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Over the weekend, we had some guests up to the house who have less than carnivorous tendencies. What exactly does that mean? No meat, fish or eggs. I learned this weekend that milk is typically off the list as well, but cheese is given the green light. At first I was thinking that a salad would be the easiest way to achieve mealtime nirvana. I was thinking that we would get some fresh greens and have it salad bar style where you pile on what you would like. Caroline gave the idea two big thumbs down saying that I had more imagination and creativity for our good friends than to make a salad bar. She’s right, I do. Time for some thinking. Next idea: ratatouille with a fresh crumb topping. Then I thought about the house and how hot it gets with the oven going, so that idea went out the window. Maybe I could make a swanky salad like fennel with watercress and a light lemon vinaigrette dressing. Make some fresh croutons which I would coat with fresh herbs from the container garden. Problem is that we are at the lake and watercress is really hard to find up here.
So, I thought that we would make up some penne pasta in a tomato jus topped with some grilled fresh garden vegetables. I decided that I would wait to see what looked the most fresh at the store and road side markets and work from there. On my trip for groceries, I was extremely fortunate. I found mini-plum tomatoes, fresh summer squash, zucchini still warm from being in the field and local red peppers that just looked amazing. For the finishing touch, I found some huge local beefsteak tomatoes which I would have to figure out what I was going to do. At the grocery I picked up some fennel because it was still on my brain from the salad idea and some organic scallions.
The colors in this dish are vibrant and it is extremely easy to make. I went a little overboard purchasing the vegetables simply because they were so fresh. It worked out in our favor though when I whipped them up into a delicious soup the following night- that recipe will be posted up soon as well. I made three medium zucchini, three bell peppers, three summer squash, one fennel bulb and an entire bunch of scallions. I could have made one of each and we would have had plenty of food. For this recipe, I have scaled the amounts back from what I made in the event you aren’t interested in making something from the leftovers.
The key to this dish is appropriate prep. Just because the veggies are fresh doesn’t mean they don’t need to be washed. I say wash them all first, then slice. After they are sliced, you can oil and salt them and leave them on the counter until needed. They don’t need to go on the grill right away.
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Summer squash and scallions ready to grill. Photo by Jamie Ginsberg
Makes enough for 4 people
Ingredients for the Penne with Tomato Jus
1 box of penne pasta
3 cups of cherry or other small tomatoes, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, minced and crushed with salt
1/2 tsp fresh lemon zest
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese (optional)
Salt & Fresh cracked pepper
Ingredients for the Char Grilled Summer Vegetables
2 summer squash, washed and sliced lengthwise
2 zucchini, washed and sliced lengthwise
2 red bell peppers, washed, cored and quartered
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and quartered
1 bunch of scallions, washed
Salt & Fresh cracked pepper
Ingredients for Whole Wheat Garlic Bread
1 loaf rustic whole wheat bread (hard crusted)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp garlic paste from ingredients for the Tomato Jus (robbing Peter to pay Paul?)
Salt a large pot of water and get it heating up to a boil. Remember that it should taste like sea water. Fire up the grill to medium-high heat. Wash all the vegetables and get to slicing. Once they are all sliced, you can either use a basting brush to oil them up or put about 1/2 cup of olive oil into the bottom of a work bowl. Hold the vegetable over the bowl and use your hand to coat. Once the veggies are oiled, make sure they are laid flat on a work surface and sprinkle salt and fresh cracked pepper over them. You do not need to take the roots off of the scallions- they can go on the grill just as they are.
Slice the rustic whole wheat loaf on the bias, about 3/4 inch slices. Brush with the olive oil on both sides. I don’t have a brush at the lake, so I drizzle some oil on each and spread around with the back of a spoon. On one side, smear some garlic paste. Remember that a little goes a long way! You’re ready to grill after the veggies are done.
When the water is boiling, toss in the pasta and cook according to the instructions. About 2-3 minutes after the pasta has gone in the boiling water (unless you are using fresh pasta, in which case you should cook that AFTER you have taken the veggies completely off the grill) put your vegetables on the grill. My suggestion is to put the red peppers on a shelf if you have one because their skins burn so quickly. Cook the vegetables about 5-7 minutes, turning and rotating throughout the cooking process. When the veggies are done, put them on a large platter.
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Char grilled squash and zucchini. Delicious. Photo by Scott Groth
Reduce the heat to low and begin grilling the whole wheat garlic bread. Grill each side about 1 minute or until perfectly toasted. I start grilling with the garlic side up. You will like this garlic bread for sure.
To make the tomato jus, once the pasta is done cooking be sure that you reserve 1 cup of cooking liquid (pasta water). Pour off the pasta into a colander. Return the pasta pot to medium heat and add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes. As they begin to break down, add in the garlic paste and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Return the pasta to the pot and stir. Add in the lemon zest and goat cheese if you are using. Pour in 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and stir. If the pasta looks dry, add more cooking liquid. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a warm serving platter.
Slice the vegetables crosswise so they are in large sized chunks. I say mix the chunks all together, but you could keep them separate if you wanted. Move to a platter and serve family style alongside the pasta.
We served this meal in bowls that were layered first with the pasta, then the veggies and topped with the garlic bread. Everyone loved the dish and left the table completely satisfied, which is always a good thing. Upon reflection, I agree with Caroline that a salad bar would have been kinda lame. Thanks for pushing me a little bit- we got some great meals out of it!
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Who says vegetarian can't be delicious? These are good eats. Photo by Scott Groth