Feelin' hot, hot, hot!

Summer is sizzling! It's so hot farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying hard boiled eggs. It's so hot cows are giving evaporated milk. It's so hot potatoes cook underground and all you have to do to eat dinner is to pull one out and add butter, salt and pepper. It's so hot ... well, you get the picture!

Weather like this begs for cold suppers. With a little planning, you can prepare the pasta for this salad at a time of day when the kitchen is coolest (usually in the morning), and finish putting it together just before serving.

Orzo and Chickpea Salad
1 ½ cups whole wheat orzo
1 cup quartered cherry or halved grape tomatoes

½ cup pitted Kalamata olives

1 ½ cups (15 ounce can) chickpeas, rinsed and drained

4 oz. crumbled feta cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons cider or red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon dried basil OR 1 tablespoon fresh minced oregano

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder OR ½ teaspoon fresh minced garlic

Directions:
Cook orzo according to package directions. When the orzo has finished cooking, drain off the cooking water, refresh the pasta with cold water, and drain well. Toss together with the tomatoes, chickpeas, olives and chiffonade of fresh basil. Add dressing and feta and toss lightly.

NOTE: I meant to toss some broccoli flowerets in with the boiling orzo for about 2 minutes but I forgot. It would have added color and texture and big-time nutrition.

Summer Pasta for Meatless Monday

This recipe arrived in my email a few days ago from Lynne Rossetto Kasper's The Splendid Table. She got the recipe from The Very Best of Recipes for Health: 250 Recipes and More from the Popular Feature on NYTimes.com (Rodale, 2010). Copyright © 2010 by Martha Rose Shulman. Whew! I think I gave all the right people credit. It's a great little recipe and I heartily suggest you make it, soon, while the local gardens are bursting with home-grown tomatoes and gorgeous fresh basil! This dish will only be as good as the tomatoes you use. Cherry or grape tomatoes, halved, would also work. The addition of my favorite chickpeas makes this colorful and festive one-dish meal perfect for Meatless Monday or any day!

Summer Pasta with Tomatoes and Chickpeas
4 servings
1-1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled if desired and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon slivered or chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 pound fusilli or farfalle
1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled feta cheese or grated Parmesan

1. Combine the tomatoes, garlic, salt, black pepper, vinegar, basil, and oil in a wide bowl. Let sit for 15 to 30 minutes, or longer. Stir in the chickpeas. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Salt generously and add the pasta. Cook al dente, until the pasta is firm to the bite, following the directions on the package but checking 1 to 2 minutes before the suggested cooking time. Drain, toss with the tomatoes and chickpeas, sprinkle on the cheese, and serve.

Advance Preparation: You can make the sauce a few hours before you cook the pasta.
Variations: Add 1/4 to 1/2 pound broccoli florets or green beans. Before adding the pasta to the boiling water, blanch the broccoli for 3 minutes, green beans for 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of ice water, then drain. Return the water to a boil and proceed with the recipe. Toss the vegetables with the pasta along with the tomatoes and chickpeas. A can of white cannellini beans can stand in for the chickpeas.

Guest blogging ...

Drum roll ...
Here's a post from my first "guest blogger," my daughter Kate. She's an amazing cook and mom to my adorable granddaughter. She's taught me a lot about cooking. Katie's been telling me about her pesto and how easy and delicious it is. I talked her into sharing her recipe here. I found basil at the local farmer's market ~ $1.00 for a huge bunch. That's a fantastic price. Hope you get a chance to try this, especially now that basil is in season!
















Katie says:
My recipe is adapted from Alice Waters' The Art of Simple Food: Notes, Lessons, and Recipes from a Delicious Revolution. I received this lovely cookbook from friends Michael & Hannah. Alice Waters champions eating locally grown food in season ~ and that is what inspired this dish ~ the basil from our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) has been abundant the last several weeks!

Below is Waters' recipe with my adaptations in parentheses.
Garlic-Bright Pesto
1 bunch basil to yield about 1 cup lightly packed leaves (2 cups)
1 garlic clove (used 6 the first time, but that was a bit much ~ this time I used 4 and that was perfect)
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/4 cup grated or shaved Parmesan cheese (I used a Romano, Parmesan and Asiago blend)
1/2 cup EVOO (I used just a bit under a 1/2 cup)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In a food processor pulse basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts and cheese until blended. With motor running, pour olive oil in a thin stream until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.
In addition, I added fresh parsley to the mix ~ really tempered the heady basil. Oh! And I added shelling peas to the whole wheat pasta & water when I was about 2 minutes in the boiling. On the side I served tomatoes drizzled in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Bonus! You can make this ahead and keep it in the fridge for several days. Another post coming later this week on pesto: 2 ways!

Basil ...

