Baked penne with tomatoes

This dish is a favourite with leftover pasta and tomato sauce from the day before, but can be done from scratch too.

GET
500 g Penne
1 cup of tomato sauce
1 cup of cherry tomatoes
Some basil leaves

Optional
2 cups of cream
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 cup rennet-free cooking cheese 
1/4 cup Gorgonzola cheese
1/4 Mozzarella cheese


DO
A)  The leftover option:
The pasta and tomato sauce have been already mixed the day before. Now add the small tomatoes and if you like the cream and cheese mixture. Heat the oven. Grate some of the cooking cheese over the dish and cook till the pasta is hot and the cheese has melted. Decorate with basil.

B)  Without the leftovers
Boil the pasta al dente and drain. Mix all cheeses, cream in a bowl. Mix pasta, dairy and the small tomatoes and place on shallow baking dish. Grate some of the cooking cheese over the dish. Cook till the cheese has melted. Decorate with shredded basil leaves.
   

Bunya Pine Nuts in Green Tomato Sauce

GET

25 Bunya nuts
10 ripe green “Green Zebra” Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum)
see details on previous post
1 large onion
4 garlic cloves
2 celery sticks
a dash of agave nectar
some olive oil

Split Bunya nuts with garlic

DO

Peel the bunya nuts. Skin the tomatoes and chop them. Cut the onion fine and fry in the hot olive oil. When golden, add the tomatoes, the garlic and the finely chopped celery. Add the bunyas, cover and simmer for 25 min. Remove the lid and lightly cook for another 10- 15 min to get a sugo/thick consistency.

The sauce was served with small firm potatoes. This combination puts an end to the simile 'The bunya tastes like a potato'. Served with a crunchy rucola salad

Tomato, Bunya, Garlic in cooking stage

The desired cooked consistency

The unpredictability of the bunya harvest: 6 cones were peeled, a large box was filled with 'compost' and the yield can be seen on top. A crop that does not conform to an efficiency obsessed agri-industry.

Click to enlarge

More Tomatoes
Bunya spaghetti napolitana
Tomato sauce with noodles

More on Bunyas
Bunya Pine Nuts with Aubergine
Bunya Spaghetti Napolitana
Kumera Bunya Soup
Bunya Pine Nuts in Coconut Milk

Green Beans in Tomato Sauce

GET
10 large juicy organic tomatoes
1 1/2 pounds green beans
and some purple string beans
2-4 large organic garlic cloves
4 medium organic onions
3 tbsp cold pressed olive oil
6 black pepper corns
2 bay leaves
Savory (Satureja) if available
Basil and parsley


DO
The Tomato Sauce
Pour boiling water over tomatoes and peel them.
Press garlic and fry slowly in some olive oil in a pan until translucent.
After a few minutes add sliced tomatoes and cover with a lid. Add the pepper and bay leaves
Continue to cook on a low heat for some time. Stir occasionally. Remove lid for some periods to reduce the liquid.

The Beans
Meanwhile, chop onions and fry slowly in olive oil, stirring occasionally until lightly golden. Clean the beans and trim the ends off. Dry them. Slice beans diagonally into chunks, leave small ones whole. Add beans in portions to the onions and fry lightly.
Pour the liquid reduced tomato sauce over the beans and simmer for approx. 45 min.

If available I like to add some Summer savory (Satureja hortensis) or Winter savory (Satureja montana) in the simmering process for flavour.

Sprinkle with finely chopped basil and parsley before serving. Feta and rice go well with this dish.

The dish can be eaten hot or at room temperature.

Okra in Tomato Sauce

get
500g small to medium okras (finger length)
500g tomatoes
3 large cloves Russian garlic
Olive oil

do
Pour boiling water over the tomatoes in a bowl. Then cold water after 5 minutes. Peel them.
Add a little olive oil to a pot and heat. Add garlic cloves. Lightly fry for a few minutes.
Add peeled tomatoes. Cover and cook at a low temperature for 1 hour. Stir and crush tomatoes and garlic occasionally. Remove the lid and continue to simmer for another 1 hour until the sauce thickens.
Clean the okra. Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan. Add the okra when hot and fry for about ten minutes turning from time to time. Add the fried okras to the tomato sauce and cook slowly for ½ hour.Serve hot or cold. This dish goes well with Feta and Figs Variations

Ratatouille

GET
6 large juicy organic tomatoes
1-2 large organic garlic cloves
1 tbsp cold pressed olive oil

4 medium organic onions
2 organic aubergines
1 tbsp saltflakes
1 organic zucchini, sliced.
3 tbsp cold pressed olive oil
Basil

DO
Cut aubergines into small cubes, place on a plate, sprinkle with salt, leave for 1 hour.

Pour boiling water over tomatoes and peel them.
Press garlic and fry slowly in a pan.
After a few minutes add sliced tomatoes and cover with a lid.
Continue to cook on a low heat for 2 hours. Stir occasionally. Remove lid for some periods to reduce the liquid.

Meanwhile, chop onions and fry slowly in olive oil, stirring occasionally until lightly golden.
Rinse the aubergines and press out the brown liquid.
Add aubergines to the onions.
Fry for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add zucchini slices.
Fry for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
Add a little of the tomato sauce, stir in and turn off the heat.
When the tomatoes are reduced to a sauce, add the other vegetable mixture to it and mix in. Add the chopped basil,

Serve hot or cold. Goes well with tofu or noodles.