I bought a delicious Crenshaw melon at the Farmer’s Market on Saturday and after eating a few slices for breakfast yesterday morning, decided to turn the rest of it into melon balls.  I had no particular reason for wanting to do this, it just seemed like a fun thing to do.  And we all know that food tastes better when it’s cut into fun shapes, right?

As I was scooping out the flesh with the antique melon baller that has been in my family for as long as I can remember, I thought about the half-empty container of fresh mini mozzarella balls in the refrigerator.  I had never combined melon with mozzarella before, but the melon balls and mozzarella balls were the same size and shape and the more I thought about it, the more it seemed like they were destined to end up in the same bowl.

So of course they did end up in the same bowl.

I made a quick dressing of lime juice, honey, and mint since I knew those ingredients would be nice with the melon.  I also added a bit of crushed red pepper because after living in Sicily for four years I now put crushed red pepper in just about everything.  And of course a tiny bit of salt always helps to perk things up a bit (try a sprinkle of salt on fresh cantaloupe – yum!).  The resulting salad was light, simple, and delicious!

Melon and Mozzarella Salad

2 cups of cold, bite-size melon balls or cubes (use your favorite type of melon)
1 cup of bite-size fresh mozzarella balls or cubes
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon fresh chopped mint leaves
small pinch of salt
small pinch of crushed red pepper

Put melon balls and mozzarella in a medium bowl.  In a small bowl, whisk together honey, lime juice, mint, salt, and crushed red pepper.  Pour dressing over the melon and mozzarella then toss to combine.  Serve immediately.

Yield: four servings

Related Recipes:

• Blood Orange and Green Olive Salad
• Sweet and Spicy Cucumber Dill Salad
• Chilled Ginger Cantaloupe Soup
• Tangerine and Jicama Salad with Garlic and Cilantro

Around the Web:

• Cucumber Melon Salad from Not Eating Out in New York
• Melon, Chicken, and Avocado Salad from La Tartine Gourmande
• Melon Salad with Prosciutto and Goat Cheese from Closet Cooking
• Watermelon Salad with Feta or Cotija from Simply Recipes
• Cantaloupe Salad with Feta and Basil from Kitchen Parade

The Summer Fest theme this week is tomatoes and I can’t think of a better thing to talk about than slow-roasted tomatoes.  I made these for the first time last September and they were absolutely amazing.  Although I made them a few more times throughout the year with grocery store cherry tomatoes, I’ve been waiting for some good summer tomatoes to roast.

Yesterday I roasted a tray of 20 gorgeous Roma tomatoes that I had picked up at the Saturday Farmer’s Market.  It took all day, but the end result was fantastic.  I can’t believe I’m admitting this, but I ate about 15 of those tomatoes for dinner last night.  I just kept picking them off the tray as they were cooling.  My name is Nicole and I ate 15 Roma tomatoes in one night!  Now you know why you aren’t seeing photos of slow-roasted Roma tomatoes… I ate them before I could photograph them.

But I also roasted a pan of cherry tomatoes since I didn’t have enough Romas to fill two pans.  If you’re going to have the oven on all day anyway, you really should fill all the racks with tomatoes.  I managed to eat at least a handful of the cherry tomatoes, too.  I know what you’re thinking.  But you’ll understand once you make some yourself.  You should do that.

How to Make Slow-Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

And here are some more links to help you along your tomato-roasting journey.  These bloggers won’t steer you wrong.  You need to do this!

Instructions for Slow-Roasting Tomatoes:

• Slow-Roasted Tomatoes at Stephen Cooks
• Slow-Roasted Tomatoes at A Veggie Venture
• How to Make Slow-Roasted Tomatoes at Kalyn’s Kitchen
• Slow-Roasted Tomatoes at Smitten Kitchen
• Slow-Roasted Tomatoes with Sea Salt and Ground Coriander at Orangette
• Slow-Roasted Tomatoes at Andrea’s Recipes

What to do with Slow-Roasted Tomatoes:

• Pasta Salad with Slow-Roasted Tomatoes, Grilled Zucchini, and Basil at Kalyn’s Kitchen
• Slow-Roasted Tomato Bruschetta at The Perfect Pantry
• Slow-Roasted Tomato Hummus at Andrea’s Recipes
• Slow-Roasted Tomato Sauce at The Kitchn
• Slow-Roasted Tomato Soup at A Veggie Venture

