Fresh Tomato Sauce With Olives Over Pennette | Meatless Monday

This pasta dish is fresh and easy.

~ Prepare the ingredients while the pasta water comes to a boil.

~ Cook the sauce while the pasta boils.

You're done.

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I started with a large pot of water and while waiting for it to come to a boil, I prepared these ingredients:

Fresh garden tomatoes that I had just picked were used because some split on the vines and would spoil if left out. Ugly garden tomatoes make pretty tasty sauce! Farmers' market or good grocery store tomatoes (even a pint of grape tomatoes halved) would work well. I also used one large shallot. I just love shallots and always have them on hand. But half a red onion would work. 

I would have used garlic if I'd had some.

Fresh basil and parsley added amazing flavor. I gave everything a rough chop while chatting with my kids doing their homework nearby.

Fresh mozzarella was in the fridge so I decided it would taste lovely with the fresh tomatoes and basil in this meal - almost like a basil-mozzerella salad but over pasta. Shaved or grated parmesan would make a nice substitute.

Then, while the pennette boiled (any pasta can be used and I would use whole wheat but it scares my family away), I sauteed the shallot in some extra virgin olive oil until soft. If using garlic, add at the end so it doesn't burn.

When the shallot was soft, I added the chopped tomatoes, brought everything to a boil, immediately turned off the heat, covered the pan, and let it sit until the pasta was cooked. This way, the tomatoes softened a little and maintained their freshness.

Before draining the pasta, I scooped out half a cup of pasta water.

Fresh parsley and basil were added last - just before serving.

I added half a cup of the pasta water that was saved, about half to one teaspoon white balsamic vinegar (start with a little and slowly add more to taste), Kalamata olives in an amount that made me happy. I broke them up with my fingers.  The olives provided the salt for this dish.

I kept the pasta and sauce separate because there wasn't enough for the whole pound of pasta. We set up 4 individual bowls of pasta and ladled the sauce over each serving.  The leftover pasta and sauce were stored in the fridge separately.

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A little bread on the side would have been nice to sop up the remaining sauce!

Recipe ~ adjust to taste


Pennette, 1 package, or other pasta

Extra virgin olive oil, about 2 tablespoons
1 large shallot, or half a red onion, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
Roma tomatoes, about 5; Heirlooms, about 2, roughly chopped
  or about 4 medium-sized tomatoes
  or 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
Paster water, 1/2 cup
White balsamic vinegar, about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon
Kalamata olives, drained, about half a jar or to taste, broken up with fingers
Fresh parsley, a small bunch, chopped

Fresh basil, a small bunch, chopped

  

Fresh mozzarella, sliced, or parmesan, shaved or grated

Italian bread (optional)

Method: Start with bringing water in a large pot to a boil and cook pasta according to directions on package. While water comes to a boil and while pasta cooks: chop tomatoes, onion (and garlic, if using), and herbs. Slice mozzarella. Break up olives. Saute shallot (garlic) in extra virgin olive oil over medium heat until soft. Add tomatoes, bring to a boil, immediately turn off heat, cover and let sit until pasta is done. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water, drain pasta. Add pasta water to tomato sauce, white balsamic vinegar, Kalamata olives, parsley and basil. Set up individual bowls with pasta. Ladle desired about of sauce over top, garnish with cheese. Serves about six.

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9/24 Update: here's an article with a similar recipe I just found while searching through old magazines that I thought you'd like, "Great Tomatoes Don't Need Cooking to Become a Great Sauce" http://www.finecooking.com/articles/great-tomatoes-no-cook-sauce.aspx

Easy Grape Salad And Labor Day

Happy Labor Day! Here's a refreshing salad that's easy to make on this day of rest.

Method: To some torn red and butter (or Boston) lettuce, add an amount of chopped red onion that you'd like, halved green and red grapes, a little sprinkle of extra virgin olive oil and rice vinegar (but not too much - the brilliant flavors of the delicate lettuce and juicy grapes speak for themselves), pepper to taste. Toss and serve!

