Garden Club Today...No Cook Pasta Sauces

Oh how I love Garden Club! I know, it sounds like a group of ladies that are much older than I who learn about selecting the perfect iris to enter in the county fair. This was the idea that came to my mind when I was first asked to join a few years ago. Had it not been for a few friends that encouraged me to attend, I might have declined the invitation. I really enjoy this fun group of Ladies. Not one in the group sports “blue hair,” and it is such a fun and lively group. We always have a great time and learn more than is on the program. We not only learn about gardening, but all things domestic. We have had programs on everything from planting gardens for Butterflies and Birds, to Making No Cook Pasta Sauces. The No Cook Pasta Sauces was on the agenda for today, and you guessed it, I was in charge of the program.

Preparing for this program was fun and adventurous for me. As we all know, I couldn’t just go out and buy the pre-made things for today’s meal. I baked Sourdough French Bread, a Citrus Chiffon Cake with blueberry topping, Caesar salad and demonstrated how to make two pastas that we love. I will share the recipes with you below. Every time I have done a program for the club, the response is tremendous. It reminds me of preparing for a 4-H demonstration, only minus the display board.

I failed to buy fresh basil while in a metropolitan city last week, so I was forced to resort to store bought pesto as a substitute. I really missed the fresh basil taste on our Bruchetta Pasta. Everyone said it was great, but I somehow think they were only being nice. I have mentioned before that I love fresh tomatoes, straight out of the garden, but the ones in the grocery store are lacking flavor and a long way from a favorite. This along with the absence of fresh basil made me pretend that I was enjoying this in the middle of summer. This pasta is great for a quick week night meal. It is light, filling, and if you use whole grain pasta, can be healthy. This is a great way to use locally grown produce, and support local farmers. I will again plug the various farmer’s markets, as they are a great place to buy everything from fruits and vegetables, to locally grown meat. I personally feel great pride knowing I am buying from the person who grew my food. My children love to go to the farmer's market, and you will too! 

Until next time, keep adventuring and finding the joy in the little details of life!

Sarah
　
Bruschetta Pasta
4 to 5 Fresh Tomatoes, finely diced
3 cloves of garlic, pressed
½ cup Olive Oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 to 3 cups of cooked chicken, diced
Salt and Pepper to Taste
1 pound Thin Spaghetti

Bring 8 to 10 cups of water to a boil in a large stock pot. Season with salt and add pasta. Stir after adding pasta and return to a boil. Cook until pasta is al dente about 7 to 8 minutes. Drain pasta reserving some of the pasta water.
In a large bowl, add oil, vinegar, garlic and cheese. Stir until well combined. Add tomatoes, chicken and salt and pepper to taste. Add hot pasta and basil and toss well to coat. Allow so sit for a moment before serving.

Pickles Parmesan Pasta
1 pound mini bowtie pasta
¼ cup butter
2 cloves garlic, pressed
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly Cracked Pepper

Bring 8 to 10 cups of water to a boil in a large stock pot. Season with salt and add pasta. Stir after adding pasta and return to a boil. Cook until pasta is al dente about 7 to 8 minutes. Drain pasta reserving some of the pasta water.
In a large bowl, place hot pasta, butter, cheese, garlic and pepper. Stir until well combined. Serve immediately.


Caesar Salad
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon anchovy paste
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Romaine Lettuce, chopped
Garlic croutons

Stir together first 5 ingredients. Place lettuce, croutons and cheese in a large bowl. Pour dressing over the lettuce mixture and toss to coat. Serve immediately.


Citrus Chiffon Cake with Blueberry Sauce
For the cake:
6 eggs
1 tablespoon finely shredded lemon peel
½ cup orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sugar
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ cup sugar

Separate eggs. Allow egg yolks and whites to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325° F. In a medium mixing bowl beat egg yolks with an electric mixer on high speed about 5 minutes or until thick and lemon colored. Add lemon peel, orange juice and vanilla; beat on low speed until combined. Gradually beat in the 1 cup sugar at low speed. Increase to medium speed; beat until mixture thickens slightly and doubles in volume (about 5 minutes total.)

Sprinkle `1/3 cup flour over egg yolk mixture; fold in until combined. Repeat with remaining flour 1/3 cup at a time. Set egg yolk mixture aside.

Thoroughly wash beaters. In a large mixing bowl beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the ½ cup of sugar, beating on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold 1 cup of the beaten egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture; fold egg yolk mixture into remaining egg white mixture. Pour into an ungreased 10 inch tube pan. I use one with a removable bottom.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Immediately invert cake on a bottle; cool thoroughly in inverted pan. Loosen sides of cake from pan; remove from pan.

Slice using an angel food cutter, or two forks and pull cake to cut into slices. Top with blueberry sauce. Serve immediately.

For the blueberry sauce:
3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
¾ cup of sugar
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until berries break down, about 4 minutes. Let cool then refrigerate. Will keep up to 3 days.

Our beautiful, rustic bread.

Sourdough French Bread
5 ½ to 6 cups all-purpose flour
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup sourdough starter
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups warm water
Cornmeal
1 egg white, slightly beaten
1 tablespoon water

Mix together 2 cups of flour, yeast, starter and salt. Add water and beat with an electric mixer on low 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Use a wooden spoon and stir in as much remaining flour as you can.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour to make a stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (8 to 10 minutes total.) Shape into a ball. Place in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease dough surface. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double in size. About 2 to 3 hours, depending on strength of starter.

Punch down dough. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Cover; let rest 10 minutes. Lightly grease a baking sheet; sprinkle with cornmeal.

Roll each dough half into a 15 x 10-inch rectangle. Tightly roll up, starting from a long side; seal well. If desired, pinch and slightly pull ends to taper them. Place shaped dough, seam side down, on prepared baking sheet. In a small bowl stir together egg white and 1 tablespoon water. Brush some of the egg white mixture over loaf tops. Let rise until nearly double in size (about 1 hour.)

Preheat oven to 375° . Using a sharp knife, make three to four diagonal cuts about ¼ inch deep across each loaf top. Bake for 20 minutes. Brush again with the egg white mixture and continue baking 15 to 20 minutes more or until bread sounds hollow when lightly tapped. Immediately remove loaves from baking sheet. Cool on wire racks.