Clearing

[rejectomorph]

The clouds have finally thinned, and tomorrow there will be blue sky and milder air. I'm looking forward to a warmish week. I might get the gutters cleaned out before the next rain arrives, and the freshly green lawns will get some sunlight once I've cleared them of leaves.

I'm sure the cats will be glad of a respite from the rain as well. This afternoon, Jarhead arrived on the back porch with her fur all spiked after she was caught in a sudden shower. The pillow on the porch was damp, too. I'd put it in the dryer for a while, but it's too dirty, and I don't want to wash it as the washing is bound to leave it lumpy. I'll have to try to find the cats a new pillow.

For some reason I keep thinking I've forgotten to do something important, but I have no idea what it is. It will probably come to me just as I'm falling asleep, and then I'll have to get up and do it— assuming it's something that can be done at night, and assuming that it's anything at all and not just some figment of my imagination.

Right now I have to go fix my belated dinner. Another one of those unintentional naps interrupted the evening. It's a wonder I was able to fall asleep without a blanket over me, the house is so chilly. But now, artichoke pasta with mushrooms and vegetables. Perfect for a cold night, late or not.

Comments

[lirianna.livejournal.com]

Artichoke pasta with mushrooms and vegetables. Sounds interesting. Recipe?? : )

[rejectomorph]

I actually don't have a formal recipe for this. It's pretty much improvised, and changes from one time to the next.

Artichoke pasta can be hard to find, but a lot of health food stores stock it. It's made not from the popular thistle, but from Jerusalem artichoke, which the Italians call girasole, and which is the tuberous root of a variety of sunflower plant.

For the pasta you will need garlic oil (or plain olive oil and garlic powder), seasoned Italian bread crumbs, chopped parsley (flat leaf is best, but curly will do) and grated Parmesan or Romano cheese.

Cook the pasta al dente. Heat oil in a non-stick pan. Toss in the cooked and drained pasta. Keep the heat moderate. Get the pasta well coated with the oil. Toss in enough bread crumbs to coat the pasta (mix a bit of garlic powder into the crumbs if you are not using garlic oil.) Next, add the chopped parsley and mix well. Finally, add the cheese. You'll have to keep the mixture moving about after this lest the cheese clump too much and turn the whole thing into a single mass. Lift and separate, lift and separate, repeatedly. Once the cheese is well distributed, you can raise the heat, to partly fry the pasta so there will be little crispy bits throughout. Add more oil to help with the crisping if it has all been absorbed.

The vegetables and mushrooms are essentially just an Italian version of the stir fry. You can use any appropriate vegetables you have on hand. I used julienned carrots, chopped sweet onion, chopped green onion, sliced zucchini, a few broccoli florets, and some minced garlic. You'll need a pan with a lid. Lightly fry the veggies and mushrooms in olive oil. Add a dash of oregano, basil, or dry Italian seasoning. A dash of vinegar can add a bit of tang, but it's optional. Fresh pepper is nice, too. Near the end of the frying, add about 1/4 cup of bullion or broth, cover the pan and allow to steam for a couple of minutes.

It gets tricky toward the end, as both pasta and vegetables require a lot of attention to keep them from burning or overcooking, but the result is worth it. You can also add a bit of grated cheese to the vegetables near the end, letting it melt enough to be creamy, which makes a nice contrast with the crunchy bits of cheesy breadcrumbs which will form in the pasta.