8/23 Marinara Madness
I have shared with you my love of roasting all things roastable. Sunday has become my roasting day of choice. As I am doing other things like computer work, making jewelry and photographing food, the oven is creating the most succulent, roasted ingredients you have ever seen. We use those ingredients for many meals throughout the week. One of my fave staples to create is Summery Marinara, using bright and vibrant produce we just picked out at the farmers market.
This week I forgot to buy Roma tomatoes at the market but no worries. We went to Meijer and sought out the homegrown tomatoes and purchased those. Distinguishing themselves from the other tomatoes, they were labeled “Homegrown.” Because their customer base has asked for and has purchased the local foods they have offered, their selection continues to grow. Tell your store manager what you would like to see and then speak with your wallet. That is a small step that we can all take that is undoubtedly leading to great change; one family, one meal, one purchase at a time.
Once you have secured your vegetables of choice, you can create a tantalizing sauce for healthful meals on the fly. We use it throughout the week on pita bread pizzas, meatball subs and of course for any pasta extravaganza. The veggies are SO beautiful right now they are like edible art. This sauce tastes like summer.
Summery Marinara
By: S. Duquet
Ingredients
9 Roma tomatoes
1 Yellow squash
1 Zucchini
6 Cloves of roasted garlic
1 Poblano pepper
1 Hungarian wax pepper
1 Tbsp Apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp Liquid amino acids
Photo By: S. Duquet
Make it Happen
Wash and core your tomatoes. Cut the larger ones in half. Wash and slice the zucchini and squash. Put all of the vegetables in a tin foil pouch on a baking sheet, but do not seal. Drizzle with olive oil, coarse sea salt and pepper. Put in a 350 degree oven and roast until wrinkly and very fragrant (at least 30 minutes). I open the oven periodically to see how they are doing. Your house is going to smell so good that your neighbors will think you have opened a restaurant or catering company. Dont tell them a thing.
While that is working in the oven, cut the top off of an entire head of garlic so you can see the raw garlic cloves inside. Drizzle the top with olive oil and coarse sea salt. Put in a foil pouch on a baking sheet and place in oven. Do not seal the pouch. The garlic will roast much faster than the veggies. You will smell its loveliness. It is done when it is browned all over. Do not let it scorch because it will taint the flavor of the entire head.
I also roasted Poblano peppers and Hungarian wax peppers. They are so easy and amazingly tasty when roasted. Wash them, put them on foil whole, drizzle with oil and salt. Pop them in the oven with everything else until they are brown and wrinkly. The flavor of the peppers becomes so smoky and rich you will want to do this for every pepper that comes into your house. Once they are roasted and cool, I pull the stem off and scrape the seeds out. They are ready for the processor.
Tip: Taste any roasted pepper before you throw a whole one in your sauce. Even the same type of pepper will vary in intensity of heat each time.
Photo By: S. Duquet
When the veggies reach their fragrant and wrinkly state, take them out of the oven and let them cool. Once they are cool, transfer all of the ingredients in to your processor (I used my Ninja). Add anything you would like at this point. I added 6 cloves of my newly roasted garlic along with liquid amino acids and apple cider vinegar. Blend like crazy.
Now you have a hand crafted, seasonal sauce to use throughout the week. Having good foods at the ready is the key to eating healthy regardless of your veg or meatatarian status. Planning ahead is an upfront investment in your lasting health. So worth it.
Photo By: S. Duquet
When I am ready to use the sauce for a meal I thin it with various liquids depending on its intended use. For example, if it is for pasta sauce, I may use red wine. If it is pizza sauce I may use spicy Bloody Mary mix or tomato juice.
It did take some time to roast all of these lovely foods, but now that my week has begun with a bang…I am relieved to have some ready to prepare “fast food” options that were created using local, seasonal, inexpensive and astonishingly beautiful vegetables. That is something worth supersizing.
Have a delicious day.
Tags: compassionate eating, dairy free, going veg, local marinara sauce, local vegetables, marinara sauce, roasted seasonal vegetables, roasted vegetable marinara sauce, trying vegan, trying vegetarian, vegan, vegan challenge, vegan entree, vegan experience, vegan recipe, vegan wannabe
