I drove home for my mother’s birthday party on Sunday. It’s a relatively long drive from Kansas City to Oklahoma City, a straight shoot down I-35 that makes me sleepy with monotony. Cookie and I finally arrived, five long hours later, and I got a couple of hugs on my way to my room for a nap. I woke up to eat pizza on the back porch, after which my grandmother served the blueberry froyo that she made with my aunt. Note to self: I should tell you all more about my rad 80-year-old grandmother someday. Home has been nice. I’ve been soaking up family time and catching up with old friends. I’ve also made sure to visit my favorite Mexican restaurants, because I just haven’t found a Kansas City Mexican place that serves meals like this. On our evening walks, I have been reminded that Oklahomans are the friendliest of people. Hellos and smiles all around.
I whipped up this meal a few days before I left home. The pesto has a bit of a Mexican flair thanks to cilantro, pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and jalapeño. It’s more flavorful than spicy, and it has won a special place in my heart along with all the other herb sauces that I hold dear (avocado chimichurri, salsa verde, tahini-dill dressing, savory dill-basil yogurt and lemon citronette). I know there are plenty of cilantro haters out there (I’m a lover, myself) but you could swap out the cilantro pesto for any of my others. The squash noodles lighten up a traditionally carb-heavy pesto and pasta dish. Finally, I can chomp on tons of noodles and not feel like I’m digesting a bowling ball afterward!
I’ve been playing with my new kitchen toy lately, a julienne peeler. I had it on my wishlist for a while, but after Laura endorsed it alongside this cucumber watermelon stunner, it promptly landed in my mailbox. (You are reading Laura’s blog, The First Mess, right? It’s marvelous; she’s marvelous.) So far, I’ve used my handy little peeler to make these squash noodles, and to quickly transform whole carrots into pretty orange strands for coleslaw. I’m going after a cucumber next. You should probably get one so we can throw a vegetable noodle party or take a cue from Laura and instagram our fancy lady lunches. But don’t worry if you don’t have one yet, because I’ve provided alternative slicing methods in the recipe below.
