The beet goes on: veg. challenge, week 2

Que tal, pals? I am typing this on Missus RR's netbook;talk about the small print. One must do.....

The CSA consisted of beets,patty pan squash,parsley,chard,lettuce and scallions. While @ the market, I also scored some knobby onions,peas and mint,as well as herbed pasta and beef.

Saturday:free range beef,squash, and knobby onion kebabs, over rice pilaf. Gotta watch the free range stuff on the grill, goes south fast. The kebabs did not, though it was near run thing.

Sunday's meal was the pasta, pancetta, and peas in a creamy sauce. I learned something from the Missus: she had never had fresh peas before.

I found a leek, still viable, in the veg. bin Monday.I used Jamie Oliver's recipe for chicken (in this case, 3 thighs I had on hand)with leek, thyme, wine,and pancetta,roasted. Served it with parsleyed rice, so some of the CSA was used.

Tuesday evening found us at a niece's graduation;alas, no veg. that evening.

The lettuce and two roasted beets served as a base for Wednesday night's salad. I marinated some shrimp ( get 'em while you can folks, don't even get me started ) in a ginger and sesame marinade.There are more beets, omybrothersandsisters,they are gathering for a final assault. I will fix their little red wagon making a Yankee dish, red flannel hash. Although a wacky version can be found in the usually helpful Joy of Cooking , I will be using Marian Morash's recipe from her Victory Garden Cookbook. Her book is a valuable ally in the struggle with the veg world.

Thursday night RR made a swiss chard and almond sauce to go with the wide Amish noodles on hand. There are three components to the dish: the pasta, natch; the swiss chard, boiled briefly ,then sauteed with garlic and pepperoncino; finally,a pesto (mint is used with the basil , per recipe).All components are combined in the sauce pan. Texas toast accompanied the dish. The recipe is based on a Lydia Bastianich recipe, and was very tasty.Strangely, she uses just the leaves, ostensibly discarding the stems. Seems wasteful in an Italian recipe. Fear not, gentle reader: RR chopped them and is going to saute them severely, making a sauce with mushrooms and wine.

The pattypans remain, enigmatic on the counter.Their destiny is to be stuffed, I think.Further uses of beets after the hash will be in a beet, fennel, and honey salad. After that, RR may have to take the beet by the root as it were, and make borscht. Stay tuned.