I was recently bemoaning the fact that I didn't have any fresh basil to use in a recipe when, lo and behold, I came across this clever little tip, which you may already know about. But, if you knew, why didn't you tell me??? The basil in my photo is from our local farmer's market. A gorgeous BIG bunch can be had for only $1.00. I popped a stem in a tall pitcher. The basil appears to be quite happy! My favorite thing thing to do with a large amount of fresh basil is to make pesto. My daughter will be sharing her recipe for pesto in this space soon! Watch for it!

A trip to Trader Joe's ...

Tom and I took a quick trip to the new Trader Joe's grocery store in our neighborhood this morning. It's always good entertainment for the two of us. We manage to find all kinds of unusual gourmet treats at budget prices and today was no exception. We came home with a bag filled with our usual favorites, plus the ingredients to make this easy supper. Since I don't make homemade ravioli, I bought Trader Joe's fresh jumbo cheese ravioli for $2.50 a package and was pleased with the results.
JUMBO CHEESE RAVIOLI WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATOES AND BASIL
2 - 10 oz. pkgs. Trader Joe's Jumbo Cheese-stuffed ravioli
1/2 jar Trader Joe's Julienne sliced Sun-dried Tomatoes in olive oil
Handful of small fresh basil leaves from my garden
Red pepper flakes
Shaved Parmegiano-Regianno cheese
Prepare the ravioli according to the package directions. Drain pasta and return to cooking pot. Add sun-dried tomatoes, red pepper flakes, fresh basil and shaved Parmegiano-Regianno cheese. Toss and serve with more cheese and red pepper flakes. Fast, easy and delicious!

The odd couple ...

This may sound like a surprising combination, but these two summertime favorites—fresh basil and strawberries—pair deliciously well in this pretty salad. I've also made this with sliced baked chicken breast and a little feta cheese for a flavorful main dish. Almonds sprinkled on top add texture and crunch, but alas, I didn't have any!
STRAWBERRY BASIL SALAD WITH BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE
6 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)
Ingredients
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 8 cups torn romaine lettuce
• 2 cups sliced strawberries (1 pound)
• 1/2 cup vertically sliced Vidalia or other sweet onion
• 1/4 cup torn fresh basil
Preparation
1. Combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add romaine lettuce, sliced strawberries, sliced onion, and torn basil; toss gently to coat. Serve salad immediately.

Recipe From Cooking Light

Fresh basil and parsley ... all summer long!

I love having fresh herbs to add to my cooking and always have pots of my favorites growing by the kitchen door. I really can't get along without parsley and basil. They add color and wonderful flavor. Plus, they're easy to grow in the ground or in containers. All you need to do is provide rich soil and plenty of sunshine and water!

Basil is an easy to grow tender annual. The hardest thing about growing basil is choosing which varieties to grow. Give basil some sun and good soil and you can pick leaves daily all summer long. And picking the leaves is what will keep your basil producing for the whole season. Pick fresh, young basil leaves whenever you need them and remove flowers as soon as buds appear. The more often you harvest, the more the plant will grow! Storing basil in the refrigerator can cause the leaves to turn an unappetizing black color. Instead, keep basil fresh for several days by placing the stems in a jar filled with water and setting the jar on your kitchen counter out of direct sunlight.

Parsley is a leafy herb that adds freshness to dishes. It’s extremely easy to grow and keep on hand and an attractive plant in the garden. It adds wonderful color to any dish. Albert Stockli said, "Parsley is the jewel of herbs, both in the pot and on the plate." Parsley is the world's most popular herb. It derives its name from the Greek word meaning "rock celery" (parsley is a relative to celery). It is a biennial plant that will return to the garden year after year once it is established. While parsley is a wonderfully nutritious and healing food, it is often under-appreciated. Most people do not realize that this vegetable has more uses than just being a decorative garnish that accompanies restaurant meals. They do not know that parsley is actually a storehouse of nutrients and that it features a delicious green and vibrant taste. The two most popular types of parsley are curly parsley and Italian flat leaf parsley. The Italian variety has a more fragrant taste than the curly variety.


This is a chopped salad with lots of tomatoes, onions, cucumbers and peppers. Fresh parsley, basil and garlic are folded in and just a hint of vinegar is splashed on to give it some bite. Chill and the flavors pop out. Six generous servings.
FRESH TOMATO SALAD
INGREDIENTS
5 tomatoes, diced
1 onion, chopped
1 cucumber, sliced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons crushed garlic
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
You can also add a drizzle of olive oil & some crumbled feta cheese.
DIRECTIONS
1.In a large bowl, combine the tomato, onion, cucumber, bell pepper, basil, parsley, garlic and vinegar. Toss and add salt and pepper to taste. Chill and serve.