Summer Sandwich Classic: BLT

To tell you the truth, I was never a fan of the standard BLT sandwich, but that was mostly because I didn't appreciate the ingredient.  However (as with most simple things), quality is the key. In the past, this was my impression of the classic BLT components:

• Bacon--this is one ingredient that I have always LOVED
• Lettuce (yuck-I never ate green veggies until I went to college)
• Tomato (flavorless!)
• Bread (those pieces of flavorless air from the bagged bread aisle in the grocery store aren't sturdy enough to hold up to the lettuce and tomato)

My view on BLTs began to change about a month ago when....

My patio tomatoes began to ripen.... And I really wanted a sandwich and wasn't in the mood for peanut butter and jelly.... I *knew* that I should eat some lettuce because it's "good for you"... I had just baked bread.... And I just happened to get a hankering for bacon...

The base of this sandwich is this wonderful Sharing Bread from King Arthur Flour.

The nice thing about homemade bread is you get to slice it as thick as you want. I sliced a tomato from my container garden (and took out the seeds), cooked 3 slices of center cut bacon (only 2 slices made it to the sandwich ;-)), and layered on some crisp romaine. Instead of mayonnaise (I'm just not a fan), I substituted spicy mustard. 

And voila! My original presumptions about the simple BLT sandwich were found to be unfounded!

In other news- I finally got a job! Look for more regular posting in the next few weeks. I have been trying out some new recipes, so be sure check back soon!

Bow Ties with Chickpeas and Tomatoes

It's been weeks since the last post here on Goode Taste due to the lack of internet access at our house. But, my hubby was nice enough to bring his laptop home so I could get online.

Since we were getting tired of regular pasta with tomato sauce, I tried the Bow Ties with Chickpeas and Tomatoes from the Food & Wine Pasta cookbook. I really wasn't expecting this recipe to be good, I thought it would be okay, but it turned out to be very tasty and easy. It also got a thumbs up from a very picky eater :-).

This sauce differs from others since its seasoned with cumin and cayenne pepper. These spices aren't overpowering in the dish, you hardly notice that they're in the sauce. Also, the original recipe only calls for 1 cup of chickpeas, but I added in a whole can.

Bow Ties with Chickpeas and Tomatoes
Ingredients (4 servings)
3 1/2 cups (28 oz.) canned whole tomatoes with juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. salt
1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3/4 lbs. bow ties
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

I prepped all the ingredients before beginning the sauce-- that way I could get the onion, garlic, and parsley chopped before getting the cutting bored all soggy with the tomatoes.

So, go ahead and chop the onion, garlic, and parsley and set aside. Next, drain the whole tomatoes and save 3/4 cup of the juice from the can for the sauce. Chop the tomatoes.

Heat a saucepan over medium low heat and add the olive oil. Add the onions, garlic and seasonings. Once the onions are translucent, add the tomatoes and tomato juice and simmer for about 20 minutes until the sauce reduces. Then, add the chickpeas and cook for 10 more minutes.

In the meantime, boil the pasta for about 15 minutes. Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce for a couple of minutes so the bow ties soak in the flavor. Serve garnished with fresh flat leaf parsley.

This recipe makes enough sauce for 4 servings-- I cooked enough pasta for 2 people and then saved the rest of the sauce to eat later in the week.