Simple Late Summer Meal

Cook some pasta.
Melt some butter in a pan.
Add chopped garlic, leek and bell pepper.
Add a chopped tomato once the other stuff is a bit soft.
Add chopped summer squash.
Salt and pepper the bad boy.
Once it's all juicy and squishy.
Pour it over some pasta.
Top with parm.
Yum.

I've been thinking a whole lot about local food lately. There are lots of books out these days about the idea of eating food grown right close to where you live. I just read the book Plenty.
Plenty: One Man, One Woman, and a Raucous Year of Eating Locally by Alisa Smith and J.B. Mackinnon
It was a great read about a couple who live off of food grown and processed within 100 miles of their Vancouver B.C. home. They did it for a year. It was hard. They didn't find wheat until the very end. They lost weight. They are idealistic way beyond anything I am capable of. I applaud their effort. They have a cool website about the 100 mile diet. It's definitely gotten me thinking about eating locally. I've always bristled at eating an organic apple from New Zealand, when we have such fine apples right here in our own state. Heck, right in my own back yard. I've tried to buy produce that was locally grown, but haven't worked very hard with the other stuff. It's a complex issue, because even if you do find local items, who knows how far it's been shipped for processing and packaging. In Plenty, they state that Dungeness Crab is routinely sent to China to be picked apart and processed and then sent back here to sell. That is staggering to me. . . though not entirely surprising. All the more reason to support our local farms and feel darn good about it.
A few other books about local eats to ponder:

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America's Farmers' Markets by Deborah Madison

Another Soup?!

I seem to be on a soup kick. I enjoy a hearty soup this time of year. I suppose my "soups" are really stews, as I put so much stuff in, there's hardly any broth. This one is simple, yummy and filling. I used penne pasta and kale that I had on hand. I think the smaller pasta is a bit more esthetically pleasing, but as my grandfather used to say, "It all goes to the same place anyway!"
Enjoy!

TUSCAN PASTA AND CHICKPEA SOUP
A bowlful of this hearty soup evokes the flavors of a Tuscan farmhouse
kitchen. The fragrant drizzle of herbed olive oil is so comforting, you may
want to make extra for dipping crusty bread.

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons marjoram leaves
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cans (16 ounces each) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) chicken broth
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup water
1 cup ditalini pasta
1 package (6 ounces) baby spinach or 6 cups sliced spinach leaves

DIRECTIONS
Heat olive oil with marjoram, rosemary and garlic in large saucepot
on medium-low heat until fragrant (do not allow garlic to brown). Stir in
chickpeas, broth, tomatoes and water. Bring to boil on high heat. Reduce
heat and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling salted water as directed on package.
Drain well and rinse under cold water.
Spoon 1/2 of the chickpea mixture into blender container; cover. With
center part of cover removed to let steam escape, blend until smooth. Return
puree to saucepot. Stir pasta and spinach into soup.
Cook on medium heat until spinach is wilted, stirring occasionally. Ladle
soup into serving bowls.
Drizzle with Herb-Infused Olive Oil (recipe
follows) just before serving.
Makes 8 (1-cup) servings.


Herb-Infused Olive Oil: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon each
basil and marjoram leaves and a pinch ground red pepper in a small saucepan
on low heat for 5 minutes. Strain through small sieve into serving
bowl or cup. Makes about 5 teaspoons.

Mac and Cheese with Squash yum!

Healthy Macaroni and Cheese Serves 6 Ricotta and pureed squash give this slimmed-down but familiar dish its creaminess.

1 small butternut squash (about 1 pound) peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
1 cup homemade chicken stock, or low sodium canned, skimmed of fat
1 1/2 cups nonfat milk
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon course salt plus more for water
freshly ground pepper
1 lb. of elbow pasta
4 oz. extra sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
4 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese (1 oz.)
1 tablespoons fine bread crumbs
1 teaspoon olive oil
olive oil cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Combine squash, stock, and milk in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until squash is tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Mash contents of saucepan; stir in nutmeg, cayenne, and salt, and season with black pepper. Stir to combine.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil; add salt. Add noodles; cook until al dente, according to package instructions, about 8 minutes. Drain, and transfer to a large bowl; stir in squash mixture, cheddar, ricotta, and 2 tablespoons Parmesan.
3. Lightly coat a 9-inch-square baking dish (4 inches deep) with cooking spray. Transfer noodle mixture to dish. In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs, the remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan, and oil; sprinkle evenly over noodle mixture.
4. Cover with aluminum foil, and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil, and continue baking until lightly browned and crisp on top, 30 to 40 minutes more. Serve immediately.
   

Note: 350 calories, 6 g fat, 18 mg cholesterol, 57 g carbohydrate, 505 mg sodium, 16 g protein, 2 g fiber.

From Martha Stewart's Website. Yummy.