Spoiled by produce

I've been going to Russo's consistently ever since I made my first visit. Some items are really well priced, though most things aren't, but nevertheless I couldn't help going because the produce is just that good. Perfect tomatoes, perfect herb packages, perfect pears, and especially perfect garlic! (My roommate recently bought a package of 4-5 bunches, but they were all dried out and sprouting.) Let's not forget to mention the variety of chili peppers and the availability of fresh black trumpet mushrooms.

So, last night was another one of those nights where I tried to make too many things at once:

• Mushroom Soup w/ Toasted Bread (recipe courtesy of Michael Bras via Food & Wine)
• Tomato Salad "a la Française" (craving brought on by a Yelp review I did for Gaslight Brasserie)
• Garlic broth (to use for sauces/soups in the future)
• Blanched asparagus with proscuitto
• Plain ol' pork chop.
  

Well, all of these are actually pretty simple to make. (Just a lot of washing and chopping.) I think I was especially excited that the mushroom soup was so simple, even though it's from a revered French chef. Execution was super easy--the end result was essentially what you see from the recipe page--and the taste left me craving for more. I still have bread and cream left, so maybe I'll just get more mushrooms ...

Anyway, I have a presentation in 20 minutes, and I'm super nervous. Wish me luck!