Really, does it get better than that? Last week I had taken on an assignment which required a series of ten articles. I had about five days to finish them, and that was on top of my normal stuff. And…as luck would have it, there was no food in the house. A trip to the grocery store was in order. Quick and easy were high on my list of priorities.

Most of you probably have never, and will never, experience regular grocery shopping for a family the size of ours. It is a long and drawn out adventure, full of peril and pitfalls. It takes me about three hours to complete the chore, which culminates in a stress headache at the checkout.  When I went last week I found an unusual treasure- local heirloom tomatoes. Misshapen and off color (compared to commercial tomatoes-perfectly round and fire engine red) no one was buying them and they were marked down.

SCORE!

I wanted to keep the rest of the meal as fresh as those wonderful tomatoes and I immediately thought of pasta. My neighbor had given me a large batch of basil from her garden, and I had several pounds of local Texas sweet onions that needed to be used. My plan was coming together…

You could easily add some grilled chicken to this. I just like to cut back on the meat a couple of times a week to beef up my budget. Get it? Beef up?

So the very fresh menu for that evening was:

• Farfalle with Basil and Romano
• Sliced heirloom tomatoes with a splash of balsamic
• Grilled Romano sourdough (make garlic butter and add the cheese before spreading and grilling)
• Sliced local RIPE peaches.

It was perfect. The entire kitchen smelled fresh and summery.

This is also my entry to Presto Pasta Night for this week. It is hosted by Joanne of Eats Well with Others.

Whole Wheat Farfalle wth Basil and Romano

• 2 lbs whole wheat farfalle, cooked a la dente
• 2 Vidalia, 1015s or other sweet onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Add the olive oil to a large saute pan and saute onion and garlic until soft. This should be done over a medium heat so that the onion and garlic do not caramelize and the oil gets infused with the flavors.
2. Add the basil and the pasta. Cook, stirring lightly until heated through and basil is wilted – about three minutes.
3. Salt and pepper to taste
4. Place in serving bowl and toss with Romano cheese

Serves 8

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Spring is here.  I got fresh asparagus for 99 cents a pound and nothing says spring more than that.  When I bought it I knew that Pasta Primavera was not far behind.

In this case, the pasta I used was Orzo.  I took the casserole dish of it over to my daughter, Erin’s, house when she was still on bedrest from having the baby.  This dish is delicate, rich, and creamy and has spring in every single bite.  For  a nice change grill the asparagus rather than steaming it.

Orzo Primavera

• 1 lb orzo
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 lb asparagus, steamed or grilled until crips tender and cut in 3 inch lengths
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves of elephant garlic, one peeled and cut in half and one peeled and sliced thinly
• 3 carrots, peeled and julienned, steamed
• 1 cup pecans or pine nuts, toasted
• 1 cup grated Parmigiana-Reggiano
• 2 cups heavy cream
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

1. Bring the cream to a simmer in a saucepan or microwave safe bowl.  Add one elephant garlic clove, cut in half.  Set aside for at least 30 minutes.
2. Cook the orzo until tender, drain, add a little oil and set aside.
3. Add the sliced garlic, olive oil, and onions to the pan and cook until the onions are transparent.  Do not allow to brown.  Add the asparagus, the carrots, basil, and the nuts.  Stir carefully to coat with oil.
4. Stir in the orzo and heat through.
5. Just before serving remove the garlic from the cream, pourit in the orzo mixture and stir.
6. Stir in the grated cheese.
7. Allow to heat through, plate it and top with shaved parmesan.  Serve immediately.

Serves 8

Image:MaryeAudet

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Soup is the best food ever.  Really. Think about it.

It is versatile, generally inexpensive, and is there a better way to get rid of the leftovers in the fridge? I think not.  You can toss everything into a slow cooker or cook it in a stock pot on top of the stove and the results will be the same.  Hot steamy goodness that makes the house smell like home.

As you can see, Chef Kyrie takes her soup seriously.  Real seriously.  She likes it with ABCs in it, or spaghetti rings, or the new pasta shapes that you can find in some grocery stores.  She is not a big eater but I can always  guarantee that she will eat vegetable soup.

