For those of you who are in my same state of ignorance, here's what they look like. I had to look them up online to find out their names ;)
Golden zucchini
Green zucchini = courgette = Italian marrow squash (the only kind I knew about!)
globe squash = Ronde de Nice
Mediterranean Squash
Tonight, I decided that I'd do some experimenting...bua-ha-haaa
I peeled the globe squash and felt it up a bit, lol...I smelled it, too..., and I figured that it might do well sauteed. So, I diced it up (1/2 inch to 1 inch pieces), sprinkled it with salt and pepper, and sauteed it in some olive oil. I was pleasantly surprised when I tasted it. It had a mild, nutty flavor, and it didn't get mushy or slimy. I added it to my children's spaghetti sauce. After I put the squash in the sauce, I used the same pan to saute some grape tomatoes. I didn't add any more oil. I added them to the spaghetti sauce and then poured the sauce over rotini pasta. I served it in bowls and sprinkled it with shredded mozzarella (very little--about 1 T.), and my kids ate it up! Yay for squash in the pasta!
I didn't have any of the pasta because the sauce had ground beef in it. But, just when I was feeling left out of the squash party, I decided to do some more experimenting to create a zucchini/squash juice soup. After all, today was a warm-cup-of-soup kind of day for me. I didn't sleep well last night, and I just wanted to stay in bed this morning...but, I decided to be a responsible grown up and go to work, anyway. Sooooo, here's my invention. It's going to sound weird, I'll admit, but I enjoyed it.
I juiced 2 golden zucchini, 2 Mediterranean squash, 3 stalks of celery, and one small granny smith apple. In a small pot, I used water to "saute" some minced garlic, green onions, a few thin slices of poblano pepper, and some ginger. I added the juice to the pot once it started smelling good and let it heat through. I also added a tiny bit of rosemary, some sea salt and freshly ground pepper. When I poured it in a bowl, it looked like Kermit had bled out LOL...it was GREEN...like I-live-too-close-to-a-nuclear-power-plant-so-the-lake-behind-my-house-glows-in-the-dark GREEN!
Well, a little green...or a lot of green...never scared me off, so I wasn't going to back down from this soup. But, once I tasted it, something was missing. I had really wanted more heat in the dish, but it was kind of late to add more poblano pepper. So, I looked in the fridge and I saw a jar of salsa...That's right...salsa. You know, the kind you serve at a party with chips, LOL.
I think I've watched one too many Chopped episodes because I swear it was like working with a mystery ingredient! I was nervous and excited. I mixed in about two tablespoons, and I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I actually liked the combination of flavors...enough to do it again some other day.
Again, I don't have a picture of my creation :( but I am going to get this camera problem resolved as soon as possible.
OH! One last thing. I want to point out that the fact that I didn't know about these vegetables is one of reasons why I want to find a nutritionist or coach to help me. I want to be the kind of person that knows about these things...that knows when some veggies/fruits are in season...that knows how to cook foods that are in season.
I spoke to two health coaches today. They aren't nutritionists, but they both work with people who want to have a plant-based diet. They both charge about the same rate **sigh** and it's HIGH, but doable, I guess...and worth it, too, I think. I'm going for my free consults this week to choose one or the other...or to decide if I'm going to keep looking. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Thanks again for following my blog :)
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