persian polenta, parsnip and kale

Whenever I have lots of vegetables in the fridge, or whenever the CSA box looks too inviting to resist, I make '2 veg and a grain.' I try to find a common theme and run with it. Today's was Persian.

I sauteed carrots and parsnips with Turkish apricots - typical of this region is dried fruit in savory dishes. I made creamed kale, not exactly Persian, but I have been craving it. I also made salad with black fig vinagrette, cranberries and shredded carrots. And finlly, I made polenta with fenugreek leaves and seeds and a few strands of saffron. After cooling the polenta I sliced it into rectangles and broiled it. 

There you have a Persian-inspired meal. 

Cost breakdown:

bunch kale: $2.50

3 parsnips and a carrot: $2

apricots and cranberries: $1

polenta: $ .50

3 c rice milk: $1.50

1/2 head romaine lettuce: $1

spices, onion, garlic: $1

Total to feed a family of 5:

$9.50

  

black bean tamales

I totally get why traditionally women gather at 'Tamale parties' to make this stuff. It took me hours in the kitchen! But I have been asked many times over this year to make tamales and I've been saying 'someday.'

Well, someday was today.

It takes a while to make tamales so I made a whole mess o' them. It is a black bean filling that I cooked not with lard, but with 1/2 T of toasted sesame oil (hinting at a pork-flavor; idea from Bryanna Clark Brogan). I wrapped them in banana leaves and corn husks and served them with roasted tomatillo and chipotle salsa. I made Mexican rice - using brown rice.

Everything was absolutely fantastic!

Boy, that was a whole blog-full!

 I wonder what next year's tamales will have in them...

Cost Breakdown:

masa: $1

shortening: $3

beans and rice: $2

tomato, tomatillo : $6

onion, garlic, chipotle: $1.50

corn husks and banana leaves: $4

Total to make 25 tamales and

2 days' worth of outstanding Mexican rice:

$17.50