The biggest secret for a fantastic veggie soup?  Use V-8 juice as the base.  Ready made flavor right there.  One thing that I do is to keep a plastic storage container in the freezer.  Whenever we have leftover vegetables they go right into the container.  When it is full then I make soup…a meal that is virtually free.  You can adjust anything in this anyway you want, use what you have.

The vegetables listed below are suggestions and approximations.  You just need to throw it together, it iwll work every single time…and you can’t say that about very many things.

Vegetable Soup

2 large cans V-8 juice

2 onions, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

4 carrots, cubed or sliced

2 cups of green beans

1 cup peas

2 cups corn

1 cup lima beans

2 cups chopped, fresh spinach or kale or chard

1 lb of small shaped pasta, cooked

grated parmesan to garnish

Mix everything but the pasta and parmesan together.  Slow cook for 8 hours or simmer on the stove for at least an hour for flavors to blend.  About fifteen minutes before serving add pasta and simmer.

Serve in bowls with parmesan sprinkled on top.

8-10 servings.

images:(c) marye audet 2009

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This is my entry for Presto Pasta Night.  The host this week is Ivy of Kopiaste.  If you haven’t checked out her blog you should.  Why? Because it is always incredible, that’s why.

I am finding interesting and varied pasta shapes more and more in the local stores.  This may be old news to some of you but trust me, around here you just don’t get the variety that you do in other places.  Apparently that is changing, something for which I will foreve be grateful because I get bored easily.

I was making BBQ sandwiches, a perfectly respectable Texas dinner, when I realized that I didn’t feel like making french fries, didn’t have time to make potato salad, and didn’t want corn.  That pretty much leaves pasta, right?

So, I cooked these pasta wheels, tossed in some other ingredients and came up with something that could easily be a vegetarian main course as well as a nice side.

Pasta with Spinach and Chickpeas

1 lb pasta of choice, cooked

• 1 lb spinach, chopped
• 1/4 c olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 tsp chipotle, or red pepper flakes
• 1 can chickpeas, drained
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan

1. Saute the chipotle, onion and garlic in the olive oil.  Don’t allow the garlic to caramelize or scorch.
2. Add the chickpeas and stir until warmed through.
3. Add the spinach and pasta and continue to stir until it is well mixed and the pasta is coated with the olive oil.
4. Serve with the Parmesan sprinkled over the top

About 6-8 servings

images: (c)Marye Audet 2009

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(c)marye audet 2008

O.k. I admit it.  This is nothing more than macaroni and cheese.  I promised the kids macaroni and cheese and there was no way I could change mid stream…

Or was there?

I love artichokes any way that they are made and I have from the very first time I had them.  That was way back when Marc and I were first married and living just off Presidio in Monterey California.  Let me tell you, it might be a fantastic place to honeymoon but it is EVEN BETTER place to spend the first four months of marriage!

This is your basic macaroni and cheese with mozzarella and a good Parmesan substituted for the cheese you would normally use.  And, of course, the addition of artichokes.  I think that this would be fantastic with a spinach and walnut ravioli in place of the macaroni.

This is an awesome vegetarian dish, perfect for a lunch or light dinner.

This is my entry to this weeks’ Presto Pasta Night, hosted by C, of Foodie Tots.  For more information about Presto Pasta check out the  Presto Pasta Website.

Artichoke & Parmesan Pasta

• 1 lb pasta, cooked
• 1 1/2 cups mozzarella
• 1/2 cup Parmesan
• 1 large can artichoke hearts, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cup milk or half and half
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Saute the onion in a little olive oil until transparent.
2. MIx the onion and the cooked pasta in a buttered 13×9 inch casserole dish
3. Add the artichokes and combine well
4. Pour the milk over the pasta mixture and stir it in.
5. Add the cheese, salt and pepper
6. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes

This serves about 8 people at my house but it is probably more like 12-16 servings.  It freezes well so make a batch and divide it up for a couple of meals.

image:marye audet

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I could not believe it. I was working on formatting the cookbook until about 1:30 a.m. and when I went to bed it was still hovering around 90 humid degrees.

We are just about into those dog days of summer when even the bugs seem to take shelter in the afternoon heat! It is tough for me to think about a nice hot meal when…well…seriously, over the past few days some of the eggs that we have collected from our chickens have been soft boiled! Pinkie swear! The first time it happened I thought… “ewww, I got a partially developed egg.” We are good about collecting them several times a day so I couldn’t see how that could happen. The next time it happened I looked closer and, sure enough…It was soft boiled.

