CSA Eats: Open-faced Meatball Squash Sandwich & Spicy Swiss Chard
Curious as to what we make in our kitchen? We’ll you’re in luck! Check out this special edition recipe from our From the Kitchen series, where Nyana cooks up a tasty meal using ingredients from a local CSA program in Washington, DC. As we say: the only thing better than making food, is eating it! Don’t miss a recipe. Sign up here to get our recipe alerts!
Anyone who knows me, knows that I love to eat. Of course, this passion for eating draws from the fact that I grew up in a household that always had amazing food on deck due to the wonderful cooking skills of my family. Since we’re from Trinidad and Tobago, that meant eating colorful plates chockful of fruits and vegetables. In my adulthood, I’ve continued to make the conscious choice to eat well-balanced meals. So, when I heard about the community supported agriculture (CSA) program at Three Part Harmony Farm, I jumped on the chance to sign up for a weekly dose of local fruits and vegetables. Boy, the program did not disappoint, and I’m proud to say that I’ve been doing the program for three years now.
The start of May marked the start of a new season for the CSA program. Since we’re at the tail end of spring, we’ve been getting a lot of greens. I decided to pair the Swiss chard that I got in a recent share with some winter squash that I had left over from last year’s program. It being winter squash, I had popped those delicatas in the freezer until I could find good use for them. And man oh man, when I recently saw another item in my freezer, the thought came to mind to try something new: a bread-less meatball sub sandwich. I mean think about it, the squash would make a great alternative to bread, and would serve as a nice boat for the meatballs and tomato sauce. The end result was a vibrant dish of spicy chard paired with a hearty squash sandwich that was oozing with the robust flavor of tomatoes and that umami from the meatballs. Yes, it was as amazing as it sounds!
If you’d like to give it a try for yourself, see below for the quick recipes. No video today folks 🤷🏾♀️
Open-faced Meatball Squash Sandwich
Ingredients – Squash
Delicata squash
Spices to taste
Ingredients – Meatballs
Package of frozen meatballs
Your favorite tomato sauce
Steps
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Cut squash lengthwise and scoop out seeds.
Season inside of squash with spices (cause we're team flavor over here, some of the spices we used were: thyme, oregano, black pepper and salt to taste).
Spray a lined baking sheet with cooking spray.
Add squash to tray, and turn upside down so that the skin is facing up.
Bake for 30 mins or until tender.
Add your favorite tomato sauce to a pan on the stove on low – medium heat.
Place meatballs in the sauce, and cook as instructed on the package.
Once meatballs are done, it is time to create the sandwich by turning over the squash so that the cut side is facing up.
Place meatballs in the center of the squash (2-3 meatballs work just fine).
You'll should then ladle sauce over the meatballs and squash so that you can experience the sauce in all its glory when chowing down.
Now you have your open-faced meatball squash sandwich.
Spicy Swiss Chard
Ingredients – Swiss chard
Swiss chard, chopped
Herbs and spices to taste
Steps
Heat olive oil in a pot on medium heat.
Add Swiss chard to a pot with your favorite spices, including 2 tablespoons of our Trini 'hot' pepper sauce.
Cook until tender.
The Plating
Place the desired amount of squash on a plate. I'm sure one half of a squash works just fine, but as I like to eat, I took two 😜 Trust that it is very filling as the meatballs add a hearty component to an otherwise light dish. The added benefit of leaving the skin on the squash is that it serves as a nice boat for all that saucy goodness. Last but not least, add your swiss chard to the plate so that you'll have a little kick with your meal. Also, the green adds a pop more color to the plate. Violà, you're now done! So, you can feast on and enjoy your creation.
Camella’s Kitchen is run by two ladies from Trinidad and Tobago. Based out of Prince George’s County, Maryland, we’re living our sauciest lives by bringing our bold Caribbean flavors to you! How will you #BeCamellaSaucy? Tell us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube!