Other Summer Fest Attendees Celebrating Tomatoes:

• Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef: Heirloom Tomato Tart with Parmesan Crust
• Alison at Food2: Heirloom tomatoes
• The FN Dish: Tyler’s Ultimate Tomato Salads
• Margaret at A Way to Garden: More than one way to ripen a tomato
• Gilded Fork: Celebrating summer lusciousness with a tomato dossier and recipes
• Diane and Todd at White on Rice Couple: Sun-dried tomatoes (actually made in the sun!)
• Paige at The Sister Project: 3 substantial, healthy, vegetarian tomatoey main dishes
• Liz at the Cooking Channel: Easy Tomato Tart
• Kelly at Just a Taste: Tomato Jam
• Alexis at Food Network UK: The seven deadly tomato sins
• Michelle at Healthy Eats: Top 10 Things to Do With Tomatoes
• Marilyn at Simmer Till Done: Cherry Tomato & Maytag Blue Beignets
• Alana at Eating From the Ground Up: Roasted Green Salsa (green zebras and tomatillos), and how late August makes her hurt for New Mexico
• Tigress in a Pickle: Over 50 ways to preserve tomatoes in jars
• Caron at San Diego Foodstuff: Chunky Garden Gazpacho with Flowered Corn Tortillas and Melissa Clark’s Tomato Tarte Tatin
• Judy of Over a Tuscan Stove: Tomatoes the Italian Way
• Cate at Sweetnicks: A Loaded Bowl (filled with brown rice, Jersey fresh tomatoes, buttery avocados and more deliciousness)

How You Can Join in Summer Fest 2010

Have a recipe or tip that fits any of our weekly themes? Starting with our posts of Wednesday, July 28, for five Wednesdays, you can contribute in various ways, big or small.

Contribute a whole post, or a comment—whatever you wish. It’s meant to be fun, viral, fluid. No pressure, just delicious. Simply leave your tip or recipe or favorite links in the comments below a Summer Fest post on my blog, and then go visit my collaborators and do the same.

The cross-blog event idea works best when you leave your recipe or favorite links (whether to your own blog or someone else’s) at all the host blogs. Yes, copy and paste them everywhere! That way, they are likely to be seen by the widest audience. Everyone benefits, and some pretty great dialog starts simmering.

Or think bigger: Publish entire posts of your own, if you wish, and grab the juicy Summer Fest 2010 tomato badge (illustrated by Matt of Mattbites.com).

Summer Fest 2010 Posting Schedule

7/28: Cukes and Zukes
8/4: Corn
8/11: Herbs, Greens, and Beans
8/18: Stone Fruit – I missed this one!
8/25: Tomatoes

I am a big fan of green salads topped with fruit and nuts, especially when the nuts are glazed or spiced!  I also love snacking on nuts – salted, spiced, glazed, smoke-flavored – I love them all.  I’m not sure why I’ve never tried making something like this before, but these glazed walnuts were so simple I’m kicking myself for not trying it sooner.

When I first saw Ellie Krieger’s recipe for Maple Glazed Walnuts, I was a little skeptical that they would turn out right.  It just seemed too easy.  If the recipe had been attributed to any other Food Network celebrity I’m not sure I even would have tried it, but I trust Ellie more than some of the others.

I was lucky enough to meet Ms. Krieger last year during my cherry trip to Michigan.  She did a quick cooking demonstration using tart cherries for a handful of bloggers, myself included.  I’m not sure why I haven’t gushed about this before, but Ellie Krieger was super-friendly, absolutely beautiful, and a really great cook.  Although I hadn’t really watched her show before, I became a big fan after meeting her in person and hearing her talk about food and cooking.  I don’t have any of her cookbooks yet, but I’ve heard really good things about The Food You Crave and So Easy, and they’re both on my wish list!

Let’s get back to the walnuts.  I decided to go ahead and give the glazed walnuts a try, but thought the addition of some fresh chopped rosemary might be interesting.  Well, I knew it would be interesting, but I was hoping it would also be good.  It was.  The recipe worked perfectly.  I ended up with delicious glazed walnuts in less than five minutes!

