Chocolate-It's What's for Dinner

I like farro - who knew? In one of the recent cooking classes I took at Carol's Cafe , one of my classmates recommended this recipe. It came out pretty nice. I think it needed some more tomatoes. I did not have the suggested grape tomatoes (and you know I am totally unopposed to substituting things) so I used just regular tomatoes from the garden. I used about 3 medium size. Next time I would definitely up the tomato amount. There is a lot of detail regarding the farro in the notes for the recipe. I'm quite undecided about which type of farro I had. I do think it might have been pearlized but the whole "ready in 10 minutes pre-cooked" thing sort of threw me. Good old reliable Trader Joe's This is not a blurry photo this is actually steam coming off the farro.

Want to build up those arm muscles.  There is no better way than to do up a good risotto. You will get tired of stirring but it is oh so worth it. Tomato Risotto 1 onion, chopped olive oil 2 clove garlic, minced 1 1/2 c Aborio Rice 1/2 c white wine 4 medium-sized tomatoes, peeled about 1 cup warm vegetable stock (may need additional) 1 t fresh oregano 1 T fresh torn basil 2 T fresh parsley salt/pepper Parmesan cheese In a dutch oven, saute chopped onion in olive oil.  Add a little salt to help the onions along.  Meanwhile prep the tomatoes. Squeeze tomatoes gently just to rid them of the seeds. You do not need to get rid of all the liquid. Chop the tomatoes into large cubes. Cook onions until translucent. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add rice and saute for a few minutes until the rice smells toasted. Gradually add white wine and stir until almost all of the wine is absorbed. Add tomatoes to the rice. Add the oregano and basil. Stirring cons...

So here's what I made with the fresh pasta. Tomatoes & Cream Pasta (Adapted from 365 Ways to Cook Pasta ) 1 lb fresh tomatoes (preferably plums or grape tomatoes) 1 T fresh basil 2 clove garlic, minced 1 1/2 c heavy cream 1 lb pasta salt/pepper Boil water for pasta. Peel, seed, and rough chop the tomatoes. If you are using grape tomatoes, there is no need to peel and seed them. Just cut them in half. Place the tomatoes in a skillet and a little salt to help the tomatoes release their juices. Cook off some of the liquids from the tomatoes probably about 10 minutes. If you are using regular tomatoes, it may take a little longer. If you are using grape tomatoes, it may be less time. Add garlic and continue to cook until garlic is fragrant. Add the heavy cream and basil. Cook over low until the sauce thickens slightly. Add salt and pepper. Pour over fresh pasta. There was a lot of liquid from the tomatoes, so I really cooked them down more than usual This is a ver...

Now that the tomatoes are in full swing, it's time to make salsa. This is a good alternative to plain tomato salsa. I like this salsa a little more on the sweet side so you might want to use less sugar. The Sous Chef says he would like it with a little bit of heat. Either way it's still delicious. Nectarine Salsa 2 nectarines 2 T sugar 2 tomatoes 1 shallot Salt Peel nectarines and tomatoes If you don't have this handy-dandy peeler , I recommend you get one. Otherwise you will have to drop the nectarines and tomatoes in boiling water for a few seconds.  Immediately put them in an ice-water bath.  They should then slide out of their skins. Do a large dice on the nectarines and place in a bowl. Sprinkle sugar on the nectarines and allow the fruit to macerate for a few minutes.  Meanwhile slice the top of the tomato off and gently squeeze out some of the seeds. Large dice the tomatoes.  Finely chop the shallots. Add the tomatoes and shallot to the nectarine...

It came a little thicker than usual - probably could've used more liquid I mentioned my mothers beef stew in my first post regarding the pressure cooker (or my fear of pressure cookers).  I thought for Mother's Day this would be an appropriate posting. I know every time I see a recipe with "Mom" in the title I find that it is either really a good one or it's not.  I think for the "not so good" ones sometimes it is just nostalgia that makes it taste good. But I think this is the best tasting stew in less than a half hour and that's not nostalgia talking.  I've tried to make a stew by the traditional method of cooking it for several hours, but it just doesn't come out the same.  The vegetables become too mushy and flavorless, even if you add them later.  In the pressure cooker, the vegetables stay slightly firm and very flavorful. Beef Stew 1 medium onion, chopped oil 1lb stew meat, cut into 1" cubes 2 clove garlic, chopped 3/4 ...