Rice with Zucchini and Spinach

A fortifying meal.

Sunday supper was spent at home, just the two of us.

My charge was to wilt the spinach and saute the zucchini.

"Try to get some color on the zucchini." He requested.

Each took their turn in the pan aided by extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, my watchful eye and a pair of tongues.

Roberto's charge was to created the rice base to which the spinach and zucchini would marry. He did so by adding a dice of yellow onion and garlic to extra virgin olive oil. Under his watchful eye and a wooden spoon, over a low flame, the onion and garlic fell limp. Long grain rice was added, followed by ladle after ladle of warmed chicken stock.

Just like risotto.

R.E.M. serenaded.

We sat down, finishing our first bowl in what seemed to be the blink of an eye.

Next, we cracked three large eggs over asparagus in a pan and proceeded to sit down to a second bowl, which we inhaled while the yolks and whites, freckled with salt and pepper, set over a gentle flame.

In time, we cleared our bowls, making room for plates. We divvied up the fried eggs over asparagus, and slices of ciabatta were brought to the table.

It was a soup to nuts kinda day, rounding off our meal with some roasted peanuts.

Each course enjoyed with a 2008 Per Me Sola Rosso Toscana.

Oh, and we're still hammering away at the maple walnut cookies I made last week. They're a little stale, but worth taking to the end.