You just have to trust me....

...I know this sounds a little wackadoo, making pasta sauce from a cantaloupe, but it's tasty and so refreshing.  I made a version of this at a farmers' market demo last summer. When I was done, I walked over to talk to the melon guy and he had a huge line of people from the demo, all with cantaloupe in hand.  So don't just trust me...they ate it and were going home to make it!

Last weekend I bought a canary melon from Angie of Zuckerman's Farm.  It's a cross between a honeydew and a cantaloupe, and has bright yellow skin.  It's been a year since I made my melon pasta sauce, so I was ready.  I started with a little sliced onion, some of the Sweet Italian Long Peppers I bought at the farmers' market, and a banana pepper from my garden.  Just a few minutes to soften up.  Then hit it with a few garlic cloves.

Then comes the diced melon.  I cut them into bite sized pieces so they break down quickly.

Just let that hang out over medium heat for about 20 minutes or so, and watch all the natural juices come out, creating a wonderful sauce.  You've just got to stir it every once in a while.

The color of this melon is kind of bland, so I throw in a bit of smoked paprika, and look at how it's transformed:

And see how much juice it's giving up.  You can save a little of the starchy cooking water from your pasta to thin it out, if you'd like. I always reserve 1/2 cup of the liquid before I drain my pasta, because the starch in that water can extend a sauce and give it a creamy texture.  Today, however, I'm just going for good ol' cream!
This melon was really sweet, so I balanced that out with some Sirracha and a hit of red wine vinegar, and of course, sea salt.  Once you've tasted it and gotten your flavors in line, pull the skillet off the heat and slowly stir in a 1/4 cup of cream.  Then toss it with quinoa pasta (Ancient Harvest is my favorite brand), some chopped pecans (or walnuts) and a light sprinkling of parm.  Super tasty, super easy, super weird!  I like it!!

Canary Melon Pasta
Serves 6

1 package quinoa pasta
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 Italian Long Peppers (or 1 large red bell), seeded and chopped
1 banana pepper (or Anahiem or pasilla), seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 canary melon (or cataloupe), peeled, seeded and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Sirracha
1/4 cup cream
1/4 cup basil leaves, chopped or torn
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1/2 cup shredded parmesan

• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta according to directions.
• Melt butter and oil in large skillet and add onion.  Cook 2 minutes over medium high heat.
• Add peppers and garlic, and continue to cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add melon pieces and stir to combine.  Cook 5-10 minutes, and when juices start to appear, add smoked paprika.
• Continue cooking 5-10 minutes more, stirring occasionally, then add vinegar and Sirracha.
• After a total of about 20 minutes, you should have a rich sauce.  Remove from heat and slowly drizzle in the cream, stirring constantly, so it doesn't curdle.  Then fold in the basil leaves
• Toss with pasta and top with chopped nuts and cheese.

What's you favorite pasta to make????

Cooking Outside the Box

Last Sunday was my final cooking demo for the season at the Marin farmers' market.  I wanted to go out with a bang, so I fixed one of my favorite creative dishes, a sauteed cantaloupe sauce served over quinoa pasta.

I've never been a big fan of cantaloupe; I think it's a texture thing.  But a year or so ago I saw a recipe for a sauce using cantaloupe that was so unique, I had to give it a try.  If you saute chopped cantaloupe in olive oil, it releases its juices and creates a velvety sauce.  It's fairly sweet, so the addition of tomato paste not only turns it a beautiful color and thicken it up a bit, but lends a nice savory balance to the sweetness.  It also ups the nutrient quotient nicely.  Tomatoes actually become more nutritious the more they are cooked, so tomato paste is one of the most concentrated sources of  lycopene, a powerful antioxidant and potential cancer fighter.  And combining olive oil with tomatoes helps the body better absorb the nutrients.

Take a note from Michael Pollan's Food Rules and get out of the supermarket on this one.  Hit your local farmers' market and take advantage of the gorgeous variety of heirloom tomatoes to add color and dimension to this sauce.

The first time I made this, I used a cantaloupe from the grocery store.  This time of year, however, there are some great melons available at the farmers' markets, and I've been using a Charlynne melon.  It's a little lighter in color and sweeter than a traditional cantaloupe. I'm glad I discovered a way to eat cantaloupe because, like tomatoes, it's a powerful antioxidant and helps to fight free radicals, but most compelling to me is that just one slice of cantaloupe has more beta-carotene (it's one of the richest sources) and Vitamin C than your body can even use in a day.

Just a word about the nutrition stuff:  we hear about antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, etc. and while I'm sure we all realize they're good for us and we should eat foods full of them, do we really know what they do for us?  So let me tell you about the two powerhouses of cantaloupe that I just mentioned.  Our bodies convert beta-carotene into Vitamin A, which is crucial in the production of cells that fight disease.  Vitamin C protects our immune system and helps protect us against heart disease, certain cancers, and the ever-annoying cold.

So now you know...

I also took advantage of another seasonal favorite, peppers, in this dish.  Larry at Triple T Farm in Santa Rosa first turned me on to padron peppers a couple months back.  LOVE them; small crumpled peppers that are mild and sweet, except for the 1 in 10 that's spicy.  I started putting them in everything I cooked.  Last month he introduced me to Shishito peppers (pictured above).  They are very similar to padrons in every way, except for the wayward spicy one.  Just sweet and delicious.  Seek them out and give them a try....

Sautéed Cantaloupe Sauce                                                                                                                         Serves 6

3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

¼ cup chopped shishito or padron peppers

1 cantaloupe, peeled, seeded and cut into bite-sized pieces

2 tablespoon tomato paste

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

¼ cup milk or half & half

2 teaspoons lemon zest

Salt & pepper to taste

1 cup diced heirloom tomatoes

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

1 lb. cooked pasta of your choice

·         Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat.

·         Add onion and peppers, and cook 3-5 minutes until onions start to soften.

·         Add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and cantaloupe.  Sauté 10 minutes until a chunky sauce starts to form.  (You can add some of the starchy pasta in lieu of the olive oil to cut the fat).

·         Add tomato paste and smoked paprika, and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.

·         Remove from heat and add milk or half and half and lemon zest, stirring to combine.

·         Season with salt & pepper

·         Toss with cooked pasta and top with chopped tomatoes, and cheese if desired.

P.S. I didn't add any cheese!  It doesn't need it, it's so good!!