Ratatouille

For those of you, not in the know, ratatouille is actually the name of a French Provencal stew.  It's what you do when the zucchini, tomato and eggplants in your garden have decided it's time for a coup.  A take over!    Several years ago I had a VERY prolific tomato plant about the size of one of those "smart cars" you see around.  It virtually attacked and claimed a corner of my yard and even though it was attacked by the dreaded spiny looking tomato worm, the plant still provided pound after pound of huge juicy tomatoes.

Enter the heirloom black zucchini plant!  In my neck of the woods, high desert and usually dry, we don't plant most veggies in the ground until late May or early June.  Even then, weather can be fickle with bouts of dry, alternating with snow and quick freezes.  My zucchini plant struggled at first and while I went on a short vacation my dad watered and watched over my garden.  Now, I don't know what he said to these plants, but upon my return,  Magic!   He's always had a green thumb.  I began to grow zucchini in a big way, picking consistently two or 3 a day.  I also planted one Japanese eggplant which was almost nibbled to the ground by a resident rabbit.  Thanks for the trim!  Now, it thrives, too.

This ratatouille recipe is great when your garden is going gangbusters!  While I had measurements, you don't have to be so exact.  You're not baking a cake, it's a stew!  Ratatouille is even better the next day as the flavors blend.

2 cups, chopped peppers (I used an assortment of colors)

1 cup chopped yellow onion

3-4 small Japanese eggplant.  (no need to peel, chop into 1/2 inch pieces)

2 cups zucchini, chopped into 1/2 inch or bite size pieces

1 1/2 -2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

1/2 c of diced canned organic tomatoes

1 bay leaf

1 tsp herbs de Provence

1/2 tsp thyme

a handful of chopped parsley (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

Once everything is chopped up this dish is easy.  I started with 2 Tbsp of olive oil to get the veggies cooking.  Add the peppers, onions, eggplant and zucchini, stirring until the onions begin to soften.  Add the tomatoes, garlic, canned tomatoes, bay leaf, herbs and thyme.  Cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat. 

Cover and reduce the heat to low.  Let it simmer for another 30 minutes or longer, checking to see if the liquid has evaporated.  You can add a bit (1/4 cup) of water or broth to keep them moist.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Make sure you let a spoonful cool,; the veggies are very hot at this point!

You can serve after letting it cool a bit or refrigerate for the next day.  I like to put a dollop of goat cheese on top...delicious!

The Secret to Terrific Tomatoes

I know I'm not alone when I  speak of tasteless tomatoes.  This time of year though, you can find beautiful juicy tomatoes that actually taste the way a tomato should!  There are still plenty of farmer's markets going on  until the end of this month.   Take advantage of the produce while you can or hopefully you've been successful in growing tomatoes in your own garden. (Not so here in critter ville)  But, when the tomato vines wither and you must resort to buying from the big box stores, this is how you transform a tasteless tomato into a terrific one.

This works the best with the oblong Roma tomatoes or the larger cherry ones.

Terrific Roasted Tomatoes

Heat oven to 250°

Depending on the size of the roasting pan, halve or quarter enough tomatoes to cover the bottom of the pan scattered on one layer.  Lightly drizzle some olive oil over them, salt and pepper and add some whole cloves of garlic over the top.  Stir around and bake slowly for 2-3 hours.  The slow roasting will develop so much flavor into these less than perfect tomatoes!  Discard the garlic, unless the cloves are still soft.  Hard ones will taste bitter!

Now, spread onto bagels, french bread rounds, sandwiches and even on pizza!  You'll be amazed at the sweetness!  

Put them on pizza, too!

Angel Hair Pasta Pomodoro

I love the simplicity of Italian food.  With just a few ingredients you can create a special meal.  Most of the ingredients that go into this dish, you may already have.  Instead of angel hair pasta, orzo, penne,  or spaghetti noodles can be substituted.  What's great about this pasta is that it only takes about 7 minutes to make once the water boils for the pasta!  Try it!

Angel hair Pasta Pomodoro

1/3 package of angel hair pasta

3 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp olive oil

3 cloves of garlic, minced

zest of 1 lemon

2 Tbsp of lemon juice

2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

20 cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

2 ladles of pasta water

2 Tbsp basil leaves, torn or sliced

For garnish:  Parmesan cheese and red hot chili flakes


Boil water for the pasta in a large pan.  Add a bit of salt when it boils, then add the pasta, stirring.  Cook according to package directions, usually 9-10 minutes.  Reserve 2 ladles of pasta water, then drain.

In a large skillet, add the butter and olive oil.  Heat on medium heat until butter melts.  Add the garlic, zest, lemon juice, parsley and tomatoes.  Cook for only 3-4 minutes so the flavors blend.  Add the pasta to the skillet, stirring to mix ingredients.  Add the basil and pasta water, especially if it looks dry.  You can also add a bit more olive oil at the end.  It's ready....plate, garnish and enjoy!