The first thing I did – other than nonstop snacking on glazed walnuts – was make this delicious green salad with strawberries, blue cheese, and strawberry-balsamic vinaigrette.  The walnuts were a perfect addition.  Enjoy!

Maple-Rosemary Glazed Walnuts
adapted from this recipe by Ellie Krieger

2 cups walnut halves
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
pinch of kosher salt

In a small bowl, stir together maple syrup, rosemary, and a pinch of salt.  Heat a dry skillet (I used nonstick) over medium-high heat.  Add walnuts to the hot skillet and pour in maple syrup mixture.  Cook, stirring frequently, until maple syrup has caramelized, about 3 minutes.  Spread walnuts out on a sheet of parchment paper and sprinkle with a bit more salt if desired.  Let cool.

Green Salad with Strawberries, Blue Cheese, Glazed Walnuts and Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

mixed greens of your choice
sliced strawberries
maple-rosemary glazed walnuts
crumbled blue cheese
salt
freshly ground black pepper
strawberry-balsamic vinaigrette (recipe below)

Combine first four ingredients in a salad bowl, drizzle with vinaigrette, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and a couple grinds of black pepper.  Toss well to combine.  Serve immediately

Strawberry-Balsamic Vinaigrette

4 medium strawberries
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 cup canola oil (or any other neutral-flavored oil), plus more to taste
salt and pepper to taste

In a blender, puree strawberries, vinegar and mustard. With blender running on low speed, slowly pour in the oil in a very thin stream until it has all been incorporated. Taste and add a bit more oil if the dressing is too strong (I like my dressings a bit on the vinegary side, so I don’t add more oil).  Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Store in fridge, use within a few days.

Around the Web:

• Sugar-and-Spice Candied Nuts from Smitten Kitchen
• Spicy Glazed Nut Mix from David Lebovitz
• Endive Salad with Blue Cheese and Walnuts from Blue Kitchen
• Strawberry and Caramelized Walnut Salad from Eggs on Sunday

This is the simplest of salads and a perfect way to usher in the summer that suddenly seems to be in a big hurry to arrive here in Central California.  Cucumbers have always been one of my favorite vegetables, so when I saw some beautiful, young Armenian cucumbers at the farmer’s market on Saturday, I couldn’t resist picking up a couple.  This simple cucumber side dish would be a perfect accompaniment to grilled meat or fish, but I usually eat it as an afternoon snack.

Sweet and Spicy Dilled Cucumber Salad

1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
pinch of crushed red pepper (to taste)
pinch of salt (to taste)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 medium cucumbers (peeled if desired), thinly sliced

Whisk together vinegar, sugar, crushed red pepper, and salt until the sugar is dissolved; whisk in chopped fresh dill.  Place sliced cucumbers in a bowl and pour dressing over them.  Toss well with a spoon until all of the slices are coated with dressing.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes; stir once or twice while it is marinating.  The salad can also be made ahead and refrigerated overnight.

Related Recipes:

• Blood Orange and Green Olive Salad
• Tangerine and Jicama Salad with Garlic and Cilantro
• Grilled Corn, Mango and Jicama Salad with Honey Vinaigrette
• Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Raisins

Around the Web:

• Thai Cucumber Salad from Cookin’ Canuck
• Cucumber Salad with Mint and Feta from Simply Recipes
• Spicy Shrimp and Cucumber Salad from Kalyn’s Kitchen
• Cucumber and Heirloom Tomato Salad from Gluten-Free Goddess
• Scandinavian Cucumber Salad from Just Hungry

This is a quick lunch I threw together from what I could find in my fridge and pantry today.  I wanted something to go with the leftover grilled steak and chicken I brought home from a family barbecue the other night and this delicious brown rice salad really fit the bill.

The salad works well as either a side dish or a light vegetarian main course for lunch.  Top with thinly sliced grilled chicken, steak, or tempeh and you have a hearty and delicious summer meal.  Feel free to play with ingredient amounts to suit your own taste.  I think it would be great topped with some sliced avocado and roasted pepitas.

