My journey of cooking, gardening, preserving and more
This holiday season was my first attempt at making peanut butter dog treats for Buster, our dog. I’ve made sweet potato dog treats for him in the past but then found out that the natural sugar in sweet potatoes was contributing to a yeast issue …
It was not a stellar year for my tomato plants this season. Though I harvested quite a few, it was certainly not a typical year. Cool nights, flooding rains and cooler-than-average daytime temps do not make for happy, bountiful tomato plants. The exception to all …
Every year I’m in awe of just how many eggplants one plant can product and this year is no different. Here are a couple of shots of some of the eggplants I harvested out of our garden last year:
Beautiful, aren’t they?
This past weekend, I decided to try something new with my eggplant. I’m not a huge fan of Eggplant Parmesan, because as a general rule I try and stay away from breading and frying things. Usually, in place of the classic, I simply saute some slices, layer them in a pan with fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, Parmesan and basil and then bake it. I’ve changed this up with tomato sauce instead of fresh and it’s equally delicious.
But, I really wanted to try something new this weekend and I’m calling it Eggplant Bianca, since there’s no tomato sauce involved; it’s just grilled eggplant baked with cheese and a simple white sauce. A layer of blanched arugula or spinach would be perfect in this. A layer of fresh tomatoes would also be wonderful (though no longer “bianca”) and I’m looking forward to playing with this more in the months to come.
Preheat oven to 350°
I already told you some other ideas for this, such as a layer of arugula, spinach or tomatoes. I think if you cut this into small squares, it would make a perfect appetizer. It could also be used as a side dish, if you prefer, instead if serving it as a main course, such as I did. And if you’re looking for what to serve a vegetarian guest at a party, I think this definitely fits the bill. Also, as a final note, you can certainly remove the eggplant skin, if you prefer it that way.
Bon Appetit!
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It’s that time of year again! (I mean canning time, of course) First on the canning schedule this year was corn salsa (or corn relish, if you prefer). Skelly’s Farm Market, a local farm stand, is selling the sweetest, juiciest sweet corn right now and …
My husband, beet lover that he is, put our beet seeds in the ground in late March. We just harvested the bulk of them about a week ago (early July) and oh, what a harvest it was! Beets are so good for you – they’re …
This is a popular summertime recipe in my house because the only thing I have to truly cook is pasta. This no-cook tomato pasta sauce is simple, flavorful and delicious, especially when you use sun-ripened tomatoes and fresh basil from your garden or farmers market.
Take your pick of tomatoes and see what you like. For this, I prefer a beefy red or Roma, but I have mixed in some fruity heirlooms with good results. Cherry tomatoes are really great for this also – just cut them in half, to help release their juices. You’ll have to play around with what you like. Also – feel free to mix up the cheese: Parmesan works great, of course, but a little cubed, fresh mozzarella adds a creaminess to it. A spoonful or two of ricotta also works beautifully.
As far as the pasta itself, I tend to make this with whatever I have on hand, whether it’s fresh or dried, though I’d stay away from anything too heavy, such as rigatoni. Two things that really make this work best are this: let the sauce sit for at least an hour at room temperature. This gives the salt time to work its magic on the tomatoes and helps them release their juices. The second thing is to add the sauce immediately to the hot, drained pasta, which ensures the oil becomes smooth and the cheese and tomatoes heat up and soften. Seems simple enough, right? It is!
This is definitely not a “measure it out” dish – if you like more garlic, add more. If you like more tomato, add more. If you like more basil, or cheese, or oil, add more. If you want a bit of kick, add a few crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce before it rests. You’ll find what you like and works for you. The recipe below contains my best “guesstimate” measures since I literally throw this together in about 10 minutes. This is truly an easy summertime recipe. Enjoy.
In a large bowl, mix everything but the pasta together. Set aside, at room temperature, for at least one hour. After an hour, you’ll notice that the tomatoes have released their juices and the sauce is much saucier than when you started. Cook pasta and drain. Immediately add tomato sauce and stir well. See how simple and easy that was? This is a great weeknight recipe and also perfect for a meatless Monday dish. If you want another no-cook pasta sauce recipe check out my Lemon, Basil and Parmesan recipes here and here.
Happy cooking and Happy Independence Day! Let the fireworks begin!
There’s not been much time for blogging for this girl lately. First there was painting, to get ready for new living room furniture. Then veggie gardening, followed by flower gardening. And in between, I’ve been working on refinishing a cool side table I found at …