Market to Table - April 2, 2009

The fridge was loaded down with fruits and veggies again this week, so I was able to make more colorful, tasty dishes. I haven't been buying much food lately, but between the garden, and the generosity of friends and loved ones, my kitchen is practically bursting with fresh food. Bring it on!

Peach Jam Tortilla and Strawberries - Remember those tortillas I've been tinkering with? A little whole wheat flour from the farmers' market went into the homemade tortillas. Wrapped inside is a light smear of my home-made local peach jam. And of course, to the side is a cup of strawberries that I picked about a month ago in Plantersville (40 min south of town) and have been storing in the freezer. I had this several times this week because it was just so darn yummy! I'm going to need to make more of those tortillas!

Veggie Stir-Fry with Spaghetti Squash - Instead of showing you my usual veggie stir-fry with rice, I thought I'd throw this little doozy in. The spaghetti squash isn't local (my dad, knowing  I LOVE them, picked one up for me at a produce market south of town), but everything else is local. As usual, I just started pulling veggies out of the fridge: spinach, onions, carrot, mushrooms, and broccoli. Everything was chopped and tossed in a frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil. As the veggies started to soften, I added salt, cooked for a little longer, then added some baked spaghetti squash strands and a few Texas almonds. Oh, yeah, this is good stuff!  The bad news is, this will most likely be the last spaghetti squash for awhile. The good news is, I planted spaghetti squash in the garden, so it's only a harvest away... 

Stewed Tomatoes and Rice - Instead of stir-fry and rice this week, allow me to showcase something even easier to fix. That's right, I'm a lazy cook so the easier the better. At dinnertime, I haven't been feeling up to chopping veggies or standing over the stove, even for the 10 or 15 minutes it takes to do veggie stir-fry. So I pulled out a jar of my stewed tomatoes, poured about half the pint in a sauce pan, added 1/3 cup of rice, and let it cook on the stove on low heat for about an hour, while I hung out on the couch reading a book like a complete bum. It doesn't get much easier than that and it's all local!

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I'm definitely working my way through those veggies in the fridge. What a wonderful problem to have - too many fresh, local foods. I know, you northerners are sending me the evil eye, but I'm more than happy to share. Anyone for dinner?

Have a great Thursday, everyone. And as always, Happy (and mindful) eating!