Well, a few beautiful, sunny days were all I got, then back to clouds and drizzle.  Yuck.  And the drizzle has become downpour today.  I want BACK IN MY GARDEN.

Stopped into the local food bank yesterday to talk to some friends, see what they had for distribution.  There on a table near the door were seeds and seedlings for those who had garden space available.  So one of the things I want to look into is container gardens.  Not everyone has a pea patch, but everyone could grow salad greens in a container at home on a deck.

Well, back to the kitchen.  Tonight's dinner is simple: Sauted Spinach with Pasta.

First off, you can sub Kale or any other green for the spinach, which is great, because YES, I still have kale in my garden.

So I put a couple of handfuls of pasta on to boil.  I prefer Barilla Plus, because it has lentil flour in it, which makes it higher in protein.  And it is tasty to boot.

Wash the greens (again, no measuring done--I just grabbed a couple of handfuls and rinsed them),  Don't worry about drying them.  Heat a small amount of oil in a saute or frying pan, and add some freshly chopped garlic.  When the oil is hot, and you can start to smell the garlic, toss in the greens.  You can also toss in sliced mushrooms.  Saute for a couple of minutes, stirring often.  Drain pasta, then throw it in with the greens.  Mix and pour into bowl.  Throw some grated cheese on top if you have it, but the garlic gives it nice flavor without.  Sometimes I add a dash of nutmeg.

A box of pasta will cost you about $1.99, and will create 4 servings.  A bag of spinach is about $1.99 also (at fred meyers).  So for $3 you can make this meal that is high in fiber, vegi's and protein for four people.  I would put a second veg on the side, because while I find the dish very filling, I know that a teenaged boy or girl would need two servings to feel full.