Farm to Table

On Saturday, I walked into town to browse through the Swarthmore Farmers' Market. Every Saturday morning, from May through October, the Borough hosts local growers who offer fresh vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, meats, and eggs (from grass-fed animals) and the most delectable, crusty bread. The market offerings are particularly helpful to those like me who can’t keep a homegrown tomato on the vine because the local critters insist on inviting their furry little friends over for a picking party. For some reason, they don’t touch my herbs…maybe they’re fussy.

If I get a message like this:

I’ll get concerned. At least they're polite.

So, I’m meandering around the Farmer’s Market and I see…

…eggplant

...tomatoes

…berries

…fresh garlic

…mushrooms

…and bread. Can you say YUM?!


So I buy tomatoes, garlic, and mushrooms and decide to make a nice summery pasta sauce. I also need basil, but I have that in my garden.


I sautéed the garlic...use fresh garlic whenever you can...it's so worth it! Also, don’t be afraid to add salt. Salt helps release certain molecules, that enhance the flavor and aroma of the food. It also decreases bitterness and balances out very sweet flavors. I threw some over my shoulder for good luck.



Then I added the mushrooms and sautéed until they "shrunk" and released their moisture.

Next, the roughly chopped tomatoes. I added a little bit of red wine and let the mixture simmer for another 8-10 minutes minutes.

To serve, I poured the sauce over pasta and topped with basil and freshly grated Asiago cheese. Perfect with a glass of Kendall-Jackson Cabernet Sauvignon.

Thanks to the website “Today I Found Out” for helping me explain why adding salt (in moderation) to food is a good thing!