Spicie Foodie ™

Healthy, Fresh, and Delicious Recipes to Spice up Your Kitchen ™

Sunday Snapshots: Bread, Pasta, Olives and A Patty Pan Squash

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Bread, Pasta, Olives and Patty Pan Squash, Sunday Snapshots, Spicie Foodie

I live in a great neighborhood. One of the things I love most about my neighborhood are the international shops. Alongside traditional Czech mini markets, butchers, and bakeries are small markets with European and exotic Asian flavors.

Bread, Pasta, Olives and Patty Pan Squash, Sunday Snapshots, Spicie Foodie

My husband and I have always preferred supporting small neighborhood shops, be it local Czech or those owned by immigrants selling international goods, over the big corporate super markets. We don’t do all our shopping in the small shops, but it is a nice treat we allow ourselves.

Bread, Pasta, Olives and Patty Pan Squash, Sunday Snapshots, Spicie Foodie

Yesterday, Saturday, after lunch we stopped at one of our favorite Italian shops in the neighborhood. While my husband may not admit it, he is just as big a foodie as I am. He too loves trying new foods, experimenting and shopping in these small shops. Everything you see in the first three photos he choose. We now have an Italian country bread, tri-color and flavored spaghetti, green olives and almond biscotti to eat this week. I can’t wait to cook the pasta and share it with you all.

Bread, Pasta, Olives and Patty Pan Squash, Sunday Snapshots, Spicie Foodie

This yellow beauty is a huge patty pan squash. Every year around early September they begin appearing at the green grocers.

Bread, Pasta, Olives and Patty Pan Squash, Sunday Snapshots, Spicie Foodie

Usually I turn them into soups, like Curried White Squash Soup ~ Thai Inspired and Roasted Pumpkin and Patty Pan Stew.

Bread, Pasta, Olives and Patty Pan Squash, Sunday Snapshots, Spicie Foodie

This year I may do the same, or perhaps not. I haven’t decided yet. If I create a new recipe with the patty pan I’ll be sure to share it with you all.

 

How about you, did you pick up any new foods to try this weekend?

 

~~Happy Sunday everyone! I won’t be posting the normal Monday post, instead I’ll see you back here on Wednesday with a new recipe. Hope to see you then.

 

Comments

  3. I would love a patty pan squash recipe. They are all over the place here and I stuffed one last year, but I’m not sure what else to do with them. How do you cut it open?

    Love the bread quote at the beginning. I’m writing that down.

    I didn’t try any new foods this week, but I did try out a new recipe and it wasn’t a fail. :)

    • Hi Holly,

      I stuffed one a few years ago, but usually it gets turned into soup. I’m still playing with what to do with it. Hopefully I’ll have something new to share with you:) Yay, happy that your new recipe was a sucess;)

  6. Man will never admit that they are actually foodies. ;)

    I agree its important to support the small shop owners. I find those type of shops sometimes more interesting. the food items are unique or the quality exceptional compared to commercial supermarkets. I have seen many small shop owners in Europe dissapear over time. The commercialization wasn’t that supportive towards small business owners in Europe’s change.

    My favorite picture is the first one. Love the effect of the different colored spaghettis.

    • Hehe, I think you are correct!

      So true, there is always something new and interesting to try. Besides the shop owner’s passion is contagious and you learn so much from them. Sadly that is the truth, my neighborhood has been victim to it too. Hopefully people will start realizing what little gems these small shops are.

      Thank Helene:)

  8. Gorgeous photos! I love those black backgrounds. I haven’t yet tried anything new this weekend, but I haven’t been food shopping yet today! So who knows? ;-)

  10. In Australia there is a noticeable return to Farmers’ Markets and ‘corner shops’ , be they small butchers, delis, greengrocers or whatever! Yes, it has been and is easy to do all of one’s shopping at the one destination: methinks we all have come to realize we are losing something in choice, quality and the local ‘footprint’! I boringly use the pattypans stuffed, sliced in stirfries or steamed – would love to have a new recipe!!

    • I think you are correct Eha. People seem to want to appreciate better choices and quality, and therefore opting for farmer’s markets and smaller shops. Hopefully it is a trend that will continue. Thanks for the tip on the squash:)

  12. I’ve never heard of patty pan squash but it’s a cute little veggie (wait, it’s little right?). I’ve also never seen tri-color pasta! How beautiful~~~. I won’t be able to use it unless I can easily find those kinds. Hm, so far I haven’t eaten something new this weekend, but I bought my fist jar of Cookie Butter and I’m going to try tomorrow morning! :D

    • Hi Nami,
      This one is huge, like the size of my head, lol:) Usually you can find tiny ones though. The pasta was a great find. OOhhh cookie butter, sounds good:)

  13. I love that you have photographed the squash on purple , how gorgeous does that look. It also looks like a giant!. I haven’t come across tricoloured spaghetti even though I work for an Italian wholesaler.. very exotic.. I have cooked with Bronte pistachio paste and some defatted hazelnut flour though this week. Both Italian

    • Hi Tania,
      Thanks, yes it is huge! I should have kept the package to give you the brand name, of the spaghetti. I also haven’t seen it before, only bow tie and fussili pastas. Yum, the pistachio paste and hazelnut flours sound great!

  14. I’m so envious of having markets nearby. Your pictures are absolutely gorgeous. I can’t wait to see what you do with the pasta. Almond biscotti – my favorite.

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