The Joy of Broccoli

I went to the Farmer's Market in Plumsteadville on Saturday . It is a sweet little affair, complete with a small table of quilters,  a Bluegrass Band, 2 tables of fresh, local produce, local honey, some handcrafts, and a cute little girl in a NY Yankees visor selling homemade cookies. I chatted with the sheep lady about the birds using wool for their nests, and the efficacy of spider webs to stop bleeding,..really. 

 I spent all of $3.00 and left with a huge head of broccoli and two strawberry filled butter cookies. Better yet, I left with a wonderful warm feeling of community, of small town life, thankful for my place here in this lovely corner of the country

Whole Wheat Rotini w/ Broccoli, White Beans and Garlic

Put a pot of water on to boil.

Chop 4-5 big cloves of garlic and saute in 1/3 c olive oil until soft.

Salt water when it boils and dump on half a box of pasta.

Set timer for 7 min.

Cut broccoli in to florets.

Open and drain a small can of cannellini beans. Add to Garlic mix

Bing! Add broccoli to pasta, cook 2-3 more minutes. 

Drain and dump immediately into Garlic -Bean pot

Season with lots of fresh ground pepper

Shave some Parmesan over and toss

So simple and so delicious!

Today's Supper

I just finished cooking and delivering a meal to two of my favorite friends. I used veggies that they get as their share from a local CSA, and some things from my garden as well.

The menu :

Broccoli, in a balsamic marinade, grilled, topped with toasted pine nuts and diced red pepper

Polenta tartlets to be topped with:

Fresh Kale braised with scallions, spring onions, garlic and leeks and a sprinkling of Parmesan

What a pleasure to cook with such fresh ingredients!

Of course, me being me, after I made this yummy meal for Marg and Terry, I stopped for my dinner at Ohwowcow.....a chocolate milkshake! Well, it's local, homemade ice cream....lots of calcium....and scrumptiously cold! Who cooks for the cook?

Garden Veggie Time!

We have been eating lettuce, peas, kale, radishes, and more lettuce for weeks now, and what a season it has been! All of my squashes have grown in leaps  and bounds, the tomatoes, green beans, peppers and eggplants have flowers, and I am looking forward to beets and swiss chard and leeks. 

This past week I have dipped into my rain barrels to water my veggies and my flowers. I bought sturdy plastic collapsible barrels from an online source, and I am so happy I did. They cost me less than $40.00 each  ( compared to the $75.00-$150.00 hard plastic barrels I have seen ) and are working out just fine. I can attach a hose or dip and carry my watering cans. It seems that nature is keeping up by refilling the barrels  when I have had to use more than half of their 75 gallons. When winter comes, I can empty them out and fold them up and store them in my basement.

Well, I am off to pick some Kale, which I will braise in a bit of olive oil in which I have already sauteed onions and garlic.....a squeeze of fresh lemon and I am back in my Mom's dining room eating dinner with my family!