Most of us were affected by Old Man Winter's cold temperatures this week and like many of you, I chose to stay home, especially in the evenings. Rummaging around in the refrigerator to cook up something hot and comforting, I decided to make a beef hash with diced potatoes and some leftover slices of prime rib. A couple of zucchini,Tondo di Piacenza (a summer squash meaning round from the town of Piacenza in northern Italy), were still stored in the refrigerator that I had allowed to get bigger than baseballs when I harvested the last of them back in October. Now in February, after peeling and slicing them into chunks, I decided to add them to the hash for color and to find out how they tasted after 4 months (note: I pre-cooked the cubed potatoes and squash in the microwave). Mixing and stir-frying all the ingredients in olive oil with a dash of salt and pepper and garnished with cherry tomatoes, sprigs of fresh rosemary and a chiffonade of Heshiko green onion, the make-shift beef hash turned out to be pretty to look at and delicious to eat. There is something so satisfying on a cold winter's eve, to eat a simple dish of beef hash - it is one of the ultimate comfort foods. And the summer squash that still tasted good in winter was an added seasoning of serendipity.
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