Letting the Side Dish Shine

Every single holiday, Thanksgiving in particular, the side dishes are always my favorite part!  So I wanted to use our sugar snap peas, tomatoes, and garlic from our CSA box to make a delicious side.  I added a bit of starch to pull the meal together with grilled balsamic chicken.

Garlic Snap Peas and Tomatoes with Orzo
- 15-20 sugar snap peas
- 1 tbsp. water
- 10-12 small tomatoes
- 2 small or 1 large clove of garlic
- cooking spray
- 1/2 cup uncooked orzo
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 1 tbsp basil
- salt and pepper for seasoning

Decided to add basil from our plant at the last minute

Start by starting a pot of boiling water.  Meanwhile, cut the ends off the snap peas, cut the tomatoes in half, and coarsely chop the garlic.

Once water begins boiling, add salt for flavor.  Add orzo and cook according to package directions.  Meanwhile, heat a pan over medium high heat with the cooking spray.  Add the snap peas and the tbsp. of water and saute for 1-2 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add tomatoes and cook for another minute.  Season with salt and pepper.  Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water and add to the vegetables.  Drain the orzo when ready and add the orzo in with the vegetables and the butter and stir until butter is melted and ingredients are combined.  Season with salt and pepper.
 Serve and enjoy!   

Oh, P.S. for the chicken, all I did was marinate it in balsamic vinaigrette for about an hour and cooked on a hot grill.

Vodka is not just for drinking :)

Well, I am apologizing in advanced for my lack of pictures for tonight's recipe!  I was cleaning all day and we went to the pool because its HOT HOT HOT outside!!  We stayed longer than planned and rushed home to make dinner nad taking pictures totally slipped my mind!  Anyway, tonight's dinner was Pasta with Vodka Sauce and the CSA items used included Vine-ripe tomatoes, basil, and garlic.  Tom and I both love Italian food, (I mean really, who doesn't!?!)  Here's the recipe!

Basil plant we potted from our CSA

Garlic from this week's CSA

Boyd and Blair Vodka...this did NOT come in our CSA :)  But it it local!  It's made in Glenshaw, PA.  It's fabulous.

Pasta with Vodka Sauce
- 12-16 oz. of pasta (or less if you don't want leftovers)
- 2 vine-ripe tomatoes, crushed...or a can of crushed tomatoes (about 3/4 cup)
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 3-4 sausage links of your choice (I used the al fresca roasted garlic chicken sausage)
- 1/2 yellow onion
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 2-3 cloves of garlic
- 1/3 cup vodka (I used Boyd and Blair, my favorite, and made right in Glenshaw, PA!)
- 1/4 cup heavy cream (just a little!!)
- 5-6 big leaves of basil, chopped
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste/season

Fill a large pot with water and set on high until it comes to a boil.  Salt the water generously, and add your pasta of choice. (I used penne).  Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain, and return to hot pot.

Also, the recipe calls for crushed tomatoes.  I had fresh ones and made them into crushed tomatoes.  Cut the tomatoes in half.  Hold the tomato with the skin side out and slide back and forth on the large grater of a box grater until you get to just the skin.  This sure beat boiling and peeling them and you are left with crushed tomatoes!  Add 1 tsp. of sugar and 1/2 tsp. of salt.  Set aside.  

Use this side of the grater, then you are left with just the tomato skin, as shown!

Meanwhile, add 1-1/2 Tbsp. of olive oil to pan on medium to medium high heat.  Slice the sausages into pieces on a bias.  You could also just remove it from the casing all together and brown it that way.  Add it to the pan and brown it until golden brown on both sides (about 2-3 minutes per side)  Next, dice 1/2 of an onion and add to the pan.  You may need to add a bit more olive oil here.  Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne.  Cook for 3-5 minutes until onions are translucent.  Then, grate 2-3 cloves of garlic over top and cook for another 30 seconds or so. 

Add the crushed tomatoes from earlier (about 3/4 cup from 2 tomatoes).  Let it simmer and reduce for 3-5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the vodka (best part!).  Allow that to reduce another 4-5 minutes or so.  Add the heavy cream and stir occasionally, allowing that to reduce 3-4 minutes.  Finally, add the chopped basil and Parmesan cheese and stir in with the hot pasta until covered.  Enjoy!!