Pasta Fresca (Fresh Tomato Sauce) September 8, 2017 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Pasta Fresca (Fresh Tomato Sauce) 2017-09-09 00:04:52 Serves 4 Print Ingredients 4 cups chopped tomatoes 6-8 fresh basil leaves 1 large garlic clove, minced or pressed 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1 lb. fusilli, bow-tie or penne pasta 1/2 lb fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch cubes grated parmesan or pecorino cheese (optional) Instructions Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Set aside 1 cup of the chopped tomatoes and 2 of the basil leaves. In a blender or food processor, puree the remaining tomatoes and basil with the garlic and olive oil until smooth. Add the salt and pepper to taste. When the water comes to a rolling boil, drop in the pasta, re-cover the pot, and return to a boil. Uncover and cook the pasta until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Cut the reserved basil leaves into thin strips. Drain the cooked pasta and toss it immediately with the mozzarella cubes. Add the sauce and mix well. Top with the reserved tomatoes and basil, and grated cheese if desired. Serve immediately. By Kelly Montgomery Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
Pasta with Tomato-Blue Cheese Sauce October 5, 2016 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Pasta with Tomato-Blue Cheese Sauce 2016-10-05 14:20:12 Print Ingredients 1 ½ pounds pasta (angel hair or thin spaghetti) 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained dash of sugar salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste crushed red pepper flakes, to taste 3/4 cups crumbled blue cheese 3/4 cups heavy cream 4 cups baby spinach half and half, for thinning extra blue cheese crumbles, for garnish Instructions Cook pasta according to package instructions. In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil. When hot, add minced garlic and cook for a minute. Pour in drained tomatoes. Add sugar, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low. Stir in crumbled blue cheese. Add cream and stir, then a little splash of half-and-half if sauce is too thick. Cook for a minute or two, tasting and adding more seasonings as needed. At the very, very, very last minute. toss in spinach. Immediately toss in the cooked and drained pasta. Serve immediately! By Julie Busteed Adapted from The Pioneer Woman Adapted from The Pioneer Woman Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
Panzanella Salad September 28, 2016 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Panzanella Salad 2016-09-28 14:22:28 Print Ingredients 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 baguette, cut into 1” cubes (6 cups) 1 teaspoon kosher salt 2 large, ripe tomatoes, cut into 1” cubes 1 cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, sliced ½” thick 1 red bell pepper, seeded, cut into 1” cubes 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded, cut into 1” cubes ½ red onion, cut in half and thinly sliced 20 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped 3 tablespoons capers, drained Vinaigrette 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard 3 tablespoons champagne vinegar ½ cup good olive oil ½ teaspoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper Instructions Heat the oil in a large sauté pan. Add the bread and salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Add more oil as needed. For the vinaigrette, whisk together all ingredients. In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, red onion, basil, and capers. Add the bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette. Season the salad liberally with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, or allow the salad to sit for about ½ hour for the flavors to blend. By Teri Hiben Adapted from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Parties Adapted from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Parties Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
Green Bean and Cherry Tomato Salad August 25, 2016 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Green Bean and Cherry Tomato Salad 2016-08-25 15:02:18 Print Ingredients 1 pound green beans 1 pound cherry tomatoes 1 can cannellini or navy beans, drained 1 large shallot 3 T. red wine vinegar salt freshly ground pepper ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil basil or other herb, optional Instructions Trim green beans and parboil them in salted water until tender. Drain and immediately spread them to cool. Cut tomatoes in half. These steps can be done in advance. For the vinaigrette, peel and dice the shallot finely and put it in a bowl with the vinegar and salt and pepper. Whisk in olive oil. Taste and adjust the balance with more vinegar, oil, or salt, as needed. Toss the cherry tomatoes with the vinaigrette; this can sit awhile. Do not add green beans or cannellini beans until just before serving or they will discolor from the acid in the vinaigrette. Garnish with basil or another herb. By Alice Waters Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
For the Love of Tomatoes by Heidi Kise July 28, 2016 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment My love for tomatoes developed at a young age. Undoubtedly our family garden had a little something do with it. We had an enormous garden every year that was home to everything from radishes to potatoes and always a plethora of tomatoes. My Dad was the main caretaker for this masterpiece. He was meticulous about the layout, spacing and weeding. He carefully and masterfully nurtured our garden all summer long. All of us kids begrudgingly helped out here and there. Enjoying the harvest as a family was the part we all loved. Anyone who has ever had the pleasure of enjoying my Dad’s harvest of tomatoes will concur that his tomatoes are a little slice of heaven. I still savor each and every tomato that he gives me, often eating it with just a little sea salt. When I think back to those harvest days, I think of dinner on the patio that includes of my mom’s cucumber salad, BLTs, and cantaloupe. Still a favorite summertime meal of mine. Having my own real garden for the very first time this summer has been a fun and interesting experience for my family. Everyone had a chance to choose a few items to plant…cucumbers for Katie, beans for Leo, zucchini for Ken and tomatoes for everyone! The kids, my Dad, my neighbors and the internet have helped plant our garden and we have watched plants grow, blossom, and bear fruit. Tonight the kids ate freshly plucked organic beans from the garden, raw. They were over the moon excited and my daughter asked if she could take them to school in her lunch. In addition to the beans, ironically, my Dad was here today to see the very first ripe tomato plucked from our garden! Thanks to my Dad, I know what ripe tastes like. And thanks to my Dad, my kids will also know where their food comes from and know what a real tomato tastes like. Produce like this, eaten at its prime, needs little to dress it up. One of my favorite things to make is a batch of basil oil to enhance mayo for a BLT or to drizzle over either prosciutto and melon or tomato caprese. Take 10 minutes to make a batch and let me know how you like to use it! Basil Oil 2016-07-27 16:37:39 Print Ingredients 1 cup basil leaves, packed ½ cup grapeseed oil 1/8 t. kosher salt Instructions In a medium bowl, add a cup of ice and fill with cold water. Drop basil leaves in small pot of boiling water and turn off heat. Immediately remove basil from hot water, strain and plunge into the prepared ice bath. After a few minutes, strain basil and squeeze dry between two dinner plates. Add basil, oil and salt to your blender. Blend until smooth. Notes I like to use this flavorful oil as is unless I’m catering a fancy party, then I strain the beautiful, bright green oil through a cheese cloth. Store in refrigerator in a mason jar for up to 3 days. By Heidi Kise Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/