Tag: ingredients

Building Your Cultural Food Shopping Skills

Do you hesitate to explore markets specializing in specific cultures because of a language barrier? Do you find it frustrating when you can’t read the labels on packages of food? I’ve recently added a new tool to enhance my international shopping skills.

Image from Google's information on this feature

Last winter a press release from Google announced a Japanese language expansion in their Google Translate app saying, “With Word Lens, you just need to fire up the Translate app, point your camera at the Japanese text, and the English translations will appear overlaid on your screen.”

My mind immediately saw this as a food shopper’s dream. I could see myself standing in a Japanese grocery store using my phone to read and compare the ingredients on packages. What’s more, since this app supports nearly 30 languages, you can point your phone at a package in any shop and it will do its best to figure out what language it is seeing and translate the information on that item.

Ask a Friend!

Far better than using a phone and app is exploring another culture with a friend who is part of that community, speaks the language, or who is far ahead of you in learning about that particular cuisine.

Ed and I enjoyed our first taste of Indian food with a couple who had lived in India. They not only explained the food, but also the dining etiquette.

Friends from Thailand wrote out, in Thai, a list of dishes we should try at a local restaurant that had a separate menu for anyone who wanted a meal made the way it would have been served in Thailand. We only had to point to a paragraph to order dishes prepared the way the customers with greater knowledge of Thai cuisine would prefer them.

Take a Tour

If you’ve spent much time in the North End shops, you may have seen one of the tour groups learning more about the Italian offerings available in this neighborhood. Many home cooks may feel they know Italian food and the ingredients needed to make it, but I know that I learn a bit more each time I interact with North End shopkeepers.

In this area you can find tours of other neighborhoods and cultures as well. Penny recently took one of Jacqueline Church's Boston Chinatown Tours – Food, Fun, Fables and loved it. Even after years of visiting the neighborhood, dining there, and shopping in area stores, she learned a lot. (She'll be writing a full report on that experience soon, so watch for it!)

For anyone trying to make Vietnamese food, the book Into the Vietnamese Kitchen: Treasured Foodways, Modern Flavors has both photos and detailed notes on the herbs you might want to add to your shopping list.

Photo Notes

Another way that I put my phone camera to work is by taking photos of ingredients I’m seeking from the pages of one of the many ethnic cookbooks that have glossaries of food and equipment used in the culture the book covers.

A visit to your library’s cookbook section is a great place to begin exploring a cuisine. Grab a few books on the topic that have reference sections and borrow one or two that seem to supply the information you want.

Pick a recipe and take a photo of the notes or glossary entry on that ingredient. Then you can pull out your phone and show it to the shopkeeper or read it as you explore the shelves in an ethnic market.

Dedicated Guide Books

Author Linda Bladholm’s wonderful “Take It With You” guides to three ethnic cuisines were recently released as ebooks. Now you can have a copy on your phone for impromptu visits to Indian, Asian, or Latin cuisine. “The Indian Grocery Store Demystified,” was her first guide. The others substitute the culture “Asian” and “Latin & Caribbean” in their titles. Food Writer Bladholm takes you on a walk through the aisles of each culture with clear insight on the items offered. I highly recommend all three.

What's on your Food Lover's shopping list?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino

(Adapted for BostonZest from one of our Fresh & Local newspaper columns.)

September 27, 2017
Make a North End Muffuletta

Sometimes we eat something delicious because we need that particular item for a photo shoot. That was the case of a recent muffuletta adventure. For a recipe we turned to our old friends at Serious Eats. (How to Make Classic New Orleans Muffulettas.)

(Note: We've seen more than one spelling for the name of this sandwich, but we're going with Muffuletta as used by Central Grocery in New Orleans, "home of the original Muffuletta.")

Here is our version, before pressing. We were pretty pleased with the result. Naturally, there are things we would do a bit differently (more oil in the olive salad) next time, but it was delicious! This was part of a newspaper column we were doing on "Sandwiches for a Crowd."

Finding the Bread

Over on Serious Eats, Kenji wrote, "This is the only ingredient that is truly difficult to source outside of New Orleans." Penny remembered Scali bread at Bova's Bakery in the North End that seemed to fit the specs. So off we went to the perfect neighborhood for gathering muffuletta ingredients.

