there are so many great blogs around - no doubt. and we all have our favorites, our top few that we peruse on a regular basis. i’m still new to this world and it amazes me on a regular basis just who’s out there. it’s kind of like finding your tribe…
one of my current cooking guru’s is a woman who has a blog called ‘last night’s dinner’. jennifer’s food resonates with me. i believe that she’s the real deal. she gets it in a big way. in a way i still don’t, but aspire to - one day. so in the meantime i often use her as a guide. and the dinner i made last night from her ‘tomato mania’ post was surprisingly excellent. when i say surprising it’s because when i read the recipe i knew i’d like it but when it hit the table, it was a knock-out. one bite and i was back in italy.
it’s so damn hot in nashville right now that even the thought of boiling water is somewhat unpleasant. but my closest friends were coming to dinner and i wanted to make something wonderful for them. they’re in the midst of building quite the home as well as selling their current place - and quite frankly they are whupped. so if not for them, then for who? and out came the pasta pot.
after friday night’s steak experience i opted to go meatless and stay frugal. i already had all the ingredients on hand although i did pick up 2 pints of heirloom cherry tomatoes at the farmer’s market.
as an appetizer - and i forgot to photograph it - i finally used the okra from my csa haul. for the past month or so i’ve been guiltily watching it go bad and then throwing it away, if only out of sheer ignorance of what to do with it. so i got the oven up to 450 degrees, spread the okra on a cookie sheet with a little olive oil, salt and pepper - and roasted it for about 15 minutes - moving them around every 5 or so. they were REALLY good. kinda like french okra fries. i served them with some ’stokes blushed tomato mayonnaise’, a truly great mayo that was recommended to me by the good folks at ‘fork & bottle‘. as per their suggestion, next time i make lobster rolls i’m forgoing the hellman’s no matter what laurent tourondel says.
oh and jennifer… i swear i am a well adjusted person and that i will never stalk you.
this saturday’s csa haul
8 responses so far ↓
1 Tom Bohn // Aug 12, 2007 at 12:21 pm
Hey,
Love your blog! The orcchiette with tomatoes and arugala looks and sounds really great. Lately I’ve found myself craving pasta but I’m not sure why. I’ve been more physically active this past week and I think I just need more fuel. The simple carbs just don’t last. I’m glad the silly no-carb BS has passed. People get so screwed up looking for some “secret” to weight loss and health. Great, real, whole foods with color and taste and texture and ….. LIFE! I call them God’s food. Oh….. I’ve gone on too long.
Thanks a million!
Tom the Atlanta fireman
2 claudia // Aug 12, 2007 at 12:26 pm
the no carb thing is definitely a load of BS. it’s all about balance. in every way. thanks for saying you like the blog. i’m trying… and by the way - this really is winner. make it at the station for the guys. you guys do that right?
3 Windy // Aug 13, 2007 at 3:57 am
The pasta looks really good and the veg seems very fresh as well.
4 Amy // Aug 13, 2007 at 6:52 am
Your pasta looks soooo delicious, Claudia. And what I wouldn’t give for a big haul of okra! What you did sounds lovely, and simple preparations are usually the best with okra. You could also try giving it a quick egg wash, coating in corn meal and frying for an easy side, though my favorite preparation is simply boiling, then dressing with whatever vinegar I have on hand. Then again, I don’t mind the slime so much. Oh, one other thing — if you smother sliced okra with onions and tomatoes, you can freeze it to use as the base of a gumbo once the weather turns cooler! Sorry, I’m a Cajun — I get a little passionate on the subject!
5 clumsy // Aug 13, 2007 at 9:28 am
I love heirloom tomatoes! I’m trying to grow some out on my patio and it looks like soon they may be ready–I’ll let you know if they are any good.
And I totally agree with you about the low-carb BS. Carbs are a great thing for your body in moderation! You are right that it’s all about balance!
6 Jennifer Hess // Aug 13, 2007 at 10:11 am
Claudia, that looks gorgeous! I’m so glad you and your friends enjoyed this.
7 Dayna // Aug 16, 2007 at 9:19 am
Look at all that beautiful purple.
Not at all the typical spectrum for vegetables. It’s so nice to see heirlooms making their way back onto our tables.
8 cook eat FRET - toasted farro, fennel and orange salad // Aug 21, 2008 at 6:55 pm
[...] olives, cheese with roasted red peppers and some crusty loaf, or a pasta with say… fresh cherry tomatoes with greens and a ton of percorino, or ricotta and egg yolk, or creme fraiche and truffle oil, or walnuts and mushrooms, or mushrooms [...]
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