Unlike the previous week, when I was shopping and cooking up a storm, this past week was incredibly low key. Then, I woke up on Saturday feeling poorly and just couldn't manage the energy to visit the farmers market. Well, shoot. But all is not lost. It'll just be a week of leftovers and since I'm notorious about overbuying at the farmers market anyway, not to mention I've spent the summer preserving all kinds of goodies, I have the mother-load. Let's see...Our neighbors who have some land outside town, stopped by with two italian squash, also known as cucuzza (pictured above). They were huge and absolutely beautiful specimens of a veggie I'd never enjoyed before. But without a doubt, I knew exactly what I was going to do with them.
First, mid week, I made a pot of all-local vegetable soup (italian squash, onion, eggplant, rice, navy beans, black beans, basil from the back yard, and some leftover salsa from the farmers market to spice it up a bit). It's a little spicy for me, but it's a wonderfully flavorful soup. I still have 3 small jars of it in the fridge for the coming week.
Second, I took a vegetable peeler and made ribbons of squash, stir-fried them in olive oil with some onion and mushrooms, and served it as a pasta substitute with some of my homemade, all-local pasta sauce over top. DELICIOUS, if I do say so myself.
And I did all that with only one, that's right, only one of the gourds. I still have the second left for more of those squash ribbons and pasta sauce. It makes for a great, super easy local meal! Yum!
I also still have plenty of potatoes (for potato salad), spinach (for stir fry or salad), and eggs from last week's farmers market; lots of milk and cheese from our local dairy; more mushrooms from the grocery (grown locally); and as you can see, I harvested more basil from our back porch.
You know, I really missed my Saturday's farmers market trip, but I was able to take advantage of a much needed rest. And in the end, despite the limited shopping and cooking I did, we're not going to miss a thing. Stay tuned for Thursdays' "Market to Table" post for photos of all the local goodies we're eating.
Happy (and mindful) eating!
4 comments:
I'm sorry you were feeling bad, but I am glad that you rested...everyone needs rest sometimes. The migratory population of B-CS due to the university means that I work extra for a while on my route(plus the hurricane evacuations, no doubt), but I managed to take some time out Sunday to make some mozzarella and riccotta. I guess maybe I'll make something with it and make another batch around Wed or Thurs so I can share. I needed to make this batch because my oversensitive hubby decided to use the freshest milk, even though milk doesn't really turn for a week or so-but I can make cheese and it works, no problem.
I've also come to terms with that I won't have time to go to Plantersville for figs this year(they are peaking about now). Parts of Houston are evacuating and it doesn't seem like a good idea to spend a day by picking wonderful, tasty figs while business is booming and it is likely it might be raining soon...oh well. I have fig preserves from my husband's aunt that she made this year from her figs in Leaky, Tx.
Honestly, I have a lot of things that I need to use before I get more... too bad, because it is more fun getting the stuff than using it, lol.
ttammylynn - sorry to hear you won't get any figs. Does Amy (from the farmers market) have any fig jam. That would get you through this year or maybe Farm Patch might have local figs?
I've already gotten a few figs this year at BNF, but they were so good that I got to eat about three before they were devoured...the cost of having a family, particularly a hubby who loves figs. I wouldn't eat preserves, I don't really eat sugar and pretty much haven't for a long time. I'm not diabetic, it is just a lifestyle choice I made long ago. If I want a bite of my homemade ice cream, I eat it sugar and all, but I just really don't crave or want sweet things except fresh fruit...but I do love fresh fruit. Next week will probably be it for figs on the time table, so if I get a chance I will go. Oh, I could buy figs somewhere but they are one of the elusive fruits that only taste good if picked ripe and the time window is a very fragile thing. Also, driving to Plantersville just for figs (esp at $4.50/lb, I pick)does sound silly, even though I have done it a few times already. It is just one of those things I usually do for me, a drive and picking does me so much good, it is like a spiritual thing, like the natural, organic, and local religions. I tease Yadi that organic and natural are religions, she never denies it.
ttammylynn - I understand about needing to get them freshly picked. Hope you can get out this weekend for a few. If you make it to the farmers market on Saturday, you might ask Lois how fresh hers are (if she's still producing). I know she was selling them a couple weeks ago. (Lois Vaughn is the vendor who sells the rice and cornmeal, in addition to lots of veggies, jams, etc).
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