They not only had it but, as you can see, had it in two sizes. Since this sandwich was for a small group, we picked the smaller loaf, but for you the bigger one might be a better fit.

Slicing Up the Filling!

For the filling we walked over to Salumeria Italiana. We knew they would have the meat, cheese, and makings of the olive salad. They thinly sliced everything we needed for perfect stacking.

We bought mortadella, provolone, fennel soppressata, hot capocollo, and, for our own touch and a light color in the center, added a bit of porchetta. The containers hold olives and the pickled vegetables that make up the olive salad.

Step one is to chop those with some capers, mix with olive oil, and spread it on the bread. This is even better when you make it ahead and give the ingredients time to mellow and blend.

Next, stack the meat in layers.

Wrap the sandwich, weigh it down, move it to the refrigerator, and let a few hours do their magic.

We mentioned above that this is a sandwich for a crowd. You can make as many as you need. Prepare the salad ahead, assemble, and weigh-down the beast long before your guests arrive.

Then serve it up on a cutting board and let everyone slice off the size piece they would like. Easy for entertaining, a fall picnic, or to bring to a potluck.

What's on your Food Lover's shopping list?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino

September 6, 2017
Make a North End Muffuletta

Sometimes we eat something delicious because we need that particular item for a photo shoot. That was the case of a recent muffuletta adventure. For a recipe we turned to our old friends at Serious Eats. (How to Make Classic New Orleans Muffulettas.)

(Note: We've seen more than one spelling for the name of this sandwich, but we're going with Muffuletta as used by Central Grocery in New Orleans, "home of the original Muffuletta.")

Here is our version, before pressing. We were pretty pleased with the result. Naturally, there are things we would do a bit differently (more oil in the olive salad) next time, but it was delicious! This was part of a newspaper column we were doing on "Sandwiches for a Crowd."

Finding the Bread

Over on Serious Eats, Kenji wrote, "This is the only ingredient that is truly difficult to source outside of New Orleans." Penny remembered Scali bread at Bova's Bakery in the North End that seemed to fit the specs. So off we went to the perfect neighborhood for gathering muffuletta ingredients.

They not only had it but, as you can see, had it in two sizes. Since this sandwich was for a small group, we picked the smaller loaf, but for you the bigger one might be a better fit.

Slicing Up the Filling!

For the filling we walked over to Salumeria Italiana. We knew they would have the meat, cheese, and makings of the olive salad. They thinly sliced everything we needed for perfect stacking.

We bought mortadella, provolone, fennel soppressata, hot capocollo, and, for our own touch and a light color in the center, added a bit of porchetta. The containers hold olives and the pickled vegetables that make up the olive salad.

Step one is to chop those with some capers, mix with olive oil, and spread it on the bread. This is even better when you make it ahead and give the ingredients time to mellow and blend.

Next, stack the meat in layers.

Wrap the sandwich, weigh it down, move it to the refrigerator, and let a few hours do their magic.

We mentioned above that this is a sandwich for a crowd. You can make as many as you need. Prepare the salad ahead, assemble, and weigh-down the beast long before your guests arrive.

Then serve it up on a cutting board and let everyone slice off the size piece they would like. Easy for entertaining, a fall picnic, or to bring to a potluck.

What's on your Food Lover's shopping list?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino

September 6, 2017
Slaw Options Abound

“Can you use half-a-head of cabbage?” a friend asked. She had made soup with the other half, was watching her caloric intake, and didn’t want to make a mayo-based salad with the rest. Penny took her up on the offer, turned it into a tangy, low-calorie slaw made with lots of carrots, scallions, celery, mustard seed, and lightly dressed with a vinaigrette. She returned a container of this to our friend to use as a side dish or a healthy topping for sandwiches. It was a hit!

Slaw or Coleslaw?

According to the site WiseGeek, “The word ‘coleslaw’ most likely came from the Dutch word koolsalade, which means ‘cabbage salad.’ However, in Dutch, koolsalada is often shortened to koolsla.”

Today’s slaw may be a cabbage salad, but it may also star broccoli, kohlrabi, kale, or other gems from the produce stand. Dressing can be creamy, spicy, sweet & sour, or low-cal.

Here, Penny was julienning some white turnip to add to a slaw of cabbage, carrots, and scallion

And, the resulting salad can be a side dish, snack, or sandwich condiment. It is another one of those wonderful dishes that is even better after the flavors have time to meld and the vegetables wilt a bit, so make it ahead and enjoy having a big bowl of healthy food on hand.

