A Mexican Calabacita Adventure

1½-3 calabacita squash

1c chopped celery & tops

¼ lg. white onion with top

1-2t Penzey's Shallot Pepper

1-2T extra virgin olive oil

¼-⅓c dry white wine

½c mild Ajvar

1-2 cans drained corn

rest of the onion - diced

3 lg. cloves garlic - sliced

1 lg. 20 oz. beefsteak tomato

Doya know by now. . .that I love grocery shopping? 😀 Especially in ethnic markets where there are strange and wonderful vegetables, fruit, beans, meat and even breads that I bring home, then Google for information!  After my recent trip to the Chicago suburbs, I'm really loving all my wonderful finds from one amazing European market in Darien, IL and Farmer's Best Market in Northlake, IL.  These food treasures temporarily give great dimension to my cooking and food choices.  If I discover something I really love, it's often available to purchase and have shipped online! 😀 This morning I had a Food Adventure Breakfast using wonderful finds from my ethnic market shopping: 1 small, heavy piece of dark Lithuanian Juoda Duona bread, with sunflower seeds.  Spread with a little goose liver pate,' a thin slice of onion, topped with mashed avocado and shallot pepper seasoning 😋 Oh my. . .

Ahhh, back to this recipe. . .scrub, then cut the squash lengthwise, into quarters into a big heavy pot.  (calabacita means 'little squash' in Spanish. . .They're grown primarily in the southwest and Mexico and are very similar to zucchini)  Add the celery and a little of the onion, finely chopped with a couple tablespoons of good quality extra virgin olive oil, seasonings and ¼c of dry white wine.  Simmer on med. - high heat for about 15 minutes until the celery and squash are a bit translucent.  Add the remaining ingredients, stir, cover and simmer   Top with grated or cubed Kefalotyri cheese, if you have access to a European market.  This is a hard, Greek cheese usually made from a mix of sheep and goat's milk.  This particular brand, Kalios, uses cow's milk, and it's great.  Not as salty as Italian and French hard cheeses.

Ahhh, fun-adventurous cooking. . .with unusual, found treasures. . .
Definitely My Thing. . .Lin