I don’t participate in a CSA (community supported agriculture), but I do have a bin of produce delivered nearly every week. Much of the selection is local, but from a variety of farms, and it’s either local or organic. Often both, or at least no-spray. I go back and forth on whether I like this better than shopping the farmer's market. I do both.
That’s not really my point. My point is that I was too busy lately to remember to customize my bin. This means instead of selecting what I want to be delivered, I got the standard order. This means I have several items I wouldn’t have chosen for myself: “no-heat” jalapenos, a spaghetti squash, and tomatillos.
Let’s start with the easy one, the spaghetti squash. It turned out pretty good, and yes, it shreds to look like spaghetti noodles. What’s your favorite way to eat this squash, if you’ve had it before? My first try was good, but I’d be willing to experiment if I get one again.
I steamed it, I guess, in the microwave (yes, I used a microwave), and then shredded it and finished it in a skillet with a little olive oil, garlic, and fresh basil. The squash was so mild in flavor (or maybe the microwave zapped out the flavor as well as the nutrients?) that it mostly tasted like the basil. I liked it, though. We both ate a good bit of these squash noodles and have both enjoyed leftovers since this meal.
I had originally planned to roast my squash along with some other vegetables in the oven, but it was just too hot to turn it on. Instead, I grilled green beans, red onion, broccoli, eggplant, and corn. I finally got a tray to make it easier for me to grill the smaller vegetables. Before, I’d used foil. Besides the drawback of being disposable, it didn’t really work that well.
I made a quick marinade of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and garlic. I should have used a blender on this; instead, I have little flecks of garlic falling through the grill. See my effort to place a few pieces atop the eggplant? I saw Rose’s post too late and her interesting photograph down the blender. Next time, next time. Maybe I can also do skewers like she does. I’m also taking notes from Diana with her balsamic roasted vegetables, especially the eggplant. I can’t wait to try her barbecue balsamic roasted eggplant next time.
Alex ate half of one piece of eggplant and saved the rest for me. Sweetheart.
I'm with Alex on the Eggplant but looks like you were firing on all cylinders last night!
ReplyDeleteI've never had spaghetti squash...yet anyway. Yours sure looks good though and so do all those veggies. Your eggplant looks awesome! You have me wanting eggplant now. :o)
ReplyDeleteThat's cool that you have produce delivered every week! I've never heard of that being done.
All those veggies look so good! I love big piles of roasted veg. Blending the marinade works well. I'll admit that sometimes I'm too lazy to blend, so I just add garlic powder to the marinade liquid.
ReplyDeleteYour spaghetti squash looks good too. In my experience, it tends to be a little watery and is not super flavorful, but adds good texture and is a great sub for/change from pasta.
Mmmm...grilled veggies are SO good! Perfect meal for the end of summer!
ReplyDeleteYes, sometimes a good plate of grilled vegetables is the best thing you can get in the summer when everything is so fresh. I'll have to start learning about different squashes.
ReplyDeleteI think we've all heard horrible things about the microwave, but I'm not ashamed to say that I still love it and use it all the time! It comes in handy when I want to quickly steam veggies (with a wet paper towel cover) or cook my oatmeal. I actually think I've cooked my oats on the stovetop just TWICE in my life.
ReplyDeleteAww thanks for the mention! Love the perfect grill marks on your eggplant. I wish I could grill my veggies, but my parents haven't used the outdoor grill all summer, I don't know how to operate it, and I don't own a George Foreman or portable indoor grill to use at school. But anyway, grilled OR roasted (and probably stir-fried), the veggies taste AMAZING with balsamic, don't they? :)