Now that is hot!

These are what my mom used to call “salad days”!

This black eyed pea salad is different. It has a definite southern flavor with a Texican twist. I think you will like it. Serve it with some grilled corn on the cob and an icy chunk of watermelon. It just doesn’t get better than this.

Black Eyed Pea Salad

6 cups cooked black eyed peas
1 yellow pepper, coarsely chopped
1 red pepper, coarsely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
3 cucumbers, sliced or chopped your choice..peel if waxed
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped coarsely
1 tsp dried chipotle (Archer Farms does a great one)

Vinaigrette

1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
2 tablespoons brown sugar (more to taste)
Coarsely ground black pepper to taste
salt to taste

Combine salad ingredients.

Combine vinaigrette ingredients. Shake well and pour over salad. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for about an hour. Serves 6-8.

Image: Marye Audet 

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I have learned to love Muir Glen Fire Roasted tomatoes.  They add a smoky bite to everything I have put them in.

Our green beans are just starting to stop producing. I didn’t plant enough this year so I haven’t canned any at all.  I thought about putting in more but I think my time is too limited at the moment to care for them.

Anyway, the okra begins to produce just about the time that the green beans stop. We didn’t have enough for fried okra, only a few tender pods…so I sliced them up with some onions, and other things from the garden, added a can of fire roasted tomatoes and some fresh cilantro..and mixed some whole wheat rotini into the whole thing. Wow! With a little cheese, it was awesome.

It makes a great vegetarian main dish, or a side dish for chicken.

This is my entry for Pasta Presto Night. Check it out for more pasta dishes.

1 lb of whole wheat rotini, cooked

3 tbs olive oil

1 cup sliced okra

1 cup chopped chard

1/2 c chopped onion tops

1/2 cup sliced celery

1 onion, peeled and chopped

2 cloves garlic

2 jalapenos, chopped (add more or less to taste)

4 tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup fresh cilantr0, chopped

1 can Muir Glen Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce

1 cup shredded cheese of choice

Sautee onions , garlic, and celery in the oil for a few minutes until softened. Add the okra, jalapenos, tomatoes, sauce, chard, and onion tops.  Simmer until okrai s soft, about 10 minutes.

Mix in cooked pasta and cilantro.  Remove from heat and sprinkle with cheese.

Image:Marye Audet 

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This is my entry for the Presto Pasta Night Round-up. Head over there and check out the rest of the pasta dishes. They are always amazing.

I discovered whole foods (not Whole Foods, that came later) sometime in the very early 1980s. Yep. Before it was cool. We were vegan for several years and then vegetarian for several years after that.

We still eat a diet that is not average for Americans. It is very vegetable based with more meat in winter than in summer. We try to eat locally and about 90% of what we eat is either home grown or organic.

I like whole grains in most things. Now, back in the day, I made cookies and cakes with fresh ground whole wheat flour; however I am not likely to do that now, relying on organic white flour for cakes and such.

However, I still love whole wheat bread and pasta! The flavor, when paired with a bold sauce, is unforgettable.

In this dish I used vegetarian “meat balls” although you could certainly use sausage or ground beef. The trick with vegetarian “meat balls” is to put them in the sauce at the last minute rather than simmering them for a long time. They will break apart.

I use Nates, but you can use any type available.

This is great to make ahead. It, like most pasta dishes, is better the day after it is made and can be held up to three days in the fridge. It also freezes well for once a month cooking plans (oamc). Just be sure to set some of the sauce aside for when you warm it up. It will be moister that way.

Vegan Whole Wheat Penne Portabello

1 lb of whole wheat penne, homemade or commercial

1 package Nate’s Meatless-meatballs, zesty italian flavor

For Sauce:

1/4 c olive oil

1/4 c fresh basil

1/4 c fresh oregano

1/4 c chopped garlic

1 tbs sugar or honey

1 diced red pepper

1 diced green pepper

1 diced yellow pepper

Diced hot pepper of choice (ancho is good, I prefer chipotle)-to taste..be careful not to get it too spicy. Start with a couple of tablespoons fresh pepper or a teaspoon dried chipotle.