Brown Rice Salad with Cumin and Lime Vinaigrette

1 small clove garlic, peeled and smashed
generous pinch of kosher salt
zest and juice of one lime (about 2 tablespoons of juice)
1 teaspoon ground cumin*
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 cups cooked brown rice, cooled
1 cup canned garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
3 T. chopped green chiles (I used canned)
1/2 cup halved grape tomatoes
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Put garlic clove and salt in a small bowl and mash them together with a fork to form a paste.  Add lime juice, zest, and cumin.  Whisk lime juice mixture together then slowly whisk in the olive oil.  Taste, adjust salt as needed; set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine brown rice, garbanzo beans, chopped green chiles, tomatoes, and cilantro.  Add dressing and toss gently to combine.  Can be served immediately.  If made ahead and refrigerated, allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

Recipe notes: *Cumin is much more flavorful if you start with whole seeds, toast them, then grind them yourself.  I toasted one teaspoon of whole cumin seeds in a dry skillet just until fragrant then ground them into a powder using a clean coffee grinder.  If I would have had some on hand, I would have tossed a handful of roasted pepitas into the salad.

Related Recipes:

• How to Cook Perfect Brown Rice
• Cilantro Caesar Salad with Carne Asada
• Herbed Tuna Salad with Feta and Pine Nuts
• Orange Cranberry Salad with Walnuts and Blue Cheese
• Rice Pilaf with Raisins and Pine Nuts
• Whole Wheat Green Orzo Salad

Around the Web:

• Wild Rice Salad from Simply Recipes
• Broccoli Rice Salad with Sesame-Ginger Dressing from Fatfree Vegan Kitchen
• Fresh Asparagus Rice Salad from Eating Out Loud
• Brown Rice Salad with Turkey, Red Cabbage and Pecans from Kalyn’s Kitchen
• Chicken and Wild Rice Salad from Culinary in the Country

My aunt, cousin, and I took an overnight trip to the coast last weekend that started with a day of wandering around beautiful Monterey and ended with a Mother’s Day 5K run through the artichoke fields of Castroville.  It was quite an adventure.

One of the many highlights of the trip was lunch at the adorable Red House Cafe in Pacific Grove where we sampled a variety of sandwiches and salads.  Our favorite was a lightly dressed orzo salad with fresh herbs – it was simple and delicious and I’ve been thinking about orzo ever since.  When I saw a bag of organic whole wheat orzo at Whole Foods yesterday I decided it was time to make an orzo salad of my own.

Whole Wheat Greek Orzo Salad
yield: approximately six servings

8 ounces whole wheat orzo pasta
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
1 cup grape (or cherry) tomatoes, finely chopped
1/3 cup kalamata olives, finely chopped
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
salt, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Cook pasta for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente.  Drain pasta through a sieve, rinse with cold water, then allow to drain well again.  In a large bowl, toss pasta with olive oil, vinegar, and lemon juice.  Add remaining ingredients and toss well.  Season with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Serve cold or at room temperature.

Recipe notes:  You might try adding one or more of the following extra ingredients:  finely chopped red onion, red bell pepper, artichoke hearts, fresh chopped dill, or grated lemon zest.  These types of salads are endlessly adaptable – ingredient amounts can and should be changed to suit your own taste.  Taste, adjust, and enjoy!

Related Recipes:

• Tabbouleh with Persimmons and Almonds
• Tangerine and Jicama Salad with Garlic and Cilantro
• Cilantro Caesar Salad with Carne Asada
• Curry Artichoke Rice Salad
• Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Raisins
• Orange Cranberry Salad with Walnuts and Blue Cheese

Around the Web:

• Spinach and Orzo Salad from Simply Recipes
• Mediterranean Orzo Salad from Andrea’s Recipes
• Curried Orzo Chicken Salad from The Perfect Pantry
• Sesame Orzo Salad from Sarah’s Cucina Bella
• Orzo Salad with Chickpeas, Dill, Feta, and Lemon from Whipped
• Grilled Vegetable Orzo Salad from The Kitchen Sink

While many types of green salsa feature cooked or roasted tomatillos, this one is a simple mixture of fresh ingredients that can be thrown together in a matter of minutes.  But it’s not just the ease of preparation that makes this salsa great – I absolutely love the texture and refreshing flavor of the fresh tomatillos.