Slaw Variations

There are entire cookbooks of recipes for these shredded salads. This means you can fit one into menus beyond cookout and BBQ.

Traditional Chinese-American restaurants in New England used to serve a sweet and sour slaw as a side dish. So round out your Asian menus with a version that includes soy sauce and ginger in the dressing. And what is Kimchi but fermented slaw?

If Tex-Mex is on the menu, make cilantro the herb of choice and add some chilis to the mix. Use it to top a taco or alongside a quesadilla.

Shopping for Slaw

Your choice of ingredients can add color and zip. Red cabbage, radishes, rainbow carrots, beets, and peppers create a bowl of colorful confetti slaw on a buffet table.

This is a great place to use vegetables that show up in CSA boxes such as: celeriac, kohlrabi, bok choi, fennel, garlic scapes, radicchio, sprouts, sunchokes, turnips.

You can also add fruit. Apples are a common ingredient, but you can use oranges in both the salad or the dressing. Slightly under ripe pears can be a fun addition to a slaw to serve with pork. Dried cranberries, currants, or raisins can brighten a winter slaw. A few recipes call for grapes, so ground cherries would also work, as would julienned quince.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino

(Adapted for BostonZest from one of her Fresh & Local newspaper columns.)

Related articles

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Bun Thit Nuong: A Fresh, Cool Summer Dish from Vietnam

Julia Child Wisdom: "You don't have to cook fancy …"

April 19, 2017
Slaw Options Abound

“Can you use half-a-head of cabbage?” a friend asked. She had made soup with the other half, was watching her caloric intake, and didn’t want to make a mayo-based salad with the rest. Penny took her up on the offer, turned it into a tangy, low-calorie slaw made with lots of carrots, scallions, celery, mustard seed, and lightly dressed with a vinaigrette. She returned a container of this to our friend to use as a side dish or a healthy topping for sandwiches. It was a hit!

Slaw or Coleslaw?

According to the site WiseGeek, “The word ‘coleslaw’ most likely came from the Dutch word koolsalade, which means ‘cabbage salad.’ However, in Dutch, koolsalada is often shortened to koolsla.”

Today’s slaw may be a cabbage salad, but it may also star broccoli, kohlrabi, kale, or other gems from the produce stand. Dressing can be creamy, spicy, sweet & sour, or low-cal.

Here, Penny was julienning some white turnip to add to a slaw of cabbage, carrots, and scallion

And, the resulting salad can be a side dish, snack, or sandwich condiment. It is another one of those wonderful dishes that is even better after the flavors have time to meld and the vegetables wilt a bit, so make it ahead and enjoy having a big bowl of healthy food on hand.

Slaw Variations

There are entire cookbooks of recipes for these shredded salads. This means you can fit one into menus beyond cookout and BBQ.

Traditional Chinese-American restaurants in New England used to serve a sweet and sour slaw as a side dish. So round out your Asian menus with a version that includes soy sauce and ginger in the dressing. And what is Kimchi but fermented slaw?

If Tex-Mex is on the menu, make cilantro the herb of choice and add some chilis to the mix. Use it to top a taco or alongside a quesadilla.

Shopping for Slaw

Your choice of ingredients can add color and zip. Red cabbage, radishes, rainbow carrots, beets, and peppers create a bowl of colorful confetti slaw on a buffet table.

This is a great place to use vegetables that show up in CSA boxes such as: celeriac, kohlrabi, bok choi, fennel, garlic scapes, radicchio, sprouts, sunchokes, turnips.

You can also add fruit. Apples are a common ingredient, but you can use oranges in both the salad or the dressing. Slightly under ripe pears can be a fun addition to a slaw to serve with pork. Dried cranberries, currants, or raisins can brighten a winter slaw. A few recipes call for grapes, so ground cherries would also work, as would julienned quince.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino

(Adapted for BostonZest from one of her Fresh & Local newspaper columns.)

Related articles

Healthy Alternatives for July 4th Cookouts, Pot Lucks, or Picnics

Bun Thit Nuong: A Fresh, Cool Summer Dish from Vietnam

Julia Child Wisdom: "You don't have to cook fancy …"

April 19, 2017
Reading Cookbooks Can Be Simply for Pleasure

One of the great pleasures in writing about food is reading a lot of cookbooks. I’m not talking about choosing a recipe and cooking from a book, but rather sitting in a comfy armchair and letting a great writer and storyteller take me to another place, another time, or another culture through their love of the food.