Labor Day
To many, and to us as well, Labor Day marks the end of summer and the beginning of a new school year. But Labor Day is also a day that I remember my pepere who worked as a weaver in a textile mill and reflect on the history of the labor movement.

This picture of my pepere hangs on a wall in my home and I absolutely love it. He labored hard and weaved with pride. His strong work ethic was admirable.

Here's part of a Robert Frost poem, The Lone Striker, that I also love. It was written in 1933 during the time my pepere worked as a textile weaver:

"The swinging mill bell changed its rate
To tolling like the count of fate,
And though at that the tardy ran,
One failed to make the closing gate.
There was a law of God or man
That on the one who came too late
The gate for half an hour be locked,
His time be lost, his pittance docked.
He stood rebuked and unemployed.
The straining mill began to shake.
The mill, though many-many-eyed,
Had eyes inscrutably opaque;
So that he couldn’t look inside
To see if some forlorn machine
Was standing idle for his sake.
(He couldn’t hope its heart would break.)


And yet he thought he saw the scene: The air was full of dust of wool.

A thousand yarns were under pull,

But pull so slow, with such a twist,

All day from spool to lesser spool,

It seldom overtaxed their strength;

They safely grew in slender length.

And if one broke by any chance,

The spinner saw it at a glance.

The spinner still was there to spin.

That’s where the human still came in.

Her deft hand showed with finger rings

Among the harplike spread of strings.

She caught the pieces end to end

And, with a touch that never missed,

Not so much tied as made them blend.

Man’s ingenuity was good.

He saw it plainly where he stood,

Yet found it easy to resist. . . ."

~

Labor of Love
Labor Day is also a time when my garden begins to rest after working hard all summer long. This year, some plants didn't do well, some were more challenging to maintain than others, and some, especially the zucchini and cucumbers, were very happy growers. Every year's a surprise!

Looks like this zucchini drank a little too much! We had a bumper crop of cucumbers. I harvested baskets full, shared with neighbors, and came up with creative ways to serve them. We were surprised at how wonderful this cucumber agua fresca tasted!

The watermelon almost made it but their vines weakened during tropical storm Irene and they couldn't hold on.

Heirloom tomatoes were a challenge to grow, splitting often just before harvesting, but not the roma tomatoes which are still growing strong.

The last cucumber of the season is a September surprise! Bell peppers just said their goodbyes. Eggplants are making their grand entrance.

 Everbloom strawberries are working hard to ripen for one last show.

Busy local honey bees seek out nectar in late-summer budding sedum. I think they're my friend's bees, a beekeeper a few houses away . They make me smile.

Versatile Fresh Mild Salsa: Snack, Endive Finger Salad, Pasta Salad

What a surprise! I had no idea when I made this mild salsa that it would be so versatile during our vacation in New Hampshire. 

Salsa With Blue Corn Chips

The salsa was made from some of my garden vegetables before we left. We ate it as a snack the first night on vacation. I love using organic blue corn chips because, not only do they taste good, they are a nice contrast to salsa. Unfortunately, I don't have a picture because we were on vacation and didn't want to seem obsessive, at least not at the beginning of vacation anyway!

~ Picture the

Salsa

with Blue Corn Chips

Here! ~

Method: I diced a few cucumbers, a few tomatoes, and a red onion, added organic canned corn (drained), chopped fresh parsley to taste (I didn't have cilantro), fresh juice from one lime, and pepper to taste. It was a pretty big batch, but I was trying to use up vegetables that I had just picked. Reduce the portions for your needs.

Being leery about the existence of GMOs and chemicals in conventional canned or fresh corn, I used organic canned corn hoping to avoid them. (Frozen bagged corn would be best to avoid possible BPA from cans.) Still, I can't be sure. This is one of the reasons I support GMO labeling - it should be my choice.

