Getting Excited for Spring (...in 4 months)

I made the dishes here late last Spring. There is something about them that seem so light and fresh that just thinking about them makes me excited for farmer's markets and warmer weather. Given that we are only 7 days into Winter, I probably need to get excited about something else in the meantime...

This pasta dish came from Food and Wine Magazine and was actually courtesy of Gwyneth Paltrow. Say what you want about her, any time I have ever read Gwyneth/food articles I am really impressed. She seems to have an innate sense of what tastes good so I will definitely try some more of her recipes.

I love this pasta dish because of it's simplicity. There are just a few ingredients: pasta (I used spaghetti but linguine would also work fine), zucchini, flour, olive oil, lemon, grated Parmesan cheese and black pepper.

Salt a pot of water and bring it to a boil. Add the pasta. A full box should serve 4-6 people and maybe give you some leftovers. I cook pasta about 10 minutes to keep it slightly al dente. Slice the zucchini ( to serve four people, I'd use two). Coat the zucchini in flour and fry in about a quarter inch or oil until browned on both sides. About halfway through you may need to start fresh with the oil so that your remaining zucchini doesn't get overly browned.

Once done, add the zucchini to the pasta, squeeze some lemon over it (I also put some lemon wedges in the bowl), sprinkle with the grated Parmesan (it will start to melt which is amazing), lots of freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste if needed.

Tomato season peaks July-September, but when I made this meal they were starting to look good so I did a simple bruschetta. Slice up a loaf of Italian bread, brush with olive oil and broil til lightly browned and crunchy. Cut the tomato into small chunks, put in a stainer and let the juices drain. Add to the tomato chopped garlic, olive oil, salt and basil and top the bread. There are probably tons of ways to make this dish but my version is easy and tastes great.



And now for what it probably my favorite dessert to make, my blueberry tart. I actually prefer this later in the summer when I can add peaches to it, but either way it is phenomenal.

There are three components to this dish: the crust, the filling and the crumble.

First, preheat the oven to 350. To make the crust you need 1 cup flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 cup cold butter (or smart balance), 1 egg and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. Place flour, sugar and baking powder in a medium size bowl. Add the butter and mix til crumbly. Add the egg and almond extract and combine until the dough will form into a ball. Flour your hands and press dough into the bottom and up the sides of a pie dish.

For the filling, wash blueberries and pat dry. If using peaches, peel, pit and slice them. You want 3 cups of fruit total. Combine fruit, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of sugar and pour over crust.

Finally, for the crumble topping combine 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg and 6 table spoons butter or smart balance. Once it is nice and crumbly, sprinkle over the tart and bake about 35-40 minutes until it is golden brown. This dessert is rich and refreshing at the same time.

All of the food here is super tasty, light and seasonal. I hope the next four months fly by!