I also read cookbooks to learn more about a particular food, technique, or cuisine. Many of these are stored in my Kindle Fire ebook reader. They offer the perfect alternative reading material when waiting for an appointment or putting in miles on the treadmill on a stormy day. Often essays open chapters or sidebars and tell a story about a recipe’s origin, ingredients, or the person who taught the writer to make the dish.

Acquiring Great Cookbooks

My first choice for acquiring a cookbook is the Boston Public Library (BPL). Buying cookbooks is expensive and storing them requires more space than I have. Therefore I audition potential purchases.

Many times I enjoy the BPL copy and use it to inspire a piece of writing or make notes for future reference. I can borrow it again if I need it.

However some books are so addicting that I will refer to them often, and so popular that I may have to wait to have the library copy longer or borrow it again.

These go onto my wishlist. A recent example is, “My Kitchen in Rome: Recipes and Notes on Italian Cooking” by Rachel Roddy. After reading a few rave reviews by colleagues I respect, I borrowed the ebook from the library. ( I have since purchased the Kindle version)

I read and reread this book in a weekend. Roddy took me to her neighborhood in the Testaccio quarter of Rome and introduced me to the neighbors, vendors, streets, sights, sounds, and aromas she discovered. She tempted me to make the food she learned to make and to enjoy the culture.

It went on my wish list. At that time, the ebook price was not much less than the hardcover price. When the price finally dropped, I added it to my Kindle collection.

More of my favorite cookbooks like this one will be in upcoming posts.

What's on your Food Lover's shopping list?

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photos: ©2012-2017 Penny Cherubino

(Adapted for BostonZest from one of her Fresh & Local newspaper columns.)

Related articles

Bun Thit Nuong: A Fresh, Cool Summer Dish from Vietnam

March 19th Is Zeppole Day!

April 5, 2017
Reading Cookbooks Can Be Simply for Pleasure

One of the great pleasures in writing about food is reading a lot of cookbooks. I’m not talking about choosing a recipe and cooking from a book, but rather sitting in a comfy armchair and letting a great writer and storyteller take me to another place, another time, or another culture through their love of the food.

I also read cookbooks to learn more about a particular food, technique, or cuisine. Many of these are stored in my Kindle Fire ebook reader. They offer the perfect alternative reading material when waiting for an appointment or putting in miles on the treadmill on a stormy day. Often essays open chapters or sidebars and tell a story about a recipe’s origin, ingredients, or the person who taught the writer to make the dish.

Acquiring Great Cookbooks

My first choice for acquiring a cookbook is the Boston Public Library (BPL). Buying cookbooks is expensive and storing them requires more space than I have. Therefore I audition potential purchases.

Many times I enjoy the BPL copy and use it to inspire a piece of writing or make notes for future reference. I can borrow it again if I need it.

However some books are so addicting that I will refer to them often, and so popular that I may have to wait to have the library copy longer or borrow it again.

These go onto my wishlist. A recent example is, “My Kitchen in Rome: Recipes and Notes on Italian Cooking” by Rachel Roddy. After reading a few rave reviews by colleagues I respect, I borrowed the ebook from the library. ( I have since purchased the Kindle version)

I read and reread this book in a weekend. Roddy took me to her neighborhood in the Testaccio quarter of Rome and introduced me to the neighbors, vendors, streets, sights, sounds, and aromas she discovered. She tempted me to make the food she learned to make and to enjoy the culture.

It went on my wish list. At that time, the ebook price was not much less than the hardcover price. When the price finally dropped, I added it to my Kindle collection.

More of my favorite cookbooks like this one will be in upcoming posts.

What's on your Food Lover's shopping list?

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photos: ©2012-2017 Penny Cherubino

(Adapted for BostonZest from one of her Fresh & Local newspaper columns.)

Related articles

Bun Thit Nuong: A Fresh, Cool Summer Dish from Vietnam

March 19th Is Zeppole Day!

April 5, 2017
Do You Mise En Place When You Cook?

