Recipe: Basil Pistou Pasta Salad with Spelt Penne & Fresh Market Tomatoes

Let’s enjoy the summer flavors while we can!

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.

~ Marcel Proust

The quote above is one fit for the bounty that engulfs us at this time of year (at least in this part of the world!).

Harvest season always give me the chills, and it is worth noting that I am currently head over heels, knee-deep & no turning back in love with fresh farm produce.

Anyone else with me on this?!

This past Sunday, I was excited to hit the Farmer’s Market and arrived to realize I had but a meager $25 cash to stock up for the next few days with fresh produce for our growing family.

At first I panicked, thinking it impossible that I could resist the urge to buy armloads of all the beautiful apples, peaches, and every other thing my heart desired.

And then (after a stop at the bank machine only to recall I’d given my ATM card to the teenager to buy jeans), I decided I’d see instead how far I could make that $25 go.

The fragrance always remains on the hand that gives the rose.

~ Gandhi

After all, ever since the market experience in France and the subsequent realization that things just are not the same here at home, it is still incredibly important to me to support our local farmers whenever I can.

It is also important to me (to try) to buy just what we need and not an apple more. So I am happy to report I did just fine, in fact, I really think I did better than fine.

We’re halfway through the basketful of ripe yellow tomatoes I bought and we’ve got lettuce in the fridge to make another round of salads tomorrow night.

There’s nothing rotting or screaming ‘eat me‘ after being purchased on a whim without a plan, or a thought to where it would go, or to who would consume it.

And it feels really good to know just how far $25 can actually go with (just a little) discipline, restraint, awareness, and forethought.

And have I mentioned how absolutely incredible those tomatoes are right now?

Not to mention the basil, and the zucchini, and the beans, peppers, eggplant, and just about everything else we can call ourselves lucky to have at our fingertips. Less may be more here, and when it is this good, that is really all we seem to need.

This pasta salad brings together all those things to love in one bowl, & I hope you’ll enjoy this combo as much as we did!

You cannot do a kindness too soon because you never know how soon it will be too late.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Less:

Less mayo-based pasta salads means more variety and more fun, flavor, and healthy fats. Less white noodles and wheat based foods can mean less sensitivity for those that matters to. Less boredom at mealtime means dinner and lunch are super fun, especially with harvest veggies & herbs so easily at hand.

The More:

More local flavor boosters means more summer flavors in your bowl. More grain based goodness means more grounding, fuel, and energy. More healthy fresh veggies to dress up your meals means more color, life, and vitality, so meal times are as lively as can be.

Spelt Pistou Pasta Salad:

• (2) cups dry pasta (I used spelt penne for this one)
• (1/3) to (1/2) cup Basil Pistou
• (1/3) cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
• (2-3) ripe tomatoes, cut in wedges
• (1/2) yellow, orange, or red pepper, chopped
• (6-8) leaves fresh basil, cut in ribbons
• black olives for garnish & black pepper (optional)

Make the pistou as described in this post (the last IPOM post). Feel free to play with your favorite pesto as well, I was super pleased to make this with the pistou as outlined as it was quite similar to a recipe shared with me by a good friend recently.

Cook the pasta according to the package directions and drain when done. While the pasta cooks, prepare the sun-dried tomatoes, chopped pepper, fresh tomatoes, and basil ribbons*

*Cut basil ribbons by layering the leaves on top of one another and rolling them to make a tight roll. Then, using a sharp knife, cut horizontally to make uniform ‘ribbons’. Hint: you can also keep it real and rustic by tearing the leaves with your hands.

Start by tossing the still hot pasta with the pistou in a mixing bowl and stir well to combine. Add the chopped peppers and 2/3 of the prepared basil leaves and stir well.

Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with olives, remaining basil ribbons (or torn leaves), fresh tomato wedges, and black pepper. Don’t be shy to add a little splash of extra olive oil to the top either, that never hurts 🙂

No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of another.

~ Charles Dickens

Make sure to enjoy this one with friends, especially if you are among those sensitive to the effects of garlic!

Leftovers can also be enjoyed heated up a little to release the flavors and soften the pasta if has been stored in the fridge. I took this to work and shared the love with one of my favorite girls of all time, I don’t think she minded one bit!

Words have the power to both destroy and heal. When words are both true and kind, they can change our world.

~ Buddha

There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy.

~ Ralph H. Blum

Served with a loaf of crusty fresh bread, extra olives on the side, and good friend to share it with, I can’t imagine a better way to enjoy this beautiful, bountiful season we are having.

I’ll be sure to tell the tomato man this weekend how much we’ve enjoyed the fruits of his labor these past two weeks. I’ll be especially proud to tell him we didn’t waste a single morsel.

Enough is a feast.

~ Buddhist Proverb

With all the business we have in this life it is common to hurry through our days checking off to do lists and trying to cover as many bases as we can. Sound at all familiar?

Providing for loved ones adds an extra challenge. Will they have enough? What will they feel like eating? For any of you out there who know the challenges we face just stocking the house (never mind the cooking), we want to hear from you!

