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: Caramelized Onion, Rosemary & Olive Focaccia – Virtual Vegan Potluck Edition

What is your ultimate comfort food?

Give us this day our daily bread..

Welcome to all my regular IPOM readers and those joining us specially for the Virtual Vegan Potluck today! I hope you enjoy this stop on the journey through – there are some great contributions out there today so I hope you’ve got your printer ready…here goes!

There is an old saying that wheat is the staff of life. Have you heard this before?

I grew up enjoying home-baked bread, and neighborly potlucks featuring homemade pizzas with whole wheat dough.

Many comforting childhood memories come from pieces of warm fresh bread, and nothing satisfies the soul quite like it to this day, (maybe it’s the Virgo in me, that’s what my mom always told me).

I am so excited to present this wonderful recipe shared with me by my chef brother that can double as both pizza dough, and a ridiculously good focaccia.

Well done is better than well said.

~ Benjamin Franklin

Olives, Caramelized Onions, Rosemary, Olive Oil, and more Olive Oil.

Along with good bread, pizza is also a super staple in our house for successful vegetarian entertaining. It’s always great, no matter what you put on it.

So after years of outsourcing dough (to those wonderful delis who do it so expertly), I am so proud to say that yeast and I are now officially good buddies (it hasn’t always been that way).

So with that, let’s get started on this most amazing recipe that is sure to become an instant party or potluck favorite!

The Less:

Less store-bought bread means less plastic and preservatives. Less bakery bought treats means you can make these treats for cheap. Less wondering whether you can do it means more champion-like confidence, so you can get going on pretty much anything, and what’s better than being a champion of action?

The More:

More confidence in the kitchen means knowing you can do just about anything. More ways to impress guests means more satisfaction from having them. More tasty fresh foods means less craving for taste and flavor elsewhere, and more yummy delicious recipes like this means you’ll always have lots to share 🙂

Caramelized Onion, Rosemary & Olive Focaccia:

~ makes two focaccias or 4 pizza doughs

The Dough:

• (2 tsp) active dry yeast
• (2 cups) warm water – about the temperature of a child’s bath
• (3 tsp) sugar
• (3) tsp salt
• (4) cups flour all-purpose
• (4 tbsp) olive oil

The Toppings:

• (1) medium yellow onion or(1/2) a large sweet onion, sliced lengthwise thinly
• (1 tsp) salt
• (1 tsp) sugar
• (1 cup) of large black olives (Giant or Kalamata) – about 10 – 12
• (2-3) sprigs fresh rosemary
• plenty of olive oil (1/4-1/2 cup)

Ready to make bread? Yeah you are!

To get started, gather up all of your ingredients for the dough and commandeer your favorite large mixing bowl.

In the bowl, add 2 cups of warm water (not too hot, not too cold) to the bowl. Add the sugar and stir. Next, add the yeast, but do not stir. Let sit for 5 minutes or so.

After a few minutes, add half the flour and the salt to the mixture in the bowl (about 2 cups) and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture is nice and smooth.

Next add the olive oil and mix until the mixture is a bit pasty. From here, you can go ahead and dump the rest of the flour into the bowl and mix – start with a wooden spoon and then switch to the hands – it’s so much fun!

My brother says to mix this until it ‘pulls from the bowl’. This seems to work well, and I mix this way until it seems ready to come out and be kneaded on the counter.

Once the dough is ‘pulling from the bowl’, remove it and set on the counter to prepare for kneading.

To knead, dust the counter with a sprinkling of flour and knead…this to inject the dough with air – and truthfully I have never enjoyed this process, or really applied myself to it either – but I am actually learning to love this part!

Just set the CD player to your favorite new dance CD and watch the time fly by…

Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, until you have a lovely round ball of dough.

Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little.

~ Edmund Burke

Set your dough in a clean, lightly oiled bowl (feel free to wash and oil the same bowl you mixed in). Cover with a clean tea towel and set in a warm place to rise.

Hint: I turn the oven on and set on to heat up top of, or right beside the stove. It seems no matter how nicely you talk to the yeast, it will not rise unless it is in a warm place (go figure!)

It has risen!

Let the dough rise for about 1 – 1.5 hours, until you have a nice little rise happening (you will know!).

Now for the best part.

Remove the tea towel and punch the dough down with your fist to release the air. Your dough will pop and fall in a beautiful fashion, and it is now ready to settle in for a bit while you prep the rest of your ingredients.

Remove the dough from the bowl and re-shape on the counter or cutting board. Cut the dough in half. Ideally, let sit for 30 minutes before using. Any leftover dough not being used immediately can be frozen or refrigerated for future use, and I find it super handy to have some dough to bake off during the week for unexpected guests, or just for kids 🙂

So. Very. Awesome.

The Onions, Olives, and Rosemary:

While you wait for the dough to rise, you can prepare the magical part of this recipe – the tasty toppings.

Slice your onion in long thin strips and heat a large skillet to medium-high. Add a nice splash of olive oil to the skillet and add the onion, salt, and sugar. On medium to medium high heat, cook the onion for 25 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking. By slow cooking the onions in the sugar and salt, they will get brown, sticky, and heavenly. Just be sure to stir often. Once ready, remove from heat and let cool.

Pit and half the olives and set aside. Remove the leaves from the rosemary sprigs and chop with a knife finely.

When ready to assemble the focaccia for baking, start by heating the oven to 400 degrees. Oil generously a large flat rectangular baking tray (or two if you are cooking them both off).

Oil your hands a little and stretch the room temperature dough to fit the length of your tray – this should be easy and the dough should keep it’s shape when pulled. If you need some help, you can keep a little bowl of flour to the side and use a little help this process.

Once you have your shape, add the olives, then the onions, and finally the rosemary. Finish this off with a generous pour of olive oil across the entire surface of the bread (don’t be shy!).

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, until the sides are golden and the smell is heaven in the kitchen. Let cool and slice as desired!

Keep this stored at room temperature wrapped in foil, it’s great warmed up a bit in the oven the day after 🙂

Blues is to jazz what yeast is to bread. Without it, it’s flat.

~ Carmen McRae

Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all.

~ Nelson Mandela

This bread is stunning on its own, or served with a light dip, or alongside a salad, or really, anything!

It’s so tasty.

Honestly, it’s got all my favorite things. And the best part is I can now make it myself (and so can you!).

I hope you’ll enjoy this whether you are already great friends with making bread and dough or not!

This recipe can be altered in so many ways to suit your mood.

Men can starve from a lack of self-realization as much as they can from a lack of bread.

~ Richard Wright

Bite off more than you can chew, then chew it.

~ Ella Williams

So, whether you are a seasoned dough expert, a newbie, or an ‘outsourcer’ like I’ve been, I hope you will enjoy this recipe as much as we did this week.

I think I’ve discovered the secret of life — you just hang around until you get used to it.

~ Charles M. Schulz

To continue to follow the offerings in the potluck , you can click on the links provided at the end of the post to see either the previous dish on the journey or continue through to the next dish. To start at the very beginning and see them all, go here to Vegan Bloggers Unite.

Huge kudos to all for their fantastic contributions, and a giant congrats to Annie for pulling this off!

I am so stoked to see all the rest of the wonderful offerings this weekend.

To read the original post that got all of this started, visit the original post here at an unrefined vegan.

• Are you a seasoned bread or dough maker?
• What are you favorite toppings for focaccia or pizza?

Thanks for stopping by, and wishing you all a fabulous weekend, and a Happy Mother’s Day!

Yours in Less,