Serves about 2-3.  

Margherita Pasta - March Pasta of the Month

Time flies when you're having fun!  I almost let March slip by without posting my "pasta of the month".  I don't think there's a classic dish that takes the popular margherita pizza and transforms it into a pasta plate.  But, in my kitchen, anything goes!   The pizza's origin comes from Queen Margherita of Italy.  On a visit to Naples she was served this pizza depicting the colors of the Italian flag, red tomatoes, green basil and white mozzarella.  It works for me!

I love the simplicity of a few basic ingredients, thrown together to mimic the flavors of pizza minus the crust.  Since this was an experiment, I'll recommend some changes.  Use ALL fresh ingredients if you can, especially a soft mozzarella.

Margherita Pasta

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 onion, chopped (optional)

a big handful of fresh basil, chopped

1 - 1 1/2 cups tomatoes, cut or use cherry tomatoes

4-6 oz mozzarella, cubed

pasta of choice

pasta water, 2 ladles

red chili flakes (optional)

Heat oil in a large skillet and saute garlic, onions and tomatoes.  Meanwhile cook the pasta reserving some pasta water before draining.    After draining add the pasta, fresh basil and pasta water to the skillet.  Mix well and throw in the mozzarella, mixing again.  Then serve.  Super simple, but tasty!  Sprinkle red pepper flakes on top  because I love those on my pizza!

Panzanella Penne - Pasta of the Month

The last couple of days have been spent putting my home back together.  With the kitchen remodel comes alot of fine particle dust in every nook and cranny, shelving cabinets and pantry, juggling food from one refrigerator in the garage to the new one.  I'm sure I have the longest hallway to the garage, or it seems that way.  I must have made 50 trips, there and back.  But, the kitchen is really looking great!

As I mentioned, we were invited to dinner at Paul & Cathie's Resort. (That's what we call it because it's absolutely gorgeous, evoking a calming resort-like feeling.)  We had a bit of rustic garlic and olive ciabatta type bread  which was left over, so I snagged it to create this pasta of the month for August.

I even made it more rustic by cooking this dish in the gourmet garage on one hotplate. (not recommended but doable!!)  To further the Tuscan experience, I air dried the bread slices, then cubed them.  Thanks, Nevada, for your lack of moisture.  You almost don't need a toaster in this part of the country!

Panzanella Penne

1-2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup red onion, sliced

1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced (optional)

1 cup cherry tomatoes

1/2 fennel bulb, sliced

2 garlic cloves, cut finely

2 Tbsp butter

1 - 1 1/2 c any rustic Tuscan bread, cubed

1/2 box of penne pasta

 about 2 ladles of reserved pasta water

Parmesan or Romano cheese for garnish

Boil water for the pasta, salt and cook the pasta according to directions, usually around 11 minutes.  Reserve 2 ladles of the water, drain the pasta and set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet.  Add the mushrooms and onions and cook until onions are soft.  Add the garlic, fennel, tomatoes and butter.   Continue to cook for about 5-6 minutes on medium high heat, stirring to mix the flavors.  Add the bread cubes.

Add the drained pasta to the skillet, along with the pasta water.  Mix thoroughly.  At this time you can add some cheese to the mix.  Serves 4 hungry adults!

Simple Scrumptious Sundried Tomato Farfalle

When asked the other day, "Don't you need to make some sort of pasta dish for your blog?" I quickly took the not so subtle hint and made these bow ties for dinner. It qualifies for a "lazy girl" meal since it took no time at all to put this in motion. This pasta would be great for a Sunday family dinner or as simple and quick as a working woman weeknight meal. Plus, it has some amounts of lycopene which, although not proven, may decrease your risk for certain cancers.

Ingredients:

3 cups dried farfalle (bow ties)

2 T olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 T sliced onion

10 sun dried tomatoes, reconstituted and chopped

1 handful each of chopped parsley and fresh basil

2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 - 1/3 cup pine nuts

Start your water for the pasta, bring to a boil and add the pasta. Cook according to the directions, usually around 10-12 minutes. Reserve a few tablespoons of pasta water before draining. Reconstitute the tomatoes by adding boiling water to them in a separate bowl. In a large skillet saute onions and garlic in the oil. Add the Roma and sun dried tomatoes, salt and pepper, parsley and basil while stirring. Add a few tablespoons of pasta water, a drizzle of olive oil and the pine nuts. Toss to marry the flavors. Enjoy these bow ties or butterfly shaped pomodoro pasta for the perfect Mediterranean style meal. It's very good cold, too.