Will Run For Tomato, Black Olive and Artichoke No Cook Pasta Sauce and a Pinterest Pergola

Thanks for the pergola pasta

Three years after finding out that our new home was in violation of every building code under the sun renovations are finally complete!

Okay, so we (well, not really me) still need to hang some light fixtures and put up some new trim but all of the big stuff is done.  No more addition standing on hockey pucks (I kid you not), no more sheds falling into the creek, no more extension cords running through the walls, etc., etc. 

We were kind of getting used to having our contractor around.  It's pretty awesome coming home from work every day to find another project complete: a new deck,a fenced in back yard and my favourite our pergola.

In celebration of finishing our renovations and passing our city inspection we enjoyed some pasta and berry lemon crumble.

Tomato Black Olive & Artichoke No Cook Pasta Sauce

(serves 6)

ingredients

2 medium tomatoes, diced

1/2 cup sundried tomatoes chopped(soaked in hot water for 5-10 min)

1 C black olives chopped

3 tsp capers

2C canned artichoke hearts chopped

3 cloves garlic crushed

3/4 C fresh basil chopped

2 T white balsamic vinegar

3 T olive oil

salt & pepper (optional)

parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast (optional garnish)

375g whole wheat linguine or cooked spaghetti squash.

1.  Cook pasta according to package directions.  You can use hot water from pasta to soak tomatoes.

2.  In a medium bowl combine fresh tomatoes, drained sundried tomatoes, olives, capers, artichoke hearts, garlic, basil, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt & pepper (optional) & parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast (optional).

3.  Add pasta to tomato mixture.  Garnish with parmesan cheese if desired. 

Pinterest worthy pergola.

Bouviers like pergolas (and eating grass).

Will Run For Tomato Bisque

warm & toasty

Farmer & I have an entire freezer full of vegetables that we harvested from the garden this fall.  The problem is that it's an entire freezer full of vegetables that we don't really want to eat.

It's hard to get excited about bags of kale that have random frozen caterpillars in them or bags of whole frozen tomatoes that were just stuffed in the bag without being blanched (who wants to deal with slimy tomato skins?).

Today Farmer & Hank decided to give dog sledding a try (She denies imagining herself as Doc from The Muppets Family Christmas escorting Ms. Piggy to the cabin in a Mountie uniform).  This might have been a better idea if Farmer hadn't worked graveyard the night before.  After standing outside for 2 1/2 hours I thought a warm bowl of soup might be a good idea (Jeb & I spent that time drinking lattes and hanging out with my mom).

one of these things is not like the others

roast at 400 F

45 minutes later

simmer for 20 minutes

soup in your favourite mug

Tomato Bisque

5 cups

ingredients

3 1/2 pounds of frozen tomatoes (8-10 cups)

1 can full fat coconut milk

1 large sweet onion

1 bulb garlic cloves peeled and chopped

1 T olive oil

1/3 cup fresh basil roughly chopped (or your favourite dried herbs)

salt & pepper (to taste)

Preheat oven to 400 F. In a large ceramic dish place frozen tomatoes, roughly chopped onion, peeled and chopped garlic cloves, & olive oil.  Roast for 45 minutes.  After approximately 30 minutes drain water from dish and place pan back in the oven.  Using tongs or your hands (careful not to burn yourself) pull off the tomato skins.  This was surprisingly easy.  Compost skins and place the rest of the tomato in a large stock pot along with the rest of the roasted vegetables.

  Add coconut milk & simmer for 15 minutes.  Add fresh basil and simmer for an additional five minutes.  Either use immersion blender or place in blender and process until desired consistency is reached.  Serve with your favourite multigrain bread, crackers, etc.

a sled dog in the making?

Will Run For Tempeh Bolognese Sauce

Finally, no more squash recipes!  For today anyway.  Truth be told there is yet another hubbard squash roasting in my oven just waiting to be turned into soup.

I can't help it.  I really love squash and really HATE the idea of rotting squash in my basement.

I've never actually eaten authentic bolgonese so perhaps this recipe would be better titled bolognese(ish) or bolgonese(esque) sauce instead.  None the less you might want to give it a try.

Tempeh Bolognese Sauce

(makes 5 cups)

Ingredients 

1 T olive oil

1 large cooking onion diced 

2 garlic cloves minced

1 large stalk celery diced

2 cups crimini mushrooms diced

1 small carrot

1/4 cup fresh basil

1 T Better Than Salt or a combination of oregano, marjoram, rosemary, savoury, sage, time, lemon verbena or your favourite herbs.

150 g grated Noble Bean  tempeh burgers

1 28 oz can of whole tomatoes pureed with hand blender

1/4 C nutritional yeast (or parmesan cheese)

1/2 C water

In a large pot heat oil.  Add onions and saute until translucent.  Add garlic and saute for another 1-2 minutes.  Add diced celery, mushrooms, carrot, basil, dried herbs, grated tempeh burgers, pureed tomatoes, water,

Allow to simmer for approximately 30 minutes depending on desired consistency.

Serve over zucchini ribbons or your favourite pasta.

Will Run For Garlic Flatbread

Not only will I run for garlic flatbread but I'll wait in line for 20 minutes for garlic flatbread.  It's easy to wait in line when you're eating a garlic pickle on a stick (brilliant) and you've just eaten a warm creamy square of garlic fudge.  

There weren't any pickles on sticks or garlic fudge today but there was delicious leftover garlic flatbread.

If you have 3 1/2 hours to spare this is the recipe for you.

Flatbread

(makes 2 fairly large sized breads)

ingredients

1 tsp active dry yeast (really important that it hasn't expired)

1 C + 1/4 tepid water (same temperature as the water you get from your running partner)

3 C brown bread flour

1tsp salt

2 Tbsp olive oil

Finishing Salts/sea salt

Topping

ingredients

1 small tomato diced

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp earth balance (butter)

1 large clove of pressed garlic

Place water in a bowl, sprinkle with yeast, add 1 cup of flour and wait patiently for at least 2 hours.  You should place the bowl in a warm area.

After lounging around for 2 hours because you've been 'busy' making bread add remaining 2 cups of flour with salt and stir into yeast mixture.  Add 2 Tbsp olive oil and up to 1/4 C of water so that the dough sticks together.

On a lightly floured surface knead dough for 5 minutes (I used the same technique that I use for wedging   clay for pottery probably not exactly the same thing as kneading).  Place in an oiled bowl, cover with a dishcloth and let sit for approximately 1 hr (just long enough to go for a 7K run or long enough to get changed and think about going for a run).

waiting

Preheat oven to 400F.   Sprinkle baking stones with cornmeal.  Divide dough into two balls.  Roll to desired thickness (about 1/4 inch).

Top each flatbread with fresh rosemary, chopped tomatoes, garlic earth balance/olive oil, and finishing salts.  Bake for approximately 25 minutes.

garlic butter, rosemary, and tomatoes

da, da, da, la!

delicious garlicky wedges