Farmhaven

We grow ugly tomatoes but you make them look good plated up. Our thanks goes out to all of the people who buy local, especially the very nice people who stop and buy Farmhaven vegetables and flowers. We got an email from a lovely customer after the King market last week that showed exactly what happens to some of our tomatoes. We loved the photo and the recipe. It made us happy & a little hungry.

She gave us permission to share the recipe from the 60-Minute Gourmet by Pierre Franey, called Sirio Maccioni’s Pasta de l’Estate (pasta with fresh, uncooked tomato sauce)

• 3 large, red ripe tomatoes, about 2 1/2 pounds
• 4 large whole cloves garlic, peeled but left whole
• 1 small hot red or green chili, chopped, or use about 1/2 teaspoon or less red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 pound penne or other tubular pasta
• 1/4 pound Fontina or Muenster cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese

1. Wash and wipe the tomatoes. Remove the cores from the tomatoes. Chop the tomatoes. There should be about 6 cups. Put them in a large bowl.
2. Add the garlic, chopped chili, basil, salt, pepper, olive oil. Let stand at room temperature several hours. Or chill overnight. But let return to room temperature before serving.
3. Cook the penne according to package directions.
4. Meanwhile, grate or shred the Fontina, using the coarse blade.
5. When the pasta is cooked, drain it. Spoon off about 1/4 cup of the surface oil from the tomatoes and add it. Add the Parmesan cheese and toss. Add half the tomato sauce and toss. Add half the remaining sauce and Fontina cheese and toss. Serve in soup bowls with remaining sauce spooned on top.

Yield is four servings.

and smiles all around….

🙂