This week we have a few creative and delicious treats in the box: a medicinal tea & a Bloomfield-made vegan pumpkin cake with walnuts ( if you like, I can share the recipe). I couldn't resist. There's more about the tea in the previous post. Essentially the mint-like flavors of the various plants are good for the tummy and digestion and even the skin.

The vegetables for this week:

Kale, chard, a black Spanish turnip, onions, leeks, mild peppers, a green winter squash, eggs, tomatillos ( also included one hot chili for the recipe below), a few guavas for the sauce and a Mexican herb called papalo used much like cilantro.

FYI: The squash has a very hard exterior so be careful when cutting it. With a sharp knife cut it in half then turn it on its side to cut into slices. At this point, I cut off the skin, put salt and olive oil on the flesh and then put it on the barbecue. When cooked this way, the squash has a wonderful potato like texture.

Here's a salsa recipe using the papalo. The herb is also great in an egg scramble with sautéed onions.

Tomatillo Papalo Feijoa Salsa

a bag of tomatillos (8-10), roasted in the oven, or boiled.
3 garlic cloves
1 small onion roasted in the broiler
1 mild pepper roasted with the onion, seeded and cut into chunks
a part of the dried red chili pepper soaked in water ( very spicy so the amount depends on your spice meter).
juice of a lime
2 tbs. papalo leaves ( they have a strong flavor)
salt to taste
optional 1-2 feijoas to sweeten the sauce

Blend the ingredients in a blender just enough to mix it but not into a puree. Eat with chips and guacamole. It's really good.