Pasta with tomato and broccoli rabe sauce

If you like bitter greens (mesclun, arugula, rocket, endive, escarole, mustard greens, etc.) you'll love broccoli rabe! I expected broccoli rabe to taste like broccoli, but it doesn't at all. It's quite bitter, but it doesn't have a peppery flavor like arugula or rocket. I made pasta with broccoli rabe and tomatoes (adapted from this recipe). The sweetness of fresh tomatoes balances the bitterness of the rabe.

Pasta with tomato and broccoli rabe sauce
Servings: 4

Total time: 30 minutes

1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 bunch of broccoli rabe, chopped
2 tsp anchovy paste (if you don't like anchovies, I promise you won't taste this- it just adds a nice salty flavor)
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup of chopped basil
Splash of lemon juice
1 1/2 cups of romano (or parmesan) cheese
Pasta of your choice

Start a pot of salted water to boil for your pasta. Meanwhile, quickly saute the garlic in olive oil in a saucepan until fragrant.  Add crushed red pepper and saute for another 30 seconds. Add the broccoli rabe and anchovy paste and blanch the rabe until it is bright green, about 2 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, bring everything to a boil, then turn heat to low to let the some of the liquid cook off. Cook pasta in boiling water, drain and return to pot. Pour sauce over the pasta. Mix in the basil, lemon juice and 1 cup of cheese. Serve with remaining cheese sprinkled on top.

Locavore in San Diego, CA

While in San Diego on vacation I went to an amazing farmers market in Little Italy.  There were vendors for blocks with a beautiful view overlooking the bay.  Musicians played on every block; a Mexican band, an accordion player, and a string quartet of young children.  The atmosphere was lively and the variety of food was spectacular. There were huge artichokes from Sun Coast Farms, figs from Polito Family Farms, and avocados everywhere, including varieties that don't exist at the supermarkets in Pittsburgh.  The figs were sweet and tender, and the avocado was rich and creamy.  Creekside Tropicals had a number of fruits I'd never seen before, including jujubes, passionfruit and dragonfruit.  The dragonfruit was like the offspring of a watermelon and a kiwi; soft and sweet, but with a delicate flavor.  It's fun and delicious to experience local food wherever you go!

Farmers Market in Little Italy

Giant Artichokes from Sun Coast Farms

Dragonfruit from Creekside Tropicals

Passionfruit from Creekside Tropicals

Dried Jujubes from Creekside Tropicals

BLT with Cottage Bacon

A Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato sandwich makes for an easy and delicious dinner.  I found that using cottage bacon is excellent for a sandwich because it's leaner and comes in large slabs that cover an entire slice of bread.  The BLT I made with cottage bacon was the best I ever had!  The Farmer's Wife and Green Circle Farm both sell cottage bacon.  You can find them at Firehouse farmers market on Saturday morning or at Phipps Conservatory on Wednesday from 3:30-6:30.  

Cottage Bacon

BLT