometimes I remember something for dinner a few weeks ago—what the hell was it—and I can page back and find it. Or, what did we have the last time whosis was here?

Menu posted.

(On the right, time of day in San Francisco and France.)

Menu history.

As for menu planning; the night before going to the Farmers Market early on Saturday morning, I ask C what she has a hankering for, and think about some stuff I want to cook, and make a short list. This week my list said Italian sausage, red and green bell peppers, onions. It also said that I have broccoli, romaine, endive, arugula and green garlic.

At the market, I get what strikes my fancy; salmon from the fish stall, the sausage and Baseball Steaks from the Marin Sun Farms stand, baby artichokes from Iacopi Farm, some beautiful leeks and beets from Dirty Girl, pears (the apple guy ended his season last week and is now doing flowers), cucumbers, baby carrots and such. There were no red and green bell peppers yet — the pepper and endive lady said about three weeks — so I’ll have to resort to Whole Food or Safeway.

Sad to say, Mariquita Farm, one of my favorites, has chosen to quit the Market to concentrate on their CSA business and restaurants.

Back home, I make a new week’s page, type what we have on hand and make a menu. The menu will change as the week goes on, but it forms the bones of what might be happening.

Now it’s time to get on with the actual cooking… and pictures… and writing.