“Oh come on, no one really does that,” said a friend when I began a cooking lesson with a plan to lay out all our ingredients. While I may not do it perfectly every time I cook a meal, I generally use the technique of “mise en place” or “putting in place" the ingredients needed for a dish.

Wine for deglazing the pan seems to be my weak spot resulting in many an urgent call of, “Ed, please open a bottle of white right away!” I do, however, have a bottle of water standing by my stove to prevent scorching while I wait for the wine. In most cases, a bit of water added to a hot pan won’t hurt the finished dish.

Even with something as simple as making chicken soup, I'll gather everything I need on a half sheet pan and put it on the range next to the soup pot. (That half sheet also keeps half of the cooktop free of drips and spatters. See more of our smooth cooktop tips here. )

Review the Menu

If you are following published recipes, take a look at those and check your supplies. If it's a meal you make without a recipe, run through the steps in your mind. Make a shopping list if necessary. Remember that you will also need pans, space in the oven at a specific temperature, stovetop burners for different components, counter space for working with both raw and cooked ingredients, and a place for equipment that needs cleaning.

Knowing exactly where you will place a hot pan when you remove it from the oven is a great feeling. If your kitchen is as small as mine, this may mean having trivets set out on your dining table. I also line trays with dish towels in the dining area to clear away pots, pans, and dishes that I’ve cleaned as I cook.

Prepare to Cook

What professional chefs refer to as “mise en place” is an orderly arrangement of ingredients – cleaned, cut as required, measured, and ready to use – as you begin to make your dish. My counter space is very limited so unless more than two burners are needed, I put a half sheet pan on the unused section of my cooktop and use that to hold my mise en place. This has the added benefit of keeping that side of the cooktop perfectly clean!

Individual items can be placed in custard cups or small containers. Years ago I bought stainless steel containers in assorted sizes at an Asian market. I use those to hold everything from chopped garlic to plucked herbs. Larger items like carrots, onions and celery (especially if they will go into the pan together) can be combined on a tray or smaller sheet pan. Cheese can be grated directly onto waxed paper or parchment and set aside.

Order of Preparation

You can avoid cross contamination if you prepare ingredients that will remain raw first, produce that will be cooked second, and meat and fish, like the lamb burger above, last. This will also allow you to keep the most perishable foods in the refrigerator longer.

If your meat or fish need to marinate or some tricky preparation is needed, you can opt to do that first, return that item to the refrigerator, thoroughly clean your work area and tools, and then go on with the remainder of your mise en place.

Give this technique a try if you’ve been cooking on the fly without mise en place. I think of it as a stress buster and often wonder how many budding cooks have been frustrated and perhaps ruined a dish because they began to cook without a plan in place.

What's on your Food Lover's shopping list?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino – Adapted for BostonZest from one of Penny's Fresh & Local Newspaper columns.
Photos: ©2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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Mastering Hamersley's Roast Chicken Recipe

March 2, 2016
Do You Mise En Place When You Cook?

“Oh come on, no one really does that,” said a friend when I began a cooking lesson with a plan to lay out all our ingredients. While I may not do it perfectly every time I cook a meal, I generally use the technique of “mise en place” or “putting in place" the ingredients needed for a dish.

Wine for deglazing the pan seems to be my weak spot resulting in many an urgent call of, “Ed, please open a bottle of white right away!” I do, however, have a bottle of water standing by my stove to prevent scorching while I wait for the wine. In most cases, a bit of water added to a hot pan won’t hurt the finished dish.

Even with something as simple as making chicken soup, I'll gather everything I need on a half sheet pan and put it on the range next to the soup pot. (That half sheet also keeps half of the cooktop free of drips and spatters. See more of our smooth cooktop tips here. )

Review the Menu

If you are following published recipes, take a look at those and check your supplies. If it's a meal you make without a recipe, run through the steps in your mind. Make a shopping list if necessary. Remember that you will also need pans, space in the oven at a specific temperature, stovetop burners for different components, counter space for working with both raw and cooked ingredients, and a place for equipment that needs cleaning.

Knowing exactly where you will place a hot pan when you remove it from the oven is a great feeling. If your kitchen is as small as mine, this may mean having trivets set out on your dining table. I also line trays with dish towels in the dining area to clear away pots, pans, and dishes that I’ve cleaned as I cook.

