Great Escape 2011: Bucatini Pasta with garlic and anchovy, tossed with radish bulbs and greens and finished with a fried egg

Picture this. Four months before you mail in a check. Soon thereafter the emails start arriving with clues such as:

1. Over the course of the weekend we will be visiting TWO states.
2. Frills and fancy…there’s nothing too good for my girls.
3. At some point on the trip we may be wearing helmets.
4. Indulge

A week before a packing list arrives and 24 hours before you get your destination, itinerary, and plane tickets. Such is “The Great Escape” a trip that I take each year with my amazing, wonderful, incredible, and yes, highly modest and dearest friends. Each year there is one planner and they are responsible for everything. Where you’re going, what you’re spending, what you’re doing, where you’re staying, and of course, what you’re eating.

This past weekend the lovely Meghan planned our trip and off we went to Blue Ridge, Georgia for a weekend of cute accents, Southern charm, and yes, the occasional confederate flag. It was a weekend of cuddling, boozing, bonding, laughing, hot-tubbing, and of course mandatory goal setting (we didn’t get the reputation for being the nerdy kids in high school for nothing.)

 

 Weekend highlights included white water rafting, a charades championship where Madeline successfully acted out Tupperware, Rachel’s declaration that we should wake up “organically” (read 11a), and lots and lots of food.  This pasta dish wasn’t actually made on the trip, but I think I talked about it enough that the girl’s probably feel as though they had it. Don’t be worried about the interesting collection of ingredients and flavors.  This recipe came about from me combining two of my favorites and I promise you…it’s more than delicious.

Make this for an oh-so-good weeknight dinner when your summer CSA box or garden is going wild. And begin the countdown for next year’s Great Escape.

Bucatini Pasta with Garlic, Anchovy, and Olive Oil tossed with Radish Bulbs and Greens sautéed with Green Garlic and Chives and finished with a Fried Egg

Bucatini Pasta (adapted from Cozy Delicious)

1 lb bucatini (or spaghetti)
1/4 cup good olive oil
3 tablespoons sliced garlic (do slice it versus crushing or mincing..it’s better this way)
2 tablespoons anchovy paste
two shakes red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water until just al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water before draining the pasta.

Meanwhile, over medium-low heat, heat the oil in a large saute pan. Add the garlic and anchovy paste and cook, stirring, until the garlic begins to brown. Add the pepper flakes if using. Add in the pasta, reserved water, and cheese and toss well to combine, cooking another minute or so.

While you’re making the pasta, in a separate pan put together the radish portion of the dish.

Radish bulbs and Greens Sautéed with Green Garlic and Chives (Adapted from Hand-Farmed Organics)

2 bunches radishes
2 -3 cups ovation greens mix
1.5 Tbsp butter
1.5 Tbsp chopped green garlic
1.5 Tbsp chopped chives
salt and pepper

Clean radishes and coarsely chop the greens. Trim and quarter the bulbs.  Heat the butter in a skillet, over med. Heat.  Add radishes and cook, stirring often for 2 min. 

Stir in greens mix, radish tops, chives and garlic  until wilted.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Toss the pasta base with the radish dish and combine well. Quickly fry up an egg and serve. So good!

Panzanella Salad with Kalamata Olives, Garbanzo Beans, and Basil

Panzanella Salad

A dear friend, and fellow blogger, recently described her great accomplishments of the past month as:

• “I did not cry in the past four days even though sometimes I was really drunk.”
• “I went to the beach everyday in August and did not get burned.”
• “Yesterday, at the grocery store there were free samples of cake and I did not eat one.”

Because of how my life has been going, I’ve been measuring my triumphs in a similar scale. Take today for instance:

• Upon waking, my hair only moderately resembled a rogue bonsai.
• I did not once sign one of the 200 work emails I fast and furiously sent out with ‘xoxo’. (this is a deep seeded fear of mine, even though it has only happened once).
• I successfully managed to wear one of those chunky chic necklaces that are so popular right now without anyone openly mistaking me for a kindergarten teacher.

Yes…today was a good day.

The real triumph of the day however, undoubtedly, and per usual, came in the kitchen.

My tomato plants, having been seriously stunted by our lame summer, finally kicked into gear and produced a whole slew of beautiful, tomatoes. Add to that a bit of stale bread in my freezer, and a shameless desire to recreate the oh-so-delicious panzanella salad I recently had at Rowhouse and we were in action.

This is very easy and quick to make, and is beautiful when presented. A perfect way to use the last of summer’s bounty.

Panzanella Salad with Kalamata Olives, Garbanzo Beans, and Basil

Serves 4-6

1/2 pound (about 5 cups)  stale bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes.  You want the bread to be substantial; think french bread or sour dough.

1 lb ripe tomatoes (about 3-4 cups), cut into 3/4 inch pieces

1/2 cup diced red onion

1 can garbanzo beans

1/4 cup kalamata olives

1/2 cup fresh mozzarella (optional)

1/2 cup fresh basil, sliced

1/2 cup olive oil, + 3-4 TB

3 TB Balsamic

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1. In a large bowl, toss the bread with 3 TB olive oil. Add the remaining 1 TB to a cast iron skillet, bring to medium heat, and brown the bread as if making croutons. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. In the same serving bowl, add the olive oil, balsamic, salt, and pepper and whisk to make a dressing.

3. Add to the bowl the tomatoes, the garbanzo, the red onions, the kalamata olives, the mozzarella (optional), the basil, and the bread.

   
   

4. Toss to thoroughly combine.

5. Let stand at room temperature, stirring occasionally, for 5-10 minutes, or until the bread has absorbed the tomato juices without losing its texture.

Enjoy!