Beneath their thin, papery husks, tomatillos look much like small green tomatoes.  But unlike their sweet and juicy cousins, tomatillos are mostly eaten while still firm and tart.  Choose tomatillos that are small, firm, and bright green with fresh-looking husks.  They can be stored on the counter for a few days or in the fridge for a couple of weeks.  Leave the husks on the fruit until ready to use.  To prepare tomatillos, remove the husk and stem and rinse off the remaining sticky residue that coats the fruit.

Tomatillos form the base of many delicious Latin American sauces, but I think their bright flavor really shines in this simple salsa verde.  If you’re new to using tomatillos this is a perfect place to start.

Fresh Tomatillo Salsa
adapted from Mexican Everyday
serves four

1/2 pound tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and quartered
2 serrano peppers or 1 jalapeño pepper, chopped*
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves
heaping 1/2 teaspoon salt
squeeze of fresh lime juice**

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse to combine and get juices flowing.  Blend on low speed until a coarse puree is formed.  Pour into a dish, taste and add more salt or lime if desired.  Salsa can be thinned with a bit of water if desired.

Recipe Notes: *This amount of chiles produces a medium-spicy salsa; if you’d like it milder, use only one serrano or half a jalapeño.  If you want an extremely mild salsa (no heat), remove seeds from peppers.  **The lime juice is entirely optional as the tomatillos will lend their own tartness to the salsa.  I like lime with cilantro, so I always use a bit.

Related Recipes:

• Chili Garlic Chips
• Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
• Black Bean Dip with Whole Wheat Pita Chips
• Creamy Blue Cheese Dip with Lemon and Chives
• Deviled Eggs

Around the Web:

• Tomatillo Salsa with Roasted Green Chiles from Kalyn’s Kitchen
• Roasted Tomatillo Guacamole from Food Blogga
• Salsa Verde from Closet Cooking
• Roasted Tomatillo Salsa from Inspired Taste
• Tomatillo Salsa from My Colombian Recipes

When I first read about Phoo-D’s Edamame Soup with Wasabi Cream, I knew I had to make it.  For one thing, I’ve had a bag of shelled edamame hanging out in my freezer for quite a while, but what really caught my attention was the combination of flavors she incorporated into her soup. You just can’t go wrong with garlic, ginger, and toasted sesame oil – not to mention the horseradish cream on top.  Perfect.

I had planned on following the recipe.  Really, that was my intention.  It wasn’t until I noticed that my bag of frozen edamame was of insufficient size that I knew I would have to improvise.  My first change was to use frozen peas to shore up my meager soybean supply.  Once I started thinking about peas, I remembered the fresh dill and mint in my refrigerator that, though still clinging to life, really needed to be used up sooner than later.  When I started thinking about dill and mint, of course I wanted to incorporate some lemon.  All of a sudden, the soup had changed quite a bit!

While I’ll definitely give the original soup recipe a try next time, I was absolutely thrilled with this version.  This thick and velvety soup feels so indulgent, you’ll have a hard time believing that it’s healthy.  The herb and lemon sour cream garnish worked perfectly with the simple flavors of the soup – it’s not optional.

When it comes to blending this soup, you can’t mess around.  Soybeans are tough.  I first tried puréeing the soup with an immersion blender, but the consistency wasn’t creamy enough.  Just as Phoo-D suggests, I recommend puréeing the soup in an actual blender.

Edamame and Pea Soup with Herbed Lemon Cream

1 onion, diced
1 shallot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups shelled edamame (I used frozen)
1 cup green peans (frozen, not canned)
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 teaspoon sugar
salt to taste

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add onion, shallot, and celery and cook until softened and just starting to take on a bit of color, about 10 minutes.  Stir in edamame and peas (they can still be frozen at this point) then add chicken or vegetable stock.  Turn heat up and bring mixture to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, make the lemon cream (recipe below).

After soup has simmered for 20 minutes, remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.  Puree the soup – in batches if necessary – in a blender or food processor until completely smooth.  Return to the pot and reheat, if necessary.  Serve soup with a spoonful of herbed lemon cream on top.

