Where Has August Gone?

August is flying by! I'm sharing a recipe that we have enjoyed this summer. I hope to make it a few more times with August's bounty. 

 

Pasta with Zucchini, Tomatoes and Basil - Karen @ Back Road Journal

Serves 2, adjust the recipe accordingly

Ingredients

• 4 oz. pasta of your choice per person
• 2 - 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 - 3 small zucchini, no larger than 1 1/2 inches thick
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 12 or more cherry tomatoes
• juice and zest from 1/2 a lemon, depending on taste
• a few basil leaves, torn
• grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese

Cooking Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil then add the pasta and cook until al dente.
2. While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium high. Season the sliced zucchini with salt and pepper. Sauté until the zucchini become slightly golden for optimal flavor. Remove from the pan and set aside. 
3. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. 
4. Add the tomatoes to the pan and sauté until they blister and burst. Return the zucchini to the pan.
5. When the pasta is al dente, drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water. 
6. Add the pasta to the zucchini, tomatoes, and basil. Add a squeeze of lemon and the lemon zest.
7. Add some of the reserved starchy pasta water. Toss, then taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary. Serve the pasta with grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese.

Further Instructions

I doubt that you will have any leftover pasta. If you do, it can be kept refrigerated for 3 or 4 days. You can briefly reheat the pasta in a skillet on the stove. Avoid reheating in the microwave because the tomatoes can pop. The leftovers would also be good at room temperature.

****

I've enjoyed countless hours in the garden this summer. There is no better place to read a magazine or take a nap. Joe took a picture of me taking a nap, but I won't be showing you that. Here's one of my favorite plants in the garden....Verbena Bonariensis... it's the tall variety that I learned about in Italy. They are low maintenance and the bees and butterflies love it. 

Aren't these dianthus so cute! I started them from seeds back in March.

I love growing potatoes! This year I grew Norland reds. 

I try my best to use all the herbs I've planted, but sometimes they need to be staring me in the face.... so I've been picking a variety and putting them in water in a tea kettle that sits near where I cook. The herb with the purple flower is Clary Sage which is my new favorite. I use the red bee balm on my salad.   

Joe's garlic crop was successful and he's a happy camper. I think we have at least 40 heads of garlic that will last us through the winter.  

Proud garlic farmer :-)

I like little surprises in the winter, so I froze some basil and cherry tomatoes in a tomato sauce I made. I wonder what the nasturtium will look like in January. 

My grandson Xavier enjoyed going to our Utica Blue Sox games this summer, and thought it was cool that there was a player by the name of Xavier so he asked for a photo. The team wore pink jerseys at this particular game as it was for Breast cancer. 

Speaking of pink, my pretty pink phlox was putting on a show this summer. Then they became a meal for the groundhog while I was on vacation.

The Tiny Quick Fire (Panicle Hydrangea shrub) is doing well in a container for now. When we had our sidewalks replaced in June by my nephew's company, we asked him to level our front lawn and remove all existing landscaping with his Skid-steer loader. We were left with a clean slate (and no grass), and hired a professional landscaper to plant new shrubs and trees. The Tiny Quick Fire will be planted when they start work on the project in early September. We have lived in our house for 30 years and it was time for new landscaping. 

I rarely bake in the summer but today I used my Charlotte pan to make a blackberry cake. I always use the sponge cake recipe that came with the Charlotte pan, and then add my own desired topping which was fresh blackberries and a glaze. 

I love Lisianthus and the bell shaped flowers with ruffles. I bought this bouquet at the farmer's market yesterday, and they last for three weeks in water.

Have a nice weekend.

xo

Deb