Prepare to Cook

What professional chefs refer to as “mise en place” is an orderly arrangement of ingredients – cleaned, cut as required, measured, and ready to use – as you begin to make your dish. My counter space is very limited so unless more than two burners are needed, I put a half sheet pan on the unused section of my cooktop and use that to hold my mise en place. This has the added benefit of keeping that side of the cooktop perfectly clean!

Individual items can be placed in custard cups or small containers. Years ago I bought stainless steel containers in assorted sizes at an Asian market. I use those to hold everything from chopped garlic to plucked herbs. Larger items like carrots, onions and celery (especially if they will go into the pan together) can be combined on a tray or smaller sheet pan. Cheese can be grated directly onto waxed paper or parchment and set aside.

Order of Preparation

You can avoid cross contamination if you prepare ingredients that will remain raw first, produce that will be cooked second, and meat and fish, like the lamb burger above, last. This will also allow you to keep the most perishable foods in the refrigerator longer.

If your meat or fish need to marinate or some tricky preparation is needed, you can opt to do that first, return that item to the refrigerator, thoroughly clean your work area and tools, and then go on with the remainder of your mise en place.

Give this technique a try if you’ve been cooking on the fly without mise en place. I think of it as a stress buster and often wonder how many budding cooks have been frustrated and perhaps ruined a dish because they began to cook without a plan in place.

What's on your Food Lover's shopping list?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino – Adapted for BostonZest from one of Penny's Fresh & Local Newspaper columns.
Photos: ©2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

A Few of Our Favorite Kitchen Gifts

Do You Plan to Do More Cooking at Home in 2015?

Mastering Hamersley's Roast Chicken Recipe

March 2, 2016
Farmers’ Market Pasta from Our Archives
This recipe for a quick, fresh, farmers’ market pasta was buried deep in our archives from 2008. Today, we’re posting it anew so that a recent generation of BostonZest readers can try it out.

Farmer’s Market Pasta

When summer tomatoes and corn are at their best, let them star in this simple, uncooked sauce. You’ll be surprised at how creamy and rich it tastes.

For the sauce:
- 2 or 3 large, ripe tomatoes chopped into 1/2” cubes. (If you find heirloom tomatoes of different colors it will make a prettier pasta. The version in the photo has red, yellow, and green heirloom tomatoes.)
- 1/2 cup of olives pitted and chopped roughly. (Kalamatra olives are fine or if you can find a mix of green and black olives in the deli case, they would be perfect. That’s what I use. If they are in herb seasoning, so much the better)
- 2 to 4 large, fresh basil leaves sliced into chiffonade (very thin strips)
- 1 cup of sweet corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
- 2 or 3 scallions sliced into thin rings
- 2 or 3 sprigs of parsley chopped
- 1 small clove of garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh ground black pepper and salt to taste
- 4 ounces of goat cheese crumbled (One of my recipe testers, cj in Michigan used feta cheese and Kathie in Illinois tried it with Boursin.) Try any soft cheese you like if you don’t like goat cheese. )
Toss all of the sauce ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. This may be made a couple of hours ahead, making this a great dish for entertaining.

For the Pasta:
- 8 oz. dry pasta cooked in salted water according to package directions. We like small shells or orecchiette but any shaped pasta that will help scoop up the sauce is good.
- Drain the pasta but don’t worry about shaking off all the water, it will help form the sauce. (I usually scoop out a cup of the hot pasta water before I drain the pasta just to be sure I have some if the mixture looks a tad dry.)
Toss the pasta with the tomato mixture adding some of the reserved pasta water if needed to form a light, creamy sauce. Serve family-style in a big bowl or plate in individual soup or pasta bowls.

Garnish (optional)

Garnish each serving with a few basil leaves and, if you like, pass a chunk of Parmigiano Reggiano around the table and let each person grate their own.

Note: Today I took a bit of a short cut that added a big taste to this recipe. Instead of plain goat cheese, I bought a marinated goat cheese from Crystal Brook Farm at the Copley Square Farmers’ Market. This already had olive oil, garlic herbs, and pepper.

I prepped my heirloom tomatoes and corn from Stillman’s Farm, chopped more heirloom tomatoes, parsley, basil, and garlic from Atlas Farm, and the result was absolutely delicious.

This is a recipe that encourages improvisation. Let us know what riffs you play with it.

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Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photos: ©2008 Penny Cherubino
July 26, 2013