Peach Tomato Pasta

 ***REPOST***

It's peach season again and I'm excited to update my favorite "go-to" summer salad! It's quick and easy to make, the ingredients are inexpensive so it's great for large gatherings and it's perfect for outdoor events because it contains no mayo. I have updated the pasta salad recipe to include the following:  1/4 cup thinly sliced cucumber and 1 tablespoon sauteed minced garlic. To the Peach Balsamic Vinaigrette recipe I've added 1/4 cup Ken's golden vidalia onion dressing which balances out the savory flavor with a little more sweetness.

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This recipe was inspired by a picture I saw in a magazine...I'd been browsing through stacks of current magazines at my desk when I saw it. I got busy and didn't think about it again for a few days. Then, suddenly, the image of the dish came back to me and I couldn't get it off my mind--the tender pasta, fresh summer peaches, plump cherry tomatoes...so I went back to get the recipe but couldn't find it! I was sure I had seen it in a Martha Stewart magazine so I scoured every recent issue I had, went to the website several times to search and still couldn't find it. After several days of searching, I gave up and decided to try to make it without the recipe. 

I ran out, got the ingredients I thought should go in the dish, made it and it was delicious but I wondered if I had missed out on something (seasoning-wise) by not having the original recipe. Well, as fate would have it, a few days after I made my version of the pasta, I found the recipe--on the back of a Taste of Home teaser cookbook! I was quite pleased to see that my judgment regarding the ingredients and seasonings wasn't off by much. The original recipe called for kalamata olives, garlic and optional slivered almonds (I would have skipped the olives and almonds anyway but I would have used the garlic). Here's my recipe:

Peach Tomato Pasta
Seasoned & Stirred by LBTurner

Serves 4-6

1/2 pound angel hair pasta (cooked, drained)
2 large fresh peaches--sliced (grilled or sauteed)
1 cup grape tomatoes
1/8 cup Thai basil leaves (or any fresh basil)
1/4 cup red onion (thinly sliced)
2 teaspoons wild porcini sea salt
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Peach Balsamic Vinaigrette

1/2 cup Italian dressing (I used Ken's Three Cheese Italian)
1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons peach preserves
3 tablespoons fresh peaches (finely chopped)

Prepare the peaches: Wash and slice the peaches. I used fresh freestone peaches and sliced them with my new handy, dandy peach pitter. Take 2-3 peach slices and chop them finely. Set aside for the Peach Balsamic Vinaigrette (recipe above).  For the remaining peach slices: if you're going to grill them, lightly grill on each side for about a minute and set aside. If you are sauteing them, heat a small skillet, add 2 teaspoons of cooking oil and saute the peaches until tender. Set aside until it's time to assemble the dish.

Prepare the Vinaigrette: In a small mixing bowl, add all ingredients except the peaches and whisk thoroughly until well blended. Add the chopped peaches and stir. Add grilled or sauteed peaches and let marinate for 5-10 minutes.

Prepare the pasta: Prepare the pasta according to package instructions (add 1 teaspoon of the wild porcini sea salt to the boiling water), drain, place in large mixing bowl, add remaining sea salt, stir and let cool slightly. You can substitute plain or any flavored sea salt for the porcini if you don't have it.

Assemble the dish: While the pasta is still slightly warm, add the vinaigrette mixture, sliced peaches, basil leaves, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Toss gently. Serve warm or chilled as a side dish or as an entree salad.

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I loved this pasta recipe and will definitely make my version again but the next time, I will add the garlic! Click here to see the original peach pasta recipe.

PhotoFare: Patriotic Cheesecakes w/Raspberry Gelée and Fresh Berries

Happy Birthday America! Today's PhotoFare shot is courtesy of Beth at Hungry Happenings Blog. Stop by her blog to say hello and get the recipe for these colorful, yummy-looking treats!

SS Holiday Food & Toy Drive

I'm excited...the donations for the Seasoned & Stirred Holiday Food & Toy Drive have started to pour in. Our goal is to provide bags/boxes of food to at least 25 families or individuals before Christmas.

We are seeking donations of non-perishable food items, supermarket gift cards and new toys. The supermarket gift cards will help families to purchase meat and other staples. Also, depending on availability, families with children under 12 will receive a toy for each child.

We will set up in east Baltimore, corner of Jefferson Street & Montford Avenue sometime during the week ending December 24th. The exact date will be determined later. Please help us by donating canned goods, boxed foods and other non-perishable items, toys, cash, or Giant or Safeway gift cards. For cash donations, simply click the "Donate" button on the top, left sidebar of this blog. To donate food, toys and gift cards, please email me at lotusrising523[at]hotmail[dot]com for the mailing address.

"If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother." Deuteronomy 15:7 

There is NO reason anyone in this great country of ours should ever go hungry. Please stand with us as we do our part to help eradicate hunger--one soul at a time! Thank you for your assistance and happy holidays.

Pledge to Fight Senior Hunger

Photo courtesy of ComfortKeepers.com

"Nearly nine million older Americans are struggling to get enough to eat, and unless we do something to help, even more will go to bed hungry next year." ~ AARP Foundation

Take the pledge to help seniors in your community fight hunger and if you can, make a donation to the AARP Foundation! 