2 onions, diced

3 portabello mushrooms chopped

1 quart homemade stewed tomatoes, or 2 cans Muir Glen fire roasted tomatoes.

In a large pan saute all ingredients, except the tomatoes and honey, until soft. Add tomatoes and honey, and simmer for 1 hour. Remove from heat and let sit for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

Boil the pasta in a generous amount of salted water until a la dente. Drain.

Heat sauce back up. Add meatballs and simmer until warmed through. Serve over pasta.

Serves 12.

Image: Marye Audet

Content:Marye Audet for Baking Delights.

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This is my entry for Ruth’s Presto Pasta night!Hey I am getting good, two weeks in a row.

This was inspired by the fact that I had an eggplant in the fridge that was threatening to grow fuzz, a few leftover mushrooms, and a can of artichoke hearts. Not a very poetic beginning but wait until you try the end result! This lasagne is buttery-creamy and very rich. At the same time it is light because of the lack of meat. You can adjust the cheese however you want but I used a lot. I just like a lot of cheese! This made a 13x 9 inch pan, which was 12 servings..but I would be more likely to have only 9 servings and have them bigger. Our family eats a lot.

Served with a salad, some crusty bread, and something sweet for a finish this is spectacular vegetarian fare that even the dyed int he wool carnivores will love.

Eggplant Artichoke Lasagne

1 medium eggplant, diced and steamed until tender

1 can artichoke hearts

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 purple onion, chopped

1/2 lb mushrooms sliced

3 slices of stale bread

Olive oil for sauteeing

6 lasagne noodles, cooked

2-3 cups of mozzarella, grated

1/4 cup parmesan, grated

1/3 c fresh basil, chopped

1/3 c butter, melted

drizzle of heavy cream

Saute garlic and onions in olive oil until soft. Add eggplant,  artichokes, basil, and mushrooms. Saute stirring constantly until vegetables are very tender.n Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Make bread crumbs from the bread and mix in.

Drizzle oil in the bottom of 13×9 pan. Lay 3 lasagne noodles across the bottom. put about 1/2 c mozzarella over top, then the vegetable mixture.

Sprinkle about 1/2 c mozzarella and 1/4 c parmesan over the vegetables.

Lay three noodles over top. Drizzle with cream and melted butter, then sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella.

Bake at 375 for 35 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.

Serves 12

image:Marye Audet

Content: Baking Delights

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This is my entry this week in Ruth’s Pasta Presto night.   It goes up every friday and if you want some great pasta ideas THAT is the place to get them!

Over on Kettle and Cup I had gotten started talking about the tea room Marc and I had for awhile.  Some good memories, some bad….

Anyway, one of the favorite items on the menu was this pasta salad.  We used it as a side and often people chose it over our fresh cut french fries or homemade onion rings.  And my onion rings are ROCKIN’.  Seriously. We used to go through a ton of this stuff. It is fat free, believe it or not, but it does have rather alot of sugar to balance the vinegar.  The result is a sweet/sour vinaigrette with alot of basil and oregeno flavor.  It does make an awesome side dish, or you can add grilled chicken or shrimp for a meal.  You must use purple onions, and you must put in a full handful of Italian Seasoning. Trust me.

Let is sit overnight if possible, or all day.  It needs at least 4 hours for the flavors to mellow.  Be prepared to make this ALOT.

2 lbs of rigatoni

1 purple onion, coarsely chopped

2 cans back olives, sliced

1 handful mixed Spagetti  seasoning or Italian seasoning

Equal parts of cider vinegar and sugar..adjust to your taste. About 1 c of each.  I like a little more sugar than vinegar. (This is NOT rocket science)

Coarse sea salt to taste (you won’t need much)

Cook the rigatoni until over done. Yep. Overdone. Nope. I am not kidding. Do not try this with a la dente pasta it won’t work.  It needs to be very cooked, but still hold it’s shape.

Drain.  Pour the vinegar and sugar mixture over the pasta.  Dump the handful of herbs on it.  Mix thoroughly and let cool.  Add the onion and black olives and mix well.  Chill overnight.  Serves 12.

Image:MaryeAudet 

Content:Marye Audet Baking Delights 

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