• Do you stick to a strict grocery budget?
• Got some tips you can share with us when it comes to buying ‘just enough’?

Wherever you are, I’d love to know what is inspiring you in the kitchen these days, whether it’s in the grocery store, the gym, or the community center parking lot where the producers congregate to sell their bounty.

Next up? A harvest chickpea salad, inspired by a spontaneous Farmer’s Market find 🙂 Stay tuned!

Yours in Less,

Recipe: Chickpea Cauliflower Salad with Basil Dijon Dressing

A summer salad worthy of our attention.

To live is to love. There is no life without love.

~ Anonymous

On any given day our lives can change. They can change for the better, and they can also change in a way that forces growth (aka something not so wonderful happens).

Many of us are here in the blog world because we seek something extra in this life. When I started IPOM I can honestly tell you I didn’t realize the sheer depth of the people & passion I would find here (but I surely did suspect & believe it existed). Friends from all over the world who are sharing tidbits of their lives with others.

Whether it is food, art, adventure, or just a few thoughts here and there, I’ve been so pleased to find such endless inspiration as a result of sharing my own passions. With friends, life is always made easier. And with passion, life becomes rich. When there is love and passion in life, there is nothing that can’t be overcome (IMO, of course).

Where there is love there is life.

~ Mahatma Gandhi

This gorgeous salad is as simple as simple can be. Combine chickpeas with a few chopped fresh veggies and drown them in what is possibly the most delicious dressing on the planet.

This basil dressing is a variation on the dressing I shared at the Healthy Diva here, and features a little more basil this time to honor the bountiful basil plants that are gracing many a patio garden and planter at this time of year.

Basil makes everything it touches taste utterly sophisticated, and once you try this dressing, you’ll want to try it on everything from pasta salad to fresh greens to simple garden tomato salads. I highly encourage this, as we’ve been at it all week.

If you judge people, you have no time to love them.

~ Mother Teresa

The Less:

Less heavy grain-based foods in summer means meals are as light as the summer nights. Less canned prepared bean salad means less preservatives and calories. Less bottled and preserved salad dressings means more flavor and real nutrition, without the added bottles, empty calories, and added cost.

The More:

More tasty veggie salads means more tasty easy meals. More homemade dressings means more inspiring reasons to eat salads. More high fiber vegetables and beans more movement in general, so lightness and health are yours all summer long.

Chickpea Cauliflower Salad with Basil Dijon Dressing:

• (2) cups cooked chickpeas (one 398ml can)
• (1) red pepper, diced
• (1) head cauliflower
• (1) bunch green onions, chopped (greens only)
• (1) clove garlic, minced
• (1) 398ml can artichoke hearts, quartered

Basil Vinaigrette:

• (1) entire bunch basil
• (1) cup good olive oil
• (1/2) cup red wine vinegar
• (4) tbsp Dijon mustard
• (3) tbsp sugar (brown or white)
• (1) tbsp salt
• (1) clove garlic
• (1/2) cup water

Start by cleaning and chopping the cauliflower into medium florets. Put up to steam in a little water, and cook 3-4 minutes until just soft. Remove from heat and rinse with cold water or in an ice water bath to cool. Set aside to drain in a colander until ready to use.

Combine all ingredients for the dressing in a blender (or in a large bowl with a hand blender) and blend until very well combined. Transfer to a clean jar.

Combine chickpeas, chopped red pepper, green onions, and minced garlic in a bowl. Add the cauliflower by hand, breaking into small pieces as you go with your hands.*

*When using cauliflower in smaller one inch pieces I prefer to break them organically with my hands versus cutting them with a knife. The presentation is more beautiful and natural, and it gives me a chance to connect with it – corny, yes, but awesome? YES.

Pour (1/3) to (1/2) cup of the vinaigrette into the bowl and mix gently with a large spoon to combine. If you are too vigorous with the mixing you can break the cauliflower pieces. Add more dressing as desired and save the remainder for later – there are so many uses for it – and this recipe makes a generous amount.

Serve in a lovely clean bowl garnished with quartered artichoke hearts. Set aside as many or as few artichoke hearts as you like and add to each serving on top or to the bowl. This fiber and flavor filled salad will keep in the fridge for up to a week and will get better with age. We enjoyed it several days later with some hot whole wheat pasta added. Amazing!

I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.

~ Mother Teresa

We love the things we love for what they are.

~ Robert Frost

This salad made us very happy this week. The green onions were given to me by a good friend, picked just for me from his small patio garden which (I think) is making both him and his wife very happy this summer. Thanks Charlie and Becky for the gift of home-grown green onions!

• What salads are you loving right now?
• Got a favorite way with basil or chickpeas?

Feel free to let us know below!

Beautiful things bring happiness. I hope you find happiness in (just a little) beauty today, and with any luck, everyday.

Update: this recipe has been shared on Healthy Vegan Fridays hosted by Gabby at the Veggie Nook and 2 other fabulous bloggers 🙂

Yours in Less,