What's New

"Summer Feast"
 
By Connie Driscoll Miller
 
Pasta Caprese
Fresh Fruit Salad
Honey Glazed Patty Pan Squash
Grilled Lemon Chicken
A Family of Love
 
     The basil and tomatoes I grow in my little side garden are around the corner from both my front and back doors.  Just as my greens and lettuces begin to wilt in the heat, my tomatoes and basil arrive to give character to that bit of space.  Bugs and other wildlife take very little of my bounty despite my lack of fencing and pesticide usage.  My granddaughter and I had just picked the tomatoes and basil.  The heady fragrance of the herb filled the kitchen as we sat about preparing dinner.
     The knife slices through the thick flesh, ripeness spilling onto the cutting board as I work quickly to scoop out the tiny seeds while losing as little of the juice as possible from the tomatoes.
     I cut up the tomatoes into dice sized cubes, mixing it with fruity extra-virgin olive oil, pieces of basil, garlic and a diced shallot.  The garlic and shallots were purchased at the farmer's market from a local farmer.  Lemon juice is added, squeezed by Brady's small hands, and my own larger ones.  We leave it to marinate as we turn to the pasta and cheese.
     Brady lugs the large chunk of Parmesan cheese to the counter.  I cut off the pieces for her to feed into the grater chute.  Our bowl is quickly filled, and my little helper gladly finishes off the bits of cheese that are left in the chute when I disconnect it from the motor assembly.  The mozzarella is as fresh as I could find.  I slice it, filling my measuring cup with their milky forms.
     The pasta is prepared with a mixture of soft Durham wheat and whole grain pastry flour Brady loves to help me make the round little tubes that serve as the foundation for the dish.  She uses her small plastic knife to slice the strands into the shorter tubes, and then begs me to make "gravioli and gravy" her favorite dish.  I satisfy her request by taking some of the dough I had saved for just this purpose and together we roll it through the pasta machine until it is just the right thickness.  Then we press the mold into the bottom layer, leaving a pattern for us to fill with fresh ricotta and newly grated Parmesan cheese.  Carefully we place the top layer of pasta, pressing the dough around the filling, and then press it once again with our mold.  I guide her hand with my pasta cutter as the small machine seals and cut the sides of each piece.  It only takes a moment to cook it in some boiling water.  I top it with some sauce that just happens to be in the "fridge".
     Cooked and drained, the steam from the pasta fills the kitchen.  I quickly assemble the dish.  Adding the tomato and mozzarella, I mix it with a large wooden spoon.  While we gather to eat, the cheese melts slightly and the heat from the pasta warms the fresh sauce.  Mint, from a pot on the deck, flavors the fresh summer fruit sliced up in a pretty bowl. Free range, organic chicken breast are grilled to perfection, sliced and arranged on a platter with honey glazed patty pan squash.  We raise our glasses to each other in a toast, grateful that we know what it means to be able to embrace great love and great food together as a family.