Number of hungry senior citizens growing

Hungry seniors in southwest Florida

Senior hunger summit

Comfort Keepers 

Food Stamp Challenge...Time for reflection and action!

The second annual Food Stamp Challenge (2011) sponsored by Maryland Hunger Solutions has ended. Over 160 people participated including a Maryland senator, several delegates, the Maryland AARP State Director and other advocates.

A few students from the University of MD participated in the challenge and blogged about their experiences. Many wrote about their concerns regarding the lack of nutritious meals, variety and the feeling of intense hunger. Click here to read the blogs.

Now that the challenge has ended, we have the perfect opportunity for reflection and action. Could you live on $4.30 a day for food and if you could, would you be able to purchase healthy options and create well-balanced meals for yourself and family? If you were in a position to help would you?

The new face of hunger? - Photo courtesy of FeedingAmerica.org

The face of hunger is changing in America. The new hungry is now the educated and middle class. Many rely on food banks or other food programs to keep food on the table. Most of us know someone who is hungry. Now is your chance to make a difference! You don't have to have a lot of money and you don't have to save everyone. Just make a commitment to do something:

• Donate food or volunteer at your local food bank
• Adopt a family or individual in your community: purchase grocery store gift cards; collect packaged food from family members and friends and give to the family; or when you cook for your family, make a little extra and share of the cooked food
• Participate in public events to raise money for the hungry (check for events in your area) 
• Write to your governor about hunger in your state and in your community
  

There are many things you can do to help. Find creative ways to give back and make a difference in your community. Enlist the help of your family, friends and colleagues--chances are many of them would jump at the opportunity to help. Feeling bad for those in need is not enough. Get involved!

Articles:

CNN Living: The new hungry: College-educated middle-class cope with food insecurity

USA Today: New breed of Americans going hungry

Other Links:
Feeding America

Contact government officials

How to write letters to your congressman

Food Research and Action Center

If you are hungry and in need of food, search for resources in your state by going to a search engine and typing in something like "hungry in (your state or city)." If you do not have internet access, call the mayor's office in your city and ask for telephone numbers for food banks and food programs in your area.

Take the Food Stamp Challenge!

The Food Stamp Challenge, sponsored by Maryland Hunger Solutions, gives participants insight into the struggle of hunger and food insecurity that many of our fellow Marylanders experience every day.  

Challenge participants will use the average federal Food Supplement benefit -- $30 per person for the week - as their budget for food for one week. They are forced to make difficult food shopping choices, and often realize how hard it is to avoid hunger, afford nutritious foods, and stay healthy.

Could you live on $4.30 a day for food? Join Maryland Hunger Solutions and Take the Food Stamp Challenge -- September 19-25, 2011.

Did you know: 8.8 million seniors face the threat of hunger? Visit AARP's "Drive to End Hunger" website and get involved. 

Sweet Potato Bisque

Is there anything better than a piping hot bowl of soup on a chilly day? Try my version of sweet potato bisque. It's healthy, delicious and very satisfying. Don't be intimidated by the length of the recipe as most of it is spices. The prep is a little labor-intensive but the end result will be a savory, sweet, soul-warming treat that is totally worth the effort.

Sweet Potato Bisque

Seasoned & Stirred by LB Turner

Serves 6-8

2 1/2 pounds of sweet potatoes (peeled & sliced)

1/2 medium onion (chopped)

1 cup chopped celery

3 tablespoons cooking oil

16 oz. low-sodium chicken stock (or veg stock)

2 cups light coconut milk (or soy, almond, etc.)

1/2 cup white wine

1 tablespoon fines herbes

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon turmeric 

A pinch of ground chipotle pepper (or cayenne), cinnamon & ginger to taste

Notes: Depending on the size of your skillet, you may need to use two of them. If you do not have the fines herbes (a blend of parsley, chives, tarragon and chervil), feel free to substitute it with approx. 1 teaspoon thyme or 1 teaspoon basil or 1/2 teaspoon oregano.

Heat the cooking oil in a large skillet. When oil is hot, carefully add the sweet potatoes, onions, celery and all of the seasonings EXCEPT the nutmeg and 2 tsp of the fines herbes. Saute until the potatoes are golden brown and the veggies translucent. Remove the pan from the flame and add the wine to deglaze the pan. Continue to cook over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes or until the alcohol has evaporated.

Add the chicken stock, cover and continue cooking over low heat for another 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Turn off the heat and let cool for 5 minutes (there should still be a little chicken stock in the pan).

Puree the potato/veggie mixture in a food processor or with an immersion blender, adding the milk a little at a time. Blend until smooth and creamy (the consistency should be thick but if it is too thick for you, add a little more milk). Transfer the soup to a large pot and add the nutmeg and the remaining fines herbes. If necessary, let the soup simmer for 5 minutes over a low flame to reheat. Do not let it boil! Stir well and serve with a green garden salad or fresh bread (I highly recommend the tomato basil bread from Panera Bread or any crusty, artisan bread).

Consider adding this soup to your holiday party menus. In smaller portions, it serves a lot of people and can be prepared and refrigerated for up to three days in advance! Reheat over a low flame and stir a little freshly-grated nutmeg and fresh herbs in just before serving.