Mole for Supper

Tonight we had mole for supper. I had never heard of it before and frankly it doesn't sound very good. But the recipe came along with this week's CSA (community-supported agriculture) share from Pete's Greens and offered a quick way to use up many kinds of produce before I get overwhelmed with next week's delivery.

Here's what was brewing: carmelized onions, garlic, paprika, roasted squash, green tomatoes, ground almonds, kale, white beans, and quality dark chocolate -- at least 70 percent cocoa. Since the recipe called for 2 oz, I consumed the remaining 1.2 oz. I didn't feel obligated to share the chocolate with my girls since they've overdosed on Halloween candy in the last couple of weeks.

As the concoction cooked (for a long two hours at 250 F), my preschooler asked what that smell was. I admit that neither of my daughters devoured the mole, even when I disclosed that there was melted chocolate in there. Perhaps, if I'd had chiles around (as called for), my younger daughter would have demanded the "spicy food," which she has a hankering for.

Though my kids aren't gung ho for all the veggies in the CSA, they like some of them and they are always curious to see the produce spread across our kitchen table on delivery day. It's like a mini food lesson and now we all know that "mole" is a type of casserole.