Endive Finger Salad
Then I used the salsa in this endive salad to which my son said, "Oh, no, I feel like I'm in Paris again!" You would understand why he said that if you saw this post.

Method: I cut the ends off the endive, carefully pulled off a few leaves, added a slender slice of block feta that was left over from our watermelon salad, topped with a spoonful of salsa and a sprinkle of extra virgin olive oil.

Pasta Salad
The rest of the salsa was added to farfalle pasta one night and served as a side pasta salad to our hamburgers.

Method: To cooked and cooled pasta, I added salsa, some extra virgin olive oil, and rice vinegar to taste.

For the bread and pasta, I couldn't find organic rolls nearby at Price Chopper and didn't have time to drive to Littleton Food Co-op, so I picked up organic bread which I was happy to see was from the nearby state of Vermont. I also found local cheese from Vermont, organic wine, and partially organic pasta. Whole wheat pasta was not an option and we're really not a fan of it anyway. Why the fuss to find organic? Ever since my daughter was diagnosed with her kidney disease, when shopping, I look for organic and if I can't find it, I look for local; if I can't find local, I try to make the best conventional choices (but more about that in another post).

Roasted Peppers

The peppers were previously roasted at home a few days before vacation and came along with us.

Method:  trim peppers, coat with olive oil, broil on low until skins are charred. Place in a bag until cool enough to touch. Peel skins.

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Meats

This summer, I've had the convenience of purchasing most of our meat at farmers markets. The meats are frozen in durable vacuum-sealed packages so it's easy to stock up. Here are the names of the farms: Aquidneck Farms, Pat's Pastured, J. Beaulieu Farm, Roy Carpenter's Farm, Meadowstone Farm

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The historic Littleton Grist Mill where fine grains can be purchased

Zucchini Hash

Zucchini season is almost over, at least in my neck of the woods, so I thought I better get this recipe out now!

I said "recipe" but it's not really a recipe. It seems I have an aversion to writing my own recipes, especially when it's something I just whip up. When I get started in the kitchen, it's like I'm in a frenzy. I always think I should write everything down, but I rarely do. I feel it suppresses my creativity. Not that this dish is very creative; it's pretty basic but you know what I mean!  

Zucchini Hash

The ingredients can be changed to suit you and how many you're serving. Here's what I used:

1 large russet potato, or 2 medium, chopped

1 small onion, diced

1 medium zucchini, or 2 small, chopped 

About 1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley, loosely packed

Extra virgin olive oil, about 1 tablespoon

Celery seed, a sprinkle or about 1/4 teaspoon (a chopped celery stalk would be fine but I didn't have any)

Pepper to taste

Cut the russet potatoes very thin and chop. Dice onion and zucchini. Saute onion in about 1 teaspoon of olive oil until soft. Remove and set aside. Add a little more olive oil to the pan and saute potatoes until tender. Add onion, celery seed, and zucchini until zucchini is heated through to your liking. I usually don't let zucchini get mushy. Add chopped parsley, pepper to taste, stir, and serve.

I didn't take too many pictures of the process, the kitchen in the cottage we rented was dark. 

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This zucchini hash was made while we were on vacation in July when I was taking a break from my blog. I still remember the flavor, though, and it went well with various dishes that week and even as a snack by itself. It went nicely with our eggs that morning, made a great side dish to grilled steak another night. It can even make a great meal by itself - for a little protein, add your favorite beans or cheese.

We brought our own garden parsley and zucchini to the cottage we rented at the beach, but we're lucky to be near this farm where we bought the russet potatoes and onions, among many other delicious foods that week.

I was also lucky to capture this scene, during a walk one morning, of two cows shading another!

We had great weather.

Enjoyed a full moon over the ocean.

Captured a sunset behind a flag raised for Independence Day.

Went fishing.

Saw Man Of La Mancha at this charming and very professional theatre. Love the little windmills in the flower pots!

And collected sea shells.