So I'm Stephanie, and I'm new to Seared. What I'm not new to, though, is food.

Is anyone really new to food? Honestly, we've been eating it all of our lives - and whether or not you're aware of it, food really is the centre of your world. Not only do we all rely on it to sustain ourselves, we sort of revolve our lives around it. When we get together with family or friends, it is usually around a meal, or even just an array of h'or d'oeuvres. When we go on dates, food is typically included in one way or another.

For me, food means even more than that. Food is a stress release. No, I’m not a stress eater; I’m a stress cooker and shopper. There is something so relaxing about going to the Farmer’s Market and picking up fresh food. Trust me, with a growing season here similar to that of Siberia (seriously!), you learn to appreciate your tasty treasures. Just going to the market truly heightens your senses: the vivid colours of ripened fruits and vegetables, the smell of fresh baked breads, the sound of organic sausage sizzling on the grill, the velvety taste of goat cheese, the fuzzy skin of round, succulent peaches – these are the things that each of my senses recall when I think of my weekly ritual to the market.

Enough blabbing... with my last goodies purchased from the farmer's market I made pistou (not to be confused with pesto or pea stew) with linguini and veggies. The garlic I found there was organic, unbelievably inexpensive, and gigantic! So I used two of the giant cloves (roughly 4 normal sized cloves), and the entire bag of basil that I purchased. I’d say there was about 2 cups. I put the garlic and basil in the blender, along with enough olive oil to allow it to blend, and salt and pepper to taste. I did not heed the blenders warning of Do Not Place Spoons or Other Objects in Blender While in Use, but everyone involved survived, as did the pistou. Afterward, I chopped bell peppers and sliced carrots, added some baby spinach, and mixed them up in a wok with cooked linguini and the pistou, and cooked for a few minutes until the peppers were tender. There was a little bit of pistou left so I spread it on some rye bread and threw it in the oven. Voila! A yummy, quick meal full of fresh market buys (and enough garlic to scare away, well, anyone.).