“Soon enough the seasons will change and the world will begin again. For now, let’s savor what we have…” – Cheryl Richardson
NOTE: I spend my Wednesdays Unplugged from appointments. It’s my day to stay home, enjoy cooking and welcome our kids and grandkids for dinner in the evening. We end our meal with quotes from the Norwegian ‘Quote Cup’ passed on to me from my grandmother. I share a quote and a recipe here each week, along with an update and photos of what has been going on in our lives. I love trying new recipes…and love getting recipes you would like to share!
It feels like the days from the start of the State Fair through Labor Day are a time in limbo… between summer and the start of school/fall activities. We went to the fair on opening day, and our granddaughter greeted us with her wonderful new fluorescent green hair – love it! The streets were delightfully quiet when we arrived… soon to pick up to over 120,000 people but it was a wonderful day at the fair with our son’s family. Over the weekend we went to our other granddaughter’s first rugby game with her first team after graduating from Winona State this spring… they won 33 to 0! She said team members ages range from under 20 to over 40!
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
This recipe takes advantage of the delicious fresh tomatoes of the season and I had a craving for it… first posted in 2009! Light and delicious at any temperature, you can use any combination of herbs to your taste…I combined basil, parsley and mint…gave a very fresh taste.
LEMON ANGEL HAIR PASTA with tomatoes, pine nuts and herbs
- 12 ounces angel hair pasta (capellini)
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons of lemon zest
- Juice of 1-2 lemons (about 1/4 cup)
- 1 tablespoon of table salt
- 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs – basil, parsley, mint
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts over medium-high heat in a large skillet stirring often until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.
Reduce the heat and pour in olive oil. Add garlic and stir until it softens and becomes fragrant, about 45-60 seconds. Remove the skillet from the heat, add lemon zest and juice. Set the pan aside.
When the water boils, add 1 tablespoon of salt and bring it back to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook it al dente, about 4-5 minutes.
Spoon 2 tablespoons of the cooking water and add it to the the skillet mixture. Then drain the pasta, put it back into the pot, pour the skillet mixture over the pasta and toss well. Add the tomatoes, pine nuts and fresh herbs and toss. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.