Spring-time Penne

Fresh from our garden!
Still to come: melons, peas, sunflowers, corn, cucumber, and onions.

We decided to try our hand at a vegetable garden this past February, since Arizona has not one, but TWO growing seasons. We have been rewarded for our hard work (well, Claudio's hard work), with beautiful produce that seems to just keep coming! Even with temperatures consistently hitting 100F or higher, our little garden continues to give and give. Gorgeous sunflowers, massive zucchini (recipe for zucchini bread and muffins coming soon!), plump eggplants (for eggplant parm, of course), and hundreds of tomatoes, are just a small selection of our spring collection. We are still waiting for our melons and cucumbers, which should be ready any day now! I can't wait until this fall, when we flip our garden over and plant leafy greens, such as lettuce, arugula, kale, and chard. It will be exciting for our Little Lucas to learn where food comes from, right in his own backyard. 

For whatever reason, homegrown food just tastes better!

With so many tomatoes, I had to get creative for the best way to use them up. As much as I adore Caprese Salad (tomato, mozzerella, basil, and olive oil), we were due for a bit of a switch-up.  This pasta dish is quick, easy, and delicious.  Maybe next year we will have to add asparagus to our garden project! 

Spring-time Penne

based on recipe from Giada De Laurentiis

serves 4 (or two hungry people who love leftovers!)

16oz penne pasta

1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 bunch asparagus (approx. 1lb), trimmed and cut into 1.5" pieces

1 pint grape tomatoes

1/2 cup chicken broth

handful of basil - chopped

1 cup parmesan - grated

1. Cook pasta according to package direction (do not over cook! Soggy noodles are no fun). 

2. While pasta is cooking, heat EVOO in a large sautee pan. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add asparagus, and sautee 2-3 minutes, until slightly soft. Add tomatoes and cook 2-3 minutes more, until some of the tomatoes just start to burst.  

3. Pour chicken broth over veggies bring to a simmer. Continue to cook until broth reduces by half, and more tomatoes have burst. Season with S&P.

4. Transfer pasta to sautee pan with veggies - toss to combine. Add some pasta water if dish seems too dry. Stir in cheese and basil. Garnish with more cheese and basil, if desired.  

The "How Come I Wasn't Invited" Burger

Born in Wisconsin, my husband and his friend created this burger one night when they were in grad school - and everyone who heard about it insisted that they make one for them too. We upgraded it slightly, by grinding our own beef and seeking out fancy buns, but the toppings always remain the same. No need for ketchup and mustard here.

4 - 5-6oz beef patties

5yr cheddar cheese

1 pineapple - peeled,cored, and sliced

1 poblano pepper- whole

1/2 red onion - cut into disks

4 sesame seed buns 

1. Season patties with salt and pepper. Preheat gas grill to med-high, or prepare charcoal grill (mesquite briquettes are fantastic for these burgers).

2. Grill onion rounds, pepper, and pineapple slices until golden. Slice pepper (keeping the seeds, if you like a little heat), and set ingredients aside while you cook the burger.

3. Grill burger. Add cheese slice after flipping the burger. Cook meat to an internal temperature of 155F for medium (it will rise to approx 160F while it rests). Make sure cheese has melted before removing from grill, closing grill lid if necessary, to speed up this process. Remove burgers from gill, and let rest, covered with foil, 5-10 minutes. This will ensure a nice, juicy burger.

4. To bun, add burger, cheese side up, and toppings in the following order: pineapple, onion, pepper. Enjoy with a delicious summer pilsner.