My Favorite Tomato Sauce

Have you ever had one of those days when you get home from work and it's late. You still have to workout, so being the committed health-nut you are, you do your workout... and now it's later. You are hungry and want to eat, but know that whatever you decide to cook, it's going be even later when you sit down to eat. And on top of that, whatever you make will have to be cleaned at the end. What to do???

Enter: my favorite tomato sauce recipe. In the amount of time it takes to boil water and make pasta I can make this sauce from scratch and throw together a quick and easy salad. Ta-dah! Healthy and tasty dinner, done in about 20 minutes (and the dish load is 2 pots, 1 cutting board, 1 knife, and the bowls you are eating in along with silverware).

Ingredients

• 1-2 Tbsp of olive oil 
• 4-6 garlic cloves, chopped 
• 1 medium onion, chopped 
• 4-6 ripe tomatoes, chopped 
• 4-6 fresh basil leaves, chopped 
• Salt and pepper to taste 
• Pasta of your choice (follow directions on the package)

Directions                                                    

1. Follow the directions for your chosen pasta and start the water boiling in a sauce pan, once the water is ready add the pasta, cook as directed, drain and set aside if the sauce is not ready yet 
2. Meanwhile, in a separate sauce pan, heat the olive oil over medium-hi heat 
3. Add the chopped onions and garlic - cook until lightly browned, stirring occasionally (about 4 minutes) 
4. Add the chopped tomatoes, cover and let cook, stirring occasionally (about 8-10 minutes) 
5. Add the chopped basil, salt and pepper to taste 
6. Serve the pasta, drenched in fresh tomato sauce and enjoy! 

Options

• Garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese or a few more pieces of fresh basil 
• Instead of tomatoes - consider making the sauce with yellow squash, zucchini, broccoli, spinach or any other tasty vegetable combination
• While the sauce is simmering and the pasta is boiling chop up a quick and easy fresh salad to pair with the meal

Giving.

Saw a billboard while I was out running today that gave me pause...

When it comes to giving, some people stop at nothing. 

Think about it.

Art. Lost between Food and Flora.

I look back over the last few months and note there have not been too many postings about Art; I have been much more focused on Food and Flora. I have decided it is time to change that trend.

Some would say that the fields of gardening and cooking, and their subsequent explorations, are art in their own right, and I would not argue with this statement. Growing and tending plants is not just about soil, sun and water; there is definitely an art to their cultivation. Cooking is similar to starting with a blank canvas, but instead of paints, I start with garlic, onions, olive oil, then combine them together, hoping to make something artfully delicious. 

The word 'art' has many definitions; I found sixteen in the dictionary. I happened to like the sixteenth best. It defined art as "science, learning and scholarship." That of course got me thinking about what do each of those words mean and what does that mean for a definition of 'art'?

• Science is a "knowledge of the physical or material world gained through observation and experimentation." (second definition out of seven)
• Learning is "to acquire knowledge, mastery or understanding by study or experience." (first definition out of three)
• And finally, scholarship is "learning or knowledge acquired by study." (first definition of four)

So what does all this mean?

Based on the definition of art being science, learning and scholarship I see the following results:

• Art is about knowledge
• Art involves observation and experimentation
• Art is about understanding a subject through experience (possibly observation or experimentation) 
• Art is about learning

I think the last part is the most important, ART IS ABOUT LEARNING.

Art is not just about the artist learning about the subject matter and mastering it. It is also about the artist helping others learn about their subject. It is about sharing knowledge and a unique point of view, based on observations and experiments.

If art is about knowledge and learning, and the learning is not just for the artist, but the audience as well, I think then, there are two additional statements that help shape my definition of art:

• Art is about teaching
• Art can change the world through the sharing of knowledge

Everyone practices art, whether painting or writing or acting or singing or cooking or gardening or sewing or crafting or speaking or something else entirely. The art that you practice is a way for you to interact with the world and share your mastery and your point of view.

How does your art change the world?

Definitions from Websters Dictionary.

Succulents can bloom!

I had no idea the succulents I recently planted (and a few not so recently) could flower! Apparently they are quite content in their new surroundings. I am seeing a plethora of new growth, flowers and (I swear) smiling plants. Alright, maybe it's just me smiling because I finally have low maintenance, happy growing plants.

Check out the happy new growth!

Space Rocks is one of two plants that survived last year's foray into the world of gardening. It limped through last year, then found itself in a new pot, in a new spot and voila.... it gets flowers! It is still one of the strangest looking plants I have ever seen... I don't think the new flowers do anything to change this opinion.

Look at this plant... how can you NOT think it's smiling??? I love happy plants!

More flowers.

Thanks and happy gardening!!

Being Lucky (in memoriam)

You were surrounded by love,
buoyed by friendship,
cared for and about.

So many people came to visit,
to sit and hold your hand,
to eat with you and watch you sleep.

They poured their love into and around you,
and you survived,
beyond all of the odds.

You lived longer
then anyone predicted,
but not as long as you wanted.

Life is rarely as long as we want.

At the very, very end,
you said you were Lucky.
You knew you were so very loved.

And with that,
you finally, quietly, inconspicuosly,
let go.

The Garden went native.

The seeds were planted in mid spring. The seedlings came up. They grew. I watered them everyday (sometimes twice on really hot days). We were gone for 4 days and I had to find a friend to come to the apartment to water the plants. The seedlings grew into flowers and herbs and edible things. They flourished and lived. And now they have died.

