making babies

So here is the big news...I'm moving in with Adam...and...we're going to have...

A garden! Full of little babies! Babies as in plants that is. Tomatoes, peppers, kale, herbs - it will be full of all our favorite things. We got started on the little guys that need a time inside using recycled bottles. All you have to do is cut the bottle in half with a utility knife, drill small holes in the cap, and then you have a self-watering container to germinate seeds in. A week later to the tee, we have little guys sprouting up. Now that they're showing some green, we turned on a fan to circulate air and flood lights equipped with agro bulbs to give them light. Stay tuned for all the updates as we build planters, compost, fertilize, harvest, and of course, COOK, this season. This is going to be fun, here's to new life!

adam's clam pasta

Alright, alright, this is not the healthiest recipe ever to appear on this blog, but sometimes you need food that is straight good for the soul, and that, it is. Clams, I did not know, are surprisingly easy to cook - and cheap! We spent $8 on a dozen, but felt like royalty slurping them down. The air of elegance is pleasantly deceiving when you go to take out the wallet. Paired with my favorite ancient grain pasta, Adam made a zesty, Marsala stewed tomato sauce to top it all off. If you're looking to impress guests, this is good one to whip out.

Ingredients (serves 2):

12 Top Neck Clams

1 Yellow Pepper, diced

1 Yellow Onion, sliced

3 Cloves Garlic, minced

8oz Tomato Sauce

1/2 Cup Marsala

1 Vegetable Bouillon Cube

1/2 Stick Butter

2 Thyme Sprigs

2 Tbsp Herb de Provence

1 Tbsp Red Pepper Flake

1 Tbsp White Pepper

Juice from 1 Lemon

1 Bag Ancient Grain Fusilli

Directions:

1. In a large sauce pan, saute onion, garlic, and yellow pepper. Deglaze with Marsala, and add 2 cups of water, bouillon cube and tomato sauce.

2. Once boiling, toss in clams, and cover pot. Cook until clams open up. Remove from pan once cooked.

3. Boil pasta until almost aldente. Strain, and then toss into your sauce and let the pasta cook the rest of the way.

4. Spoon pasta onto a plate and then place clams around the border to serve.

winter mac with ancient grain pasta

I made this guy for a potluck with friends right before the holidays. I asked Liz if she had any requests, and the only thing she brought up was asparagus. So, asparagus it was! I had bought these little ancient grain elbow pasta made with quinoa, amaranth, and brown rice and planned to make a fancy mac n' cheese with them. There it was: mac n' cheese with asparagus, tomato, shallot, bechamel, mozzarella, and smoked Gouda - all topped with yummy panko crumbs and baked in the oven. 

I do want to talk about the pasta for a minute. We all know that sugary white carbs such as white bread and regular pasta are no bueno when it comes to a healthy lifestyle. I am an Italian girl though, and completely cutting out pasta is like a life without love. I've tried whole wheat, but found that it really only works well in spaghetti or linguini form. When it's used to make a denser pasta like orichette, fusilli, or elbows the texture is too tough and hard. So I've gotten to experimenting with the other options at Wholefoods, and these guys made with ancient grains are really good! 

What is an ancient grain you ask? Well, basically we're talking about the other grains besides wheat that have been around forever. This pasta is made with amaranth, quinoa, and brown rice, but other ancient grains would be types like millet, spelt, and kamut. They're packed with protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants, and are also great for those with wheat allergies or a gluten intolerance. With the mass production of wheat we forgot about these ancient grains for a while, but now that we're realizing that wheat might not be all it's cracked up to be, we're seeing a resurgence in their popularity. 

Beware, they do behave differently when cooking with them, however. If making bread or dough, they contain less or no gluten and will require a replacement binding agent. In products that are already made for you, like these pasta, you're good to go. Boil until cooked and rejoice in the "just like pasta" texture. 

