Did you catch April's article about an inspiring Morro Bay group who won Sunset magazine's One Block Challenge? Team Beach Tractors put together a first rate culinary celebration from foods they'd grown or raised on our cool, quiet strip of coastline. The hometown team proved its possible — even fun — to grow some of the foods we cook and eat. I'm not able to raise chickens, goats and oysters, but just about anyone can grow pots of herbs and tomatoes on a sunny porch or deck. If you're tired of mowing grass, dig it up and plant produce!
We've been expanding a kitchen garden for a few years. It's an ongoing experiment for us. Tomatoes seem to do better in extra large pots on our sunny porch, while other veggies thrive in amended beds. The organically grown produce we harvest doesn't always look as pretty as its counterparts in the grocery store, as pictured, yet it's tasty. What needs some time before picking, I buy on sale, including Spencer's ripe, red vine tomatoes.
Tomatoes are a favorite of mine. Oh, how I love a good sauce! Marinara isn't strictly a tomato sauce; "marinara" literally means "mariner's sauce." All sorts of vegetables can go into a classic marinara. Slow cooking is your key to maximum flavor. If you don't own a crock pot, this month's first recipe can be slow simmered in a large pot on the stove top for a few hours. One batch of this basic, customizable recipe gives a kick to several different meals.
How is it customizable? Play with the recipe! If you love bell peppers, add more for a zestier sauce. Toss in a cup or two of fresh, sliced mushrooms, or small chunks of golden squash. Keep the carrots, as they add body, vitamins and fiber, but stir in extra herbs or change it up to suit your personal tastes.
Slo Cooked Veggie Marinara for freezing
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 pounds ripe tomatoes, washed
- 1 pound carrots, scrubbed, unpeeled and cut into chunks
- 1 cup sliced celery
- ½ large onion, sliced thin
- 1 medium to large sweet red pepper, seeded and sliced
- Crushed, peeled fresh garlic cloves to taste
- 3 to 4 dried or fresh bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- Dried or fresh herbs of your choice—I used 1 tablespoon each dry oregano and basil leaves
- 4 cups water + 1 cup of your favorite, local wine
Pour oil into the bottom of your crock pot; add tomatoes and all other ingredients. Cover the crock pot and cook on high for an hour. Stir vegetables; cover and cook for another four hours. Your vegetables should be very soft.
Using a soup ladle, transfer equal parts vegetables and broth into a blender and puree; pour into clean, sterile, pint sized jars leaving about 1 inch headspace and seal tightly with lids. When the jars have cooled to room temperature, refrigerate them until chilled and transfer to your freezer until ready to use. The sauce will expand a bit as it freezes, which is why headspace is important in your jars. Frozen jars of marinara will keep safely for up to six months. My batch made about 7 pints.
On those evenings you don't feel like cooking: use one pint of Slo Cooked Veggie Marinara, stir in two cups of milk, heat on low until just before boiling point, and enjoy a bowl or two of Veggie Bisque with a grilled cheese sandwich. I also like a small bowl as a first course to dinner, which has the satisfying benefit of curbing my appetite, or as a light lunch with crackers and fruit.
When you have a little more time and want a heartier, full meal soup, try…
Mariner's Mega Veggie Soup
- ½ stick butter or margarine
- ½ cup diced onion
- 4 small to medium potatoes, scrubbed, unpeeled and diced
- 4 cups chopped fresh vegetables in season
- 1 pint "Slo Cooked Veggie Marinara", fresh or thawed
- 4 cups water
- 1 (15 ounce) can white beans, drained and rinsed or 2 cups salad style shrimp
- Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter or margarine; sauté onion and potatoes until onion is translucent and lightly golden. Add other chopped vegetables and stir to combine. Pour marinara over vegetables and add water; stir, bring to a low boil, cover the pot, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Stir in canned white beans or shrimp, salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for a few minutes before serving. The recipe makes 6-8 bowls of hearty soup.
Most Americans associate marinara with pasta. If you're worried about carbohydrates, Slo Cooked Veggie Marinara has a lot of fiber to help balance starch from pastas. By adding protein and additional veggies, the glycemic index is good even for diabetics. My guys love lasagna. Most traditional recipes are time consuming to prepare, so I've come up with an easy alternative requiring fewer pots and pans.
Rustic Mock Lasagna
- 1 ½ cups Ricotta cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 1-2 teaspoons fresh chopped or dry Italian herbs
- 1 pound Rotelle (spiral) pasta boiled, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)
- 1-2 cups thinly sliced veggies such as zucchini, yellow squash or spinach
- 1 pint "Slo Cooked Veggie Marinara", fresh or thawed
- 2 cups "Better for You Ground Meat Base" from January's Slo Coast Cooking Column
- 2 small to medium fresh tomatoes, sliced thin
- Grated parmesan cheese
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9 X 13 inch baking dish with cooking oil spray. In a large measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together Ricotta cheese, eggs and herbs; pour over pasta and stir well to combine evenly. Spoon and spread ½ of the pasta into the bottom of the baking dish, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, and top with thinly sliced veggies. Spoon and spread the remaining pasta over the vegetables. Mix together marinara and ground meat base; spoon and spread evenly over pasta, top with thin sliced tomatoes and grated parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
| From Where I Cook . . . gardening and cooking can both be part time pursuits. Try a few potted vegetables in a sunny spot versus tilling an acre if you're limited by schedule or space. Cook simple recipes once or twice a week from fresh ingredients, adapt them to your liking or what you have on hand, and enjoy the fruits of your effort. It's not necessary to become a master gardener any more than it is to be a top chef, unless that's what you want to be. Playing in the dirt—along with playing in the kitchen—can be FUN. Besides, a little puttering around is good for the soul. |
