Thursday Night Menu: Farmers’ Market Edition

These are so simple, even if you’ve never cooked before, you’ll be successful.  I still don’t have a name for this pasta dish and I find it difficult to believe that 6 ingredients could be so flavorful. On the board tonight:

1. Unnamed Pasta Dish  Pasta Caprese
2. Loaf of Bread
3. Apple & Blackberry Crisp

Unnamed Pasta Dish Pasta Caprese

• 9 oz linguine or fettuccine
• 2 large tomatoes, diced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• 4 oz cubed mozzarella
• salt & pepper to taste

saucepan and large serving dish

Prepare pasta according to package directions.  While it’s cooking, mix remaining ingredients together.  Drain pasta completely (dab with paper towels, if necessary) then add to tomato mixture.  Let sit for 10-15 minutes to let flavors blend.  Serve warm or you can refrigerate and serve cold.  Add a nice loaf of bread for a complete dinner.

I use a fairly expensive mozzarella for this dish because it’s softer, tastier and absorbs more flavors.  Any locally produced mozzarella would work.  Also, my local farmers’ market has a pasta vendor, who hand makes many flavors of pasta.  This dish works very well with flavored pastas – fire roasted chili, lemon pepper, tomato basil, red bell pepper – the list goes on.  You can also change up the cheese to a Queso Blanco (again, use a fairly expensive or locally produced one), use cilantro instead of basil and use a chili flavored pasta for a whole new dish.  The possibilities are endless.

The credit for this dish goes to friends.  Every time they made it for me I’d ask, “What’s in this again?”  Couldn’t believe it was so simple.  After a trip to the farmers’ market, we started trying different flavors.  Now on to dessert….

Apple & Blackberry Crisp:

• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup oatmeal
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 stick butter (1/2 cup)

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• 3 apples, cored & sliced (peeling opt)
• 1 cup blackberries
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp lemon juice

8×8 baking dish and mixing bowl

In bowl, cut together sugar, brown sugar, flour, oatmeal, cinnamon & butter until crumbly.  In baking dish, toss apple slices & blackberries with sugar & lemon juice.  Crumble butter mixture over the top evenly.  Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes, until top is golden and bubbly and apples are soft. Let cool 10 minutes before serving to let fruit set.

If you want to change it up, use different fruits or fruit combinations you might like  – peaches, pears, blueberries, strawberries, and even rhubarb (you’ll have to add about a ½ cup of sugar to the fruit and cook 40 minutes).

Enjoy.

Shopping List:

• 9 oz linguine or fettuccini
• 4 oz mozzarella
• ¼ cup fresh basil leaves
• Nice loaf of bread
• 3 apples
• 1 cup blackberries
• 1 cup oatmeal
• 1 stick butter (1/2 cup)

Also: olive oil, crushed garlic, sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, lemon juice