September 15 veggies

That's some nice-looking fall veggie bounty, don't you think? Remember the early summer veggie bags that were nothing but shoots and leaves? Not that they weren't delicious, because of course they were, but now we're really getting into the good harvest stuff.

Here's what's in your bag this week:

Full share:
:: potatoes
:: tomatoes
:: spaghetti squash
:: garlic
:: onion
:: pablo (red) or chiagga (striped) beet
:: beans
:: cucumbers
:: kale
:: corn
:: zucchini

Half share:
:: potatoes
:: tomatoes
:: garlic & onion
:: beans
:: carrots (some of them are red and purple!)
:: zucchini
:: kale

If you don't know much about spaghetti squash, its claim to vegetable fame is its unusual flesh that separates out into strands when cooked. The best method for this is baking: cut your squash in half lengthwise, scrape out any seeds, then place the halves, cut-side-down, on an oiled baking sheet in a 350F oven for maybe 45 minutes, until the squash is easily pierced with a fork. Turn your halves over, let them cool a minute so you don't give yourself horrible steam burns, then use a fork to fluff the strand-y flesh out of the squash shells.

Some people use the cooked squash the way you would use pasta, under any spaghetti-type sauce (how about some of those tomatoes, roasted with some olive oil and stirred together with some minced garlic?). It's a pretty cool, grain-free substitute for noodles if you have a problem with wheat or rice.

Spaghetti squash frittata is also delicious. There are loads of variations, but here's a basic recipe. I like to stir the "noodles" with garlic, olive oil, and Parmesan, then pour the eggs and milk over and cook it for a couple minutes to get the eggs close to setting. Then I cover the top with halved cherry tomatoes and a nice layer of mozzarella cheese, and put the pan under the broiler for a few minutes to get the cheese nice and bubbly. Delicious.

Happy eating!

Awww, look at those peek-a-boo tomatoes!