Well, hello again! Apparently it’s been four months since I last wrote – little did I know that my summer job would take up so much of my time and that my habitual photography whilst cooking would dwindle! Needless to say, I am back! It will take a bit of time to readjust to documenting my food interests and recipes but I hope you won’t be disappointed :)
Speaking of a summer job, the last few months in Los Angeles have been quite sweltering. How miserable I was working at a local plant nursery, panting under my hat in the hot, hot sun and sweating through the strange phases of humidity (I thought I moved here from Tennessee to escape that???). Honestly, I don’t expect the heat wave to be over until the end of November. But thank God the evenings are cooling down…
With the cooler evenings floods memories of fall in my mind in the East Coast. My heart aches to watch the colors on the trees fade from green to rainbows of yellow, orange and red; to smell them as they flutter to the ground and dance between rake strokes; to bring my awareness to the chill in the air, begging for a cozy jacket and a cup of warm tea; and the vibrant spices of the autumn holidays. Pumpkin spice lattes and boots/scarves just aren’t the same here all thanks to the endless summer…
If you guys have been following me on Instagram, I posted a picture of a dish last week that some of you requested the recipe. So without further adieu, here it is :)
- 1/2 box bow tie pasta
- 2-4 TBS oil of your choice
- 1/2 cup diced onion (white, green or red)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 lb of diced mushrooms (I used a mix of white and baby portobellos but you can use whatever you like)
- 3-5 cups thinly sliced chard, kale, or cabbage, stalked discarded
- 2 TBS flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 3 sprigs thyme - leaves pulled off and stalk discarded
- salt/pepper to taste
- First, start your pasta water in a large pot, seasoned with salt. When the water comes to a rolling boil, add your pasta and cook to your liking.
- On medium heat, in a large non-stick pan, saute onion and garlic in oil until onions turn slightly translucent (3 minutes).
- Add the mushrooms and cook until they are soft (~10 minutes).
- Lay the leaves of your greens on top of everything and put a lid over the pan. If the leaves don't seem to be wilting, add 2-3 TBS of water to the pan and place the lid back on top. The water allows the leaves to steam nicely. Let the leaves wilt (about 5 minutes.) They should be reduced but maintain their bright green color. Take the lid off and allow any excess water to evaporate before moving on to the next step.
- At this point, add a couple tablespoons of flour to the pan and stir around until mixed well. (The veggies may seem pasty now but don't worry. This is in preparation of the sauce.)
- While keeping the heat on medium, pour in 2 cups of milk to the pan. Turn the heat to medium-low and after a few minutes, the mixture should begin bubbling and then thickening quite nicely! Now add your thyme leaves and stir to prevent the milk from burning.
- Finally, add your chopped red pepper. (We're adding it at the end so this pepper doesn't lose its lovely sweetness.)
- Salt and pepper the sauce to your liking. Then pour it over your cooked and drained pasta. Serve with a crunchy, green salad and garlic bread. Enjoy!
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