Hot and Sweet Cocktail Meatballs

It's spring!  My local farm just sent me an email to say that they have strawberries and asparagus. Every blog and food person around is going on about ramps and fiddlehead ferns, and the magic that is the fleeting presence of weird early spring veg. 


This isn't that.  This is cocktail meatballs.  You could make them any time of year.  You could probably buy them in the frozen section of your local megamart.  My recipe probably isn't all that different from your mom's.  


I have always done this with pre-packaged veggie "meatballs" but they're made out of meat* this time.  So don't despair, vegetarians, you too can have this sweet and spicy deliciousness that should probably be reserved for parties, but can still be dinner, because hell, you work hard, and you deserve a cocktail meatball now and again.  

Buying Club 2012 - The Goods - Week 24: What is up with cress?

Next to last week of these goods, so I stocked up and saved.  Ok, just stocked up. 

Herbs.  Cilantro and chives. 

Lettuces.  Arugula, Spinach, "Gourmet Lettuce Mix," and Cress.  I wasn't sure if I was familiar with cress, and it is a rollercoaster of nightmare flavors*.  I imagine this is what cilantro is like for the cilantro-haters.  Is it just me?  

Stocking the pantry with dried apples  and ketchup. 

ALL THE YOGURT.  Seriously, another blueberry for the freezer and the little plain ones to cook with.  Also, mystery cheese. 

Fauxteins.  Tofu and veggie sausage. Usually I don't go for the veggie-meats, at least, not the meat-shaped veg, but thought the sausage might be worth a shot.  I'm sure I'll keep you posted on that. 

*no offense intended to the producer or distributor.  I don't bash the farms for growing beets either.  It's not their fault, it's the cress. 

B.L.P. Bacon Lettuce and Pepper Sandwich

 

It's not a recipe so much as it's a sandwich.  I had that harissa mayo, and I wanted a vehicle to apply it to my face.  

Really, what it is is Same Dinner Different Day.

Harissa Mayo

Ok, so this post started with a lie. I didn't make harissa mayo, I made harissa vegenaise.  So maybe you want to swap the honey for some agave and make it vegan, or maybe you want to use real egg mayo, or maybe you're ok living in limbo like me, with the vegenaise and the honey. It's really up to you.

But the point is that you should make this sauce, and you should put it on everything you eat. Ok, in moderation, because it's mayo, but still. 

Mustard Glazed Mustard Greens

This is a quick one.  Barely a recipe, and more like what happened to my mustard greens.  

I have a confession to make... I cook all my greens the same way. I use greens in lots of dishes, anywhere they'll fit, but if I'm just making up a bunch of greens, it's garlic, a bit of vinegar, and if we're feeling luxurious, some bacon.  But that's the routine, always.

And it's mustard green time.  Yay for new veg.  I got some mustard greens (this one is Mizuna, from the unGoogleable Silver Mine Farm) and I had already made salad of another variety and thought it was time to get cooking.  But as much as I love garlic and vinegar on greens, it was time for a change. 

You know what mustard greens go well with?  It's so obvious.  Mustard.  These aren't as tough as collards or kale but they're not nearly as wimpy as spinach and they can take a little texture.  Plus, they already have that lightly peppery thing going for them.  Let's play that up.   Four ingredients, happy side dish.