CSA Meals - Week 14

It was nice to have some variety with last week's share. I experimented with broccoli rabe for the first time on Wednesday night and it turned out pretty well (although it's no Edo's or Mamma Zu broccoletti). We boiled the greens for a few minutes until they were tender, and then sauteed them with a little butter and garlic. The side dish went well with some gifted leftovers from Maggiano's - veal parmesan and penne with sausage.

Almost everything we've received lately has been crisp and flavorful. On both Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, I had sliced cucumbers and peppers with hummus. One of the eggs was delicious in Pad Thai for dinner on Thursday, and steamed green beans balanced the rich flavors of the main dish.

We postponed grilling on Friday because of the rain, but homemade macaroni and cheese (which used another egg) really hit the spot. Sauteed spinach, tomatoes and garlic made a delicious and healthy accompaniment.

The culinary highlight of the week was probably the one egg frittata (pictured above) Davy made for me with the leftover spinach and a sprinkle of cheddar cheese. Malabar spinach, which is what has been in our share, is darker and a little heartier than the baby spinach I'm used to in the grocery store. It's perfect for sauteeing because it's not as watery and doesn't wilt down as much.

I probably should have fried the okra that we got, because I'm not very familiar with it and have only eaten it a few times, but I wanted to be adventurous. I sauteed it with zucchini, squash, and onion for dinner on Sunday. While seasoning the vegetables with cumin helped their taste, the okra definitely made everything a little slimy.

On Monday afternoon I toughed it out and ate the leftover okra and squash, and was rewarded with a wonderful end of summer meal: grilled ribs, peppers and onions, and roasted potatoes. The grilled peppers and onions made a much better afternoon snack than the okra. Unfortunately we didn't get any okra for the upcoming week, but I'm hoping that wasn't the last of it; I'm having too much fun conquering new vegetables.