tomato poetry

For you, my friends, three haiku and a recipe.

Saturday

college girlfriend night

hand-made pasta, fresh red sauce

extra basil, of course

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sun is setting soon

boats moored at lake nokomis

perfect summer night

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Sunday

my newest toy

an "ergonomic" edger

the DVD helped

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Lauren's Marinara Sauce

Makes about 6 servings

8-9 medium or 6-7 large tomatoes

half a large white onion, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, crushed and minced

two generous handfuls of basil, coarsely chopped

olive oil

kosher salt

large bowl of ice water

1. Boil a large pot of water; add tomatoes to boiling water and pull out when skins pop (time may vary for each tomato). Transfer to cold water and peel skin. Allow tomatoes to continue to cool.

2. Saute onions and garlic in olive oil in a medium saucepan until translucent.

3. Chop tomatoes and add to saucepan, including seeds and juice.

4. Drizzle with olive oil and cook over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes (until some of the liquid in the pan has evaporated).

5. Simmer on low until ready to serve; shortly before serving, stir in basil and salt. Garnish with fresh parmesan cheese.

Serve over hand-made pasta and with a salad of arugula, watermelon, feta cheese and balsamic vinegar for an excellent summer meal ;-)