Instead of replanting seeds and running "the race" again, I have decided to go native. That means succulents, drought-resistant plants, species that only need watering once or twice a week, and things that LOVE the sun. I spent a little time at Armstrong Gardening in Santa Monica this week. The staff were friendly, helpful and provided me with more information then I have received in every visit combined that I made to Home Depot or Osh over the last 4 years. (Armstrong did not pay me for this or give me any sort of kickback and does not even know I am writing about them... I just wanted to share that they were GREAT!)

That being said, I would like to introduce you to some of the new additions. I am excited to see how they take to their new environment. As usual, it will be a fun experiment to see what thrives and what dives. I am going to have to return to Armstrong soon; I have already forgotten the names of some of our new plant pals.

Hens and Chicks is also called Sempervivum arachnoideum. Apparently, under the optimal conditions, it has very rare, bright red blooms. Maybe I will get lucky!

SharkSkin Agave is a bit dangerous, but cool looking. There are sharp little spines along the edges of the leaves. I do not think I will be getting too close and personal with this little guy.

Wilted Greens

It seems like the only way I ever eat greens is in a salad.... not anymore! This is a great, easy recipe for preparing greens that is NOT a salad, and would be a fine accompaniment to many main courses! I found this in "Easy British Cooking", edited by Celine Hughes.

This recipe will work with any fresh, small-leaf green. I used aragula (which I just found out is also called rocket), but you could easily substitute baby greens or baby spinach. Enjoy!

Ingredients 

• 1 or 2 large bunches of fresh small-leaf greens 
• 1-2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil 
• 1 lemon 
• 1 garlic clove, peeled 
• freshly ground sea salt & black pepper, to taste 

Directions 

1. Crush the garlic clove while keeping it whole, and spear it on the end of a fork. 
2. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over med-high heat. 
3. Add a large handful of greens to the pan - stir them around with the garlic-fork spear until just wilted (approx. 30-45 seconds). 
4. Transfer the greens from the pan to a plate with tongs. 
5. Repeat steps 3 & 4 until you have all the greens you want wilted. 
6. Squeeze a little fresh lemon juice on each pile to season, add a little salt and pepper to taste. 
7. Eat while warm! 

Serves: as many as you want, it depends on how many greens you have

Time: 10 minutes (to gather ingredients, cook and serve)

Cottage Pie

For me, this recipe is absolute comfort food. Potatoes, ground meat, bacon... mmmm. Sorry vegetarians, this one is not for you (but if you wanted to make the jump back to carnivore-land, this might be a good recipe to try!).  Even though it is summer right now, I can already visualize making this on a cold, rainy day, then curling up on the couch with a nice glass of red wine and a big bowl of hot-from-the-oven cottage pie. Have I mentioned "mmmm" yet?

The original recipe comes from a great cookbook a friend brought back from London, called "Easy British Cooking", edited by Celine Hughes. I made quite a few adaptations, while trying to keep the nature of cottage pie intact. I will list those changes at the bottom of this for you to peruse and perhaps try.

All I really have to say about this recipe is: Happy Cooking! Happy Baking! Happy Eating!

Ingredients

• 2 Tbs olive oil 
• 1 large onion, chopped 
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped 
• 1.5#  ground turkey 
• 3 pieces of bacon, chopped into pieces 
• 1/4 cup dry white wine 
• 1 heaping tsp dry parsley 
• 1/2 tsp dry thyme 
• 2 Tbs tomato paste 
• coarsely ground sea salt & black pepper (to taste)

• 2 large potatoes, peeled & chopped 
• 1 bay leaf 
• 1/4 cup milk (I used rice milk, any low fat milk should work) 
• 3 Tbs butter (I used butter substitute) 

Directions 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. 
2. Start by making the mashed potatoes - bring water, bay leaf and chopped potatoes to a boil in a sauce pan. Cook until tender, then drain and remove the bay leaf. 
3. Place the cooked potatoes in a large bowl, coarsely mash by hand. Add in the butter, then milk; mix until your desired consistency is reached. (For creamier mashed potatoes use an electric hand blender/whisk.)
4. While the potatoes are boiling - heat the olive oil over medium heat in a frying pain. Add the onions and cook until browned (3-5 minutes). 
5. Add the garlic, ground turkey and bacon - cook until the meat is almost completely browned. 
6. Add the wine to the frying pan - cook until evaporated (adjust the heat as needed). 
7. Stir in the parsley, thyme, tomato paste, salt & pepper.
8. In a medium-sized casserole dish spread the meat mixture over the bottom and level with a spoon. Cover the meat mixture with the mashed potatoes. 
9. Bake until the potatoes are golden brown on top, about 25-30 minutes. 

Serves: 4 large portions

Cook time: About 1 hour and 30 minutes (includes all the prep time, boiling potatoes, and baking the casserole in the oven) 

Adaptations 

• Olive oil - original recipe called for 2 Tbs butter to brown the onions and meat 
• Ground turkey - original recipe called for ground beef 
• Bacon - original recipe called for 5-6 pieces of bacon 
• Cheddar cheese - original recipe called for 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese to be sprinkled over the casserole before it went into the oven - I omitted this altogether 
• Milk - original recipe called for whole milk in the mashed potatoes