For the first time in a number of days, I was able to spend some time in my garden. Between the multiple daily rain storms, doctor's appointments, and suicidal ideation, I had neglected my little patch of vegetable heaven. Some of the plants benefitted by being left to the elements for a little while, but others are in need of a little clean up. Maybe a lot of clean up. Gotta put in some cones to support the tomato plants and okra and some sort of trellis for the bougainvillea and cucumber. Lots of weeding, but that's going to have to wait until my back gets over whatever is making it cranky. This is the worst back pain I've had for a while, and my doctor doesn't run a pill mill, thank God, so there's going to be some suffering. And an ear worm:
Suffering was the only thing that made me feel I was alive
Though that's just how much it cost to survive in this world
'til you showed me how, how to fill my heart with love
How to open up and drink in all that white light
Pouring down from the heaven
I haven't got time for the pain ...
Maybe I should take an Advil.
I cooked because the grape tomatoes were approaching the End of Times, and you know how I hate to waste food. I'm glad I did.
Sweet Italian Sausage Tortelloni with Peas and Roasted Grape Tomatoes
2 1/2 pints of grape tomatoes (about 5 cups) - for the best flavor, mix the colors - I used red and orange grape tomatoes
5 cloves of fresh garlic, smashed and sliced
My seasoning salt, to taste
herbes de provence, to taste
granulated sugar, to taste
cayenne pepper, to taste
4 tablespoons of garlic olive oil (more as needed)
1 stick of butter
2 - 9 oz. packages fresh tortelloni (I used Buitoni sweet Italian sausage) cooked according to package directions
1 - 15 oz package frozen steam-in-the-bag green peas, cooked according to package directions
4 basil leaves, cut into chiffonade
grated Romano and/or Parmesan
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the tomatoes in a single layer in a 9 x 13 aluminum baking pan. Drizzle the tomatoes with the olive oil, and then add some seasoning salt, herbes de provence, sugar and cayenne pepper. Place into the preheated oven and roast for 30 minutes. The tomatoes should have released a good part of their juices and appear somewhat wrinkled but not dried out. Stir around so that the garlic doesn't stick and burn. Add the stick of butter and return to the oven for another 15 to 20 minutes. Taste and reseason. Add about three-quarters of the cooked tortelloni right into the pan with the tomatoes, then between 1/2 to 1 cup of the peas, and stir to combine. Finish with the basil chiffonade and cheese.
The kitchen sink is, inexplicably, as backed up as the eastbound Long Island Expressway on a Friday afternoon in July. The bad news is that the 90-year old plumbing is being stubbornly resistance to all of Robert's attempts to commit chemical warfare on pipes that are older than he is. The really bad news is that this is likely going to necessitate an expensive call to Josephine the Plumber, a nice lady who likes to get paid for any work she does. I don't blame her. I blame the pipes.
1 - 15 oz package frozen steam-in-the-bag green peas, cooked according to package directions
4 basil leaves, cut into chiffonade
grated Romano and/or Parmesan
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the tomatoes in a single layer in a 9 x 13 aluminum baking pan. Drizzle the tomatoes with the olive oil, and then add some seasoning salt, herbes de provence, sugar and cayenne pepper. Place into the preheated oven and roast for 30 minutes. The tomatoes should have released a good part of their juices and appear somewhat wrinkled but not dried out. Stir around so that the garlic doesn't stick and burn. Add the stick of butter and return to the oven for another 15 to 20 minutes. Taste and reseason. Add about three-quarters of the cooked tortelloni right into the pan with the tomatoes, then between 1/2 to 1 cup of the peas, and stir to combine. Finish with the basil chiffonade and cheese.
The kitchen sink is, inexplicably, as backed up as the eastbound Long Island Expressway on a Friday afternoon in July. The bad news is that the 90-year old plumbing is being stubbornly resistance to all of Robert's attempts to commit chemical warfare on pipes that are older than he is. The really bad news is that this is likely going to necessitate an expensive call to Josephine the Plumber, a nice lady who likes to get paid for any work she does. I don't blame her. I blame the pipes.
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