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Stretching out Summer with a cool, pistachio pesto pasta salad

8 Sep

 

The transition from lazy summer days can be a tough one.

Fall is my favorite season, but saying goodbye to Summer is always bittersweet.

At my house it means birthdays (mine, Artie’s and Scout’s!)

And back to school, with Artie teaching, and thesis writing, and me helping my personal chef clients stay well fed as they return from vacations, and adjust to more demanding schedules.

Early mornings, longer workdays, and the unpleasantness that is commuter traffic.

It’s hectic.  But invigorating too.

Boston comes back to life, new projects begin, and who doesn’t love that crisp fall air?

The beauty of September is stretching out the summer just a little bit.

A late summer beer at Cisco Brewery on Nantucket, with Artie and our friend Tom. His lovely fiancee Sarah snapped this pic.

 

Enjoying meals outside, taking walks after dinner to soak up the extra daylight, and for cooks, there is no better time to play in the kitchen.

The markets are bursting with summer produce, and the apples, squash and root veggies are just starting to arrive.

Soon enough I’ll be sharing recipes for baking, and braising, and warming up.

But for now, a cool summery salad I wrote for The Boston Globe.

 

The pesto is made with equal parts parsley and basil, along with a large handful of fresh mint and unsalted pistachio nuts. Add it to a bowl of pasta shells with thinly sliced radishes and peas for a fresh salad that is great own, or as a picnic side.

My plan today?  Get outside enjoy this gorgeous September weather.

Any fun plans for the weekend?

Stay tuned for updates on a new cooking video project I’m working on, and thanks for reading.

Happy Saturday!

Pistachio pesto pasta with radishes and peas

2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup fresh parsley leaves
1 cup fresh basil leaves
¼ cup fresh mint leaves
½ cup grated Parmesan
⅓ cup shelled unsalted pistachios
Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper, to taste
½ cup olive oil
1 pound dried pasta shells
1 bunch radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 cups frozen peas, rinsed with cold water until thawed

1. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the garlic, parsley, basil, mint, Parmesan, pistachios, lemon rind and juice, salt, and pepper.

2. Pour the olive oil in a thin steady stream through the feed tube only until the mixture has a rough texture. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if you like.

3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring often, for 8 to 10 minutes or until the pasta is tender but still has some bite. Drain into a colander and, without rinsing, transfer to a large bowl.

4. Add enough pesto to coat the pasta. Stir in the radishes and peas. Toss gently. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if you like. Catherine Smart

 

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Summer outside the city with yummy white baked beans

8 Aug

It’s August.

Where has the summer gone?

I’ve been doing my best to shirk responsibilities (that includes prompt and steady blog posting responsibilities), and get outside as often as possible.

I’ve been doing a pretty good job.

Last weekend I packed up the Prius, and took the dog to my parents house in New Hampshire.  Artie was headed to the seacoast for a 3-day golf tournament, so scouters and I had a girls weekend.

I spent a of lot time cooking, reading, writing my article about our pig roast, and watching my parents do yardwork.

Doesn't this look like fun?!

 

I did feel a twinge of guilt watching them labor while I sat comfortably on the screened in porch with my laptop and an iced tea.

But that feeling was quickly replaced by gratitude, and relief that I was no longer 16 and my dad wasn’t going to bark at me to root around in the compost pile, and help him mulch things.

I was on deadline. What could I do?

All of their work sure pays off though.  My dad is in charge of the veggies, and my mom has gorgeous flowers all over the place.

Peppers from the garden, and a tiny black tomato.

 

They are also in great shape for their “extreme 50′s” as my mom likes to say.

Well, I guess technically my dad has recently moved out of that category :)

After all of that of hard work, my parents needed sustenance!

Luckily,  I had to test my white baked bean recipe for The Boston Globe.

The aroma fills up the whole house, and they take a few hours to cook, so it’s perfect for a day of doing chores.

Both my parents snuck a bowl before dinner.

They earned it.

Me? not so much, but that wasn’t going to stop me.

These beans are delicious, make them before the summer is out and you will be happy.  They feed a crowd so share them with your friends and family and they will be happy too.

It’s officially the dog days of summer…

Enjoy every minute!

And don’t be scared to use ridiculous puns as an excuse to post pictures of your animals.

 

 

Here’s the recipe!

 

White baked beans

Serves a lot.  like 15. But it’s hard to make a small pot of beans so share the wealth or freeze them for soups and stews later!

2  pounds navy beans, picked over and soaked overnight

1 pound bacon, chopped into 1 inch pieces

1 cup maple syrup

1 chopped onion

3 cloves chopped garlic

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon mustard powder

8 cups water

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1/2  teaspoon Worchesterhire auce

salt and pepper to taste

 

1.  Cover beans with cold water and soak overnight.  Drain and transfer to a large oven-proof casserole

 

2.  To the pot of soaked beans add bacon, maple syrup, onion, garlic, bay leaves, mustard powder and water.

 

3.  Cover and bake at 325 for 3 hours, checking every hour to make sure beans do not need more water.

 

4.  Remove lid and bake uncovered 1 hour more.

 

4.  Stir in cider vinegar, and Worchestershire sauce, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

 

 

Catherine Smart

 

 

 

 

 

 

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