 Ingredients (serves 5):

6oz. Ancient Grain Elbow Pasta

4oz. Fresh Mozzarella, broken up into chunks

1/4lb. Smoked Gouda, shredded

1 Cup Skim Milk

1 Cup Light Cream

1/3 Cup Flour

15 Asparagus Stems, chopped into medium sized pieces

20 Cherry Tomatoes, halved

4 Shallots, sliced

3 Small Garlic, minced

2 Tbsp Butter

3/4 Cup Seasoned Panko Crumbs

Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F

2. Put your pasta on to boil and cook until they are still a little aldente

3. Melt butter down in a large saucepan, and then add shallots and asparagus to saute.

4. After 5 minutes add flour, skim milk, and light cream. Using a whisk, keep stirring.

5. Add garlic and tomatoes, then cook down until the milk and cream reach a thick bechamel consistency.

6. In a large bowl, mix pasta, cheeses, vegetable/bechamel mixture, and salt & pepper. Then transfer to a medium-sized casserole dish. 

7. Top mac n' cheese with panko crumbs, and then bake for about 20-25 minutes or until nicely browned on top.

arugula pesto and rainbow chard whole wheat pizza

Pizza is one of America's favorite foods, but often the ingredients are sugary, processed, canned, or from halfway around the world; however, it doesn't have to be that way. All toppings for the pizza above (cheese, tomatoes, rainbow chard, arugula, and garlic) were picked up at the local farmer's market and laid over a fresh whole wheat crust. It's guilt free and a great weekend dinner. Take the leftovers with you to lunch or make it for friends.

Whole Wheat Crust Recipe

Ingredients:

1/4 large heirloom tomato

2 stalks of rainbow chard

1 cup shredded mozzarella

3/4 cup crumbled Hillacres Pride Arcadia cheese (raw cow's milk cheese with earthy flavors and nutty undertones)

Arugula Pesto:

1 3/4 cups packed arugula

2 large garlic cloves

1/3 cup pine nuts

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp herb salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F

2. Blend all arugula pesto ingredients together in a food processor.

3. Grease pan slightly, and roll out pizza dough. Place the dough in the pan and stretch it to fit precisely.

4. Spread arugula pesto, sprinkle cheese, and distribute chard and tomatoes evenly.

5. Cook pizza for 20-25 minutes until crust begins to brown. 

goat cheese polenta towers

We were in the mood to treat ourselves to something a bit more elegant than usual. Although the presentation may be deceiving, it's not difficult to make, but it is a great blend of flavors and a sight to see. Goat cheese polenta topped with eggplant, homemade tomato sauce, and sauteed shrimp - indulge yourself, you deserve it.

Polenta Ingredients (makes approx 5-6 servings):

3 Cups Water

1.5 Cups Cornmeal (you can use instant or finer consistency cornmeal if you would the process to go faster)

1 Tbsp Butter

2 Clove Garlic

1.5 Tbsp Goat Cheese

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Topping Ingredients:

1.5 Cups Homemade Tomato Sauce (or store bought)
half of one large eggplant

12 Shrimp

1 Clove Minced Garlic

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Butter

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Directions:

1. Heat about 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large pan and add half of the chopped garlic. Stir about a minute until fragrant. Add the eggplant. Drizzle olive oil over the eggplant and stir. Cover the pan for a few minutes so steam builds up, this will help the eggplant soften without having to pour gallons of olive oil into the pan as eggplant acts like a sponge and will just soak it up. Remove the cover, stir. Add the tomato sauce and sauté for 5 minutes, lower heat and let simmer.

2. Heat butter in a medium pot and slightly brown garlic.

3. Lower heat and add water/cornmeal. Stir vigorously until polenta reaches desired consistency.

4. Heat a sauce pan over high heat. Add olive oil.

5. Place shrimp and minced garlic into the pan.

6. Cook shrimp until dark pink on both sides. Then add butter to get a nice crispy brown coloring on the outside.

7. Salt and pepper to taste.