Finally, something approximating the humming happy high I got when I opened my weekly box of produce from Past Time Farms in the summer of 2005. There were so many squashes and peppers in the cardboard cornucopia, that we became bold in our recipe experiments. And happy. Just happy to have fresh vegetables to cook every day.

Past Time Farms never came back the same after Hurricane Katrina and there hasn’t been a replacement. Hollygrove Market is close, but not quite. Paying the weekly fee instead of an annual fee makes you rejudge every week if you want to do it, instead of the delight in opening what you’ve already paid for.

I realized as I was humming again the other day, that finally, the Gorilla Smoothie from Martha Beck’s new book was sending me to the same happy veggie heaven as the Past Time Farms produce box.

I am definitely not one to eat something because it is good for me, and my hand was shaking the first time I tossed raw spinach into a fruit juice drink, but, I cannot even begin to express how much I have missed this drink.

I love it. I’ve had one everyday.   I’ve made everyone else try it.  I’m a goner.  A greenie goner.

ps – note to self:  no more perfectionism; just write it and post it.