Yield: 6 servings

Herbed Lemon Cream

1/2 cup sour cream or crème fraiche
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
zest and juice from 1/2 a lemon

Whisk together all ingredients; refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.

Related Recipes:

• Creamy Fennel and Leek Soup
• Butternut Squash and Chickpea Stew
• Chilled Ginger Cantaloupe Soup
• Roasted Autumn Vegetable Chowder
• Chickpea Soup with Ginger and Coriander
• Potato Leek Soup

Around the Web:

• Edamame Soup with Wasabi Cream from Phoo-D
• Edamame Soup from 101 Cookbooks
• Edamame Avocado Soup from Tofu for Two
• Edamame and Pea Soup from Kitchen Goddess
• Very Very Green Green-Pea Soup from Kitchen Parade
• Green Pea Soup from The Budding Cook

While we normally eat spaghetti squash tossed with nothing more than a a bit of olive oil and a handful of fresh-grated parmigiano reggiano, I decided to splurge this time around and used the versatile squash to create a rich and creamy gratin.

This gratin was inspired by a recipe I found at Laura Rebecca’s Kitchen.  I’m sure her sour cream version is wonderful, and that’s what I had originally planned to make, but when I realized that I had some heavy cream that needed to be used, I opted for that instead.  I also added some shallots along with the garlic, and decreased the amount of herbs (mainly because I was completely out of fresh herbs).  The resulting dish was absolutely delicious!

We’ve actually been on a bit of a spaghetti squash kick around here lately, and have eaten it again since I made the  gratin.  This last time, I sauteed some garlic in olive oil, added a generous pinch of crushed red pepper, then tossed the spaghetti squash strands in the garlic oil until heated through.  I then seasoned it with salt and a handful of fresh chopped parsley and served it with a bit of fresh grated parmigiano reggiano.  Since this is one of my favorite ways to eat spaghetti, I thought I’d give it a try with spaghetti squash.  It was wonderful!

What’s your favorite way to eat spaghetti squash?

Spaghetti Squash Gratin

1 spaghetti squash, baked until tender*
1 large (or two small) shallot(s), chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 t. dried thyme (or 1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme leaves)
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 cup grated parmigiano reggiano, divided
salt, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees

2. Remove seeds and shred spaghetti squash.  Place spaghetti squash strands in a large bowl, and discard shell.

2. Cook shallots in butter over medium-low heat until softened.  Stir in garlic, cook for a minute longer.  Scrape shallots and garlic into bowl with squash.  Add thyme, heavy cream, sour cream, and half of the cheese.  Toss together well until ingredients are evenly distributed.  Pour into a greased casserole and top with remaining cheese.

3. Bake uncovered in a preheated 450 degree oven for 20 minutes or until lightly browned on top.

Yield: approximately 6 servings

*How to cook spaghetti squash

Spaghetti Squash with Garlic and Red Pepper

1 spaghetti squash, baked until tender*
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
generous pinch of crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons fresh chopped Italian parsley
salt to taste
fresh grated parmigiano reggiano (optional)

1. Remove seeds and shred spaghetti squash.  Place spaghetti squash strands in a large bowl, and discard shell.

2. In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook until just lightly browned.  Add crushed red pepper, then add spaghetti squash.  Toss spaghetti squash strands until well-coated in the garlic oil and heated through.  Season with salt and toss with parsley.  Serve with fresh grated parmigiano reggiano, if desired.

*How to cook spaghetti squash

Around the Web:

• Spaghetti Squash Gratin from Laura Rebecca’s Kitchen
• Spaghetti Squash with Bacon and Turnip Greens from Cooking by the Seat of my Pants
• Spaghetti Squash and Chard Gratin from Kalyn’s Kitchen
• New Mexican Spaghetti Squash from Karina’s Kitchen
• Moroccan-Spiced Spaghetti Squash from Smitten Kitchen

I’m beginning to think there’s nothing quite as satisfying as making a tray of slow-roasted tomatoes.  Now, I know I’ve said this about a lot of things.  Bread, for example.  And it’s true that there’s nothing quite as satisfying as making a loaf of bread with your own two hands.  But man, these tomatoes are something.  And they are simple.  So simple, that the extraordinary flavor almost doesn’t make sense.  The flavor is sweet, but intense.  Sultry, even.  You’ll see.  You’ll be smitten, too.

