After having planted our Costata Romanesco just four weeks ago, it has leaves almost as large as a giant Gunnera and has already yielded a dozen 6-to-8-inch long squash. What to do with such an early bounty of these beautiful, deeply-ribbed, heirloom zucchini? I remembered my grandmother would serve us a delicious stir-fry that mixed wieners and whatever vegetable she was growing at the time. Whenever I complimented her on the meal, she would chuckle and modestly apologize for such a simple entrée, calling it “inaka style,” meaning country or peasant food. With so many squash, I decided to follow my grandmother’s example and make her inaka stir-fry. After watching the family gobble up every morsel, I thought of grandma Tokita and silently thanked her for her culinary and gardening lessons that she has passed on to me. Isn’t that what comfort food is all about?

Ingredients:

• ½ tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 package beef or turkey wieners sliced diagonally
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ¾ cup water
• 3 teaspoons corn starch
• cooking sherry (about 1/8 cup to ¼ cup)
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 bell pepper, seeded and sliced (or any other crunchy vegetable such as carrots)
• 2-3 sliced Costata Romanesco zucchini or another squash
• Cooked rice for 4

Directions:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil, stir-fry the ginger and garlic and add the sliced vegetables
2. Stir-fry over high heat, remove the vegetables while still firm and store temporarily in a separate container
3. Add 1 more tablespoon sesame oil and fry the sliced wieners until brown
4. Add the cooked vegetables
5. Combine the soy sauce, corn starch, sherry and water and mix well
6. Slowly add the liquid to the stir-fry until the sauce thickens and clarifies
   
7. Season to taste with freshly ground pepper
8. Serve over cooked rice (chopsticks optional)