I loved it in soaps and perfumes, but I couldn't imagine what lavender would actually taste like. Nevertheless, for my first ingredient adventure, I decided to forego something too intimidating (like geoduck) and shoot for simplicity. I had a few sprigs of lavender--what next?

Going to the farmer's market gives me that "kid in a candy store" feeling, and not in the pretentious, foodie-esque, "Ohmigod, they have morels here!" kind of way. It's more about looking at a case of quail eggs or a scary-looking jackfruit and wondering what on earth you could possibly make with that.

In that spirit, I plan to make a sojourn to the farmer's market each week to choose one ingredient that I know little to nothing about. It can be as off-the-wall as pig's snout or as approachable as an herb. Whatever the case may be, I'll buy it and learn about it. Then, I'll cook it.

My equipment is quite limited. My cookware is pretty bare-bones. But, as this project is supposed to be directed to my fellow budget-conscious, dishwasher-less college students, I suppose that's kind of the point. Makes it more of a challenge, too.