Dinner with the Ladies

Great friends.  Cooking.  Delicious yummies.  What could make for a better Saturday night?  Nothing, in my opinion.  Last week, Mags, Abigail, and I decided to have a classy dinner and movie night.  Abigail had done a fabulous job cheese and bread shopping for our appetizer.  Then, we cooked up a delicious ratatouille and pasta for our main course.  Finally, Abigail had prepared not one, but TWO fabulous, summery desserts: a raspberry strada and a peach galette.  Can you say yummm?  The dinner and dessert were separated by a walk to the movie theater, "To Rome with Love", and then a walk back.  It was the perfect combination.

Three kinds of cheese from three animals: goat, cow, and sheep.  Lovely baguette and fresh fruits, including wild blueberries, completed the scrumptious platter.  And so beautifully presented (props to you, Abigail!).

The perfect platter...yes, I was the first to dig in...

For the ratatouille, lets be honest, we didn't measure.  And that's how it should be.  Basically, we just threw a bunch of veggies in a pot and tasted the seasonings as we went.  Here's roughly what we put in it:

• olive oil
• 1 onion
• a few cloves of garlic
• 2 carrots
• 4 tomatoes (blanched and peeled), chopped
• 1 large eggplant, chopped
• 2 medium zucchini, chopped (these came from Abigail's garden - delicious!)
• 2 green peppers, chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 bay leaves
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 big handful of basil, chopped, plus another several leaves chiffonade for garnish on top

As per usual, we started by sauteeing the onion in olive oil.  Then we added the garlic.  After the garlic cooked out a bit, we added the carrots and continued to cook it for a few minutes.  Then, we dumped in the rest of the veggies and cooked it for a while.  Finally, a couple tablespoons of tomato paste and white wine went into the pot along with bay leaves, salt, and pepper.  Once the vegetables had softened into a stew, we threw in lots of basil and turned off the heat.  Some more fresh basil leaves on top finished it off perfectly!

Veggies into the pot.

All cooked down and stewy.

Garnished.  Beautiful, enticing colors.

Abigail had full control of the pasta, but I tried to watch closely to learn her secrets.  Here's what I think she put in this simple but amazingly flavorful pasta dish.

• olive oil (several tablespoons)
• garlic, roughly chopped
• a few handfuls of cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• one box of long pasta, linguine I believe it was, cooked al dente
• 1 big handful of basil
• lots of grated pecorino romano (maybe a cup)...to taste!

She heated up the olive oil and garlic until the garlic was slightly browned.  Then she added the tomatoes and cooked it for another few minutes.  Finally, she tossed in the pasta, basil, and the pecorino.  The cheese melted into the hot olive oil and pasta to create this lovely, salty coating on the pasta.  The basil and tomatoes offered the perfect fresh balance to this cheesy pasta!

The perfect bowl for the perfect pasta.

Most of our dinner came from the farmer's market, my CSA, Abigail's garden, or small local shops.  The perfect summer dinner made with the best and freshest ingredients.  Success!

Two delicious dishes!  Fresh, nutritious, and completely satisfying.

And here we are, the three lovely ladies.

 Who's coming to the next dinner party?  You're all invited!

 (Sadly, I forgot to take pictures of dessert...I was just too excited to eat it!  I can't be blamed for my fleeting mind when yummy eats are right in front of me!)