If there’s one thing I learned about food while living in Sicily, it’s this:  less is more.

Simplify.

Want to learn how to cook?  Quit trying to follow complicated recipes out of fancy books.  First, you must simplify.

What ingredients do you like?  Walk through the produce section of your grocery store or your local market without a grocery list and without any particular recipe in mind.  What catches your eye?  What calls to you?  Pick it up, take it home, and see if you can figure out the simplest way to make it taste really great.

There are very few ingredients, animal or vegetable, that wouldn’t benefit from something as simple as a drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of kosher salt, or a squeeze of lemon juice.

But wait, you want to know about these tomatoes, don’t you?

The great thing about slow roasting tomatoes is that you can make even run-of-the-mill grocery store tomatoes taste great.  All you need are a couple of baskets of grape or cherry tomatoes, some cloves of garlic, olive oil, salt, and that jar of Italian seasoning that’s been hanging out in the back of your spice cabinet.  See?  It’s simple.

While the idea of turning on the oven for three hours during the last heat wave of summer probably isn’t that appealing, the temperature will be so low that you won’t even notice it’s on.  Trust me, I did it yesterday.  And yes, we really are having a heat wave here in Southern California.

It’s highly unlikely that you’re going to have any leftovers, but the tomatoes can be stored with a bit of olive oil in a covered container in the refrigerator.  The garlic cloves can be peeled and eaten (mmmm…roasted garlic…) or just tossed in with the tomatoes for extra flavor.  But again, make sure everything stays refrigerated if you aren’t going to eat them immediately.  But, you will eat them immediately.

My absolute favorite way to eat these tomatoes is on bruschetta smeared with goat cheese.  If you’re in search of a simple appetizer that will completely blow your guests away, here it is.

Now these tomatoes are certainly not my idea.  There are tons of recipes for slow-roasted tomatoes floating around out there and really, I suggest you customize this to suit your own taste.  The version I like comes from Deb at Smitten Kitchen, so be sure to head over there to read about her gorgeous tomatoes and gorgeous new baby, before making some of your own.

Slow-Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
(adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

Cherry, grape or pear tomatoes (or whatever tiny tomatoes you prefer)
Garlic cloves, unpeeled
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Combination of dried Italian herbs (such as fennel, oregano, basil, or thyme)*

1. Line a half-sheet pan with parchment paper and heat oven to 225 degrees.

2. Cut enough tomatoes to fill the sheet pan (about 2 small baskets should do the trick) and place them cut-side up on the parchment paper.  Scatter a handful of unpeeled garlic cloves throughout the tomatoes.

3. Drizzle olive oil all over the tomatoes, then sprinkle lightly with kosher salt.

4. Mix together some of your favorite dried Italian herbs (or just use a commercial blend) and measure out about 2 teaspoons of the mixture. Grind the herbs into a powder using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle then sprinkle evenly over the tomatoes.

5. Bake tomatoes at 225 degrees for 3-4 hours, or until they have shriveled but still contain a bit of moisture inside.  The time will depend on the size of your tomatoes, so start checking early.

6. Let cool and eat immediately or store in a covered container in the refrigerator.  The garlic cloves can be peeled and eaten or stored in the jar with the tomatoes for a few days, refrigerated.

Recipes Notes: *I really like to include a good amount of fennel seed in my herb mixture.  Even if you think you don’t like fennel, you might enjoy it here.  I like to grind the herbs into a powder before sprinkling over the tomatoes, especially if using fennel seed and/or rosemary.  But, it’s completely optional.  I generally combine five or six different dry herbs such as basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano, marjoram, and fennel.  Use as many or as few as you like.  You might even try leaving the herbs out completely.

Around the Web:

• Slow-Roasted Tomatoes at Kalyn’s Kitchen
• Slow-Roasted Tomatoes at A Veggie Venture
• Slow-Roasted Tomatoes at The Perfect Pantry
• Slow-Roasted Tomatoes with Sea Salt and Coriander from Orangette