Confession time

 I never thought it would come to this, but I have apparently become a gardener. I know. Next, I will get into knitting or (heaven forfend) crochet. Gulp. If I start subscribing to Martha Stewart You Tube channels on decoupage or macrame, please call the authorities. This is what shelter in place has done to me. 

And that isn't even the confession - the real shame comes from admitting that I actually enjoy gardening. I get a kick out of going out there and watering my veggies each night. And at this point in the process, I'm getting a huge boost out of picking more and more tomatoes each day, as they redden so fast you can almost watch it happen. Don't even start me on the way my chocolate bell peppers are turning shiny brown; I'll bore you rigid in less than a minute. 

The wealth of tomatoes does however give me a dilemma. Child 3, the only one still in residence, finds tomatoes completely unpalatable, unless they are cooked into oblivion in a sauce (or unrecognizable in ketchup or pizza sauce), so he isn't keen to help with the bowls of fresh fragrant red orbs now gracing the shelves of our fridge. Or is he?.... I have discovered that there is yet another way of disguising tomato-ey goodness, even to those with the most suspicious of palates - namely blitzing them in the food processor to create a pesto-style pasta sauce, whose tomato origins are largely hidden. (And, for the record, same kid also thinks eggplant is the work of the devil, but unknowingly ate a whole bunch of the stuff in one of the dishes below - buahahaha!)

Below are two recipes which thrive from a good dose of tomato subterfuge. One doesn't even require you to cook the tomatoes in any way, before whizzing them into a chunky pulp. And there is something immensely satisfying in quenching one's Covid-related frustrations by pressing that button and watching destruction in progress in the food processor bowl. All the more so, if it creates a tasty dinner in the process. So wait til the point in the day when all those frustrations are building up to what seems like a crescendo, load up the machine, press the button with one hand (preferably holding a glass of wine in the other) and blitz away at least some of the Covid/smoke/homeschooling blues.

Sicilian Pasta with Tomatoes, Garlic and Almonds
adapted from Nigella.com

Serves 4

1 lb penne
salt

1/2 lb cherry/grape tomatoes

1 oz golden raisins/sultanas

2 cloves garlic, peeled

1 TBSP capers, drained

2 oz unsalted almonds

1/4 cup olive oil

fresh parmesan to serve

1 cup fresh basil, chopped

1. Cook the pasta in salted water until ready. 

2. While the pasta is cooking, put the remaining ingredients, except for the basil, in the bowl of a food processor, and blitz until it makes a nubbly-textured sauce.

3. Drain the cooked pasta (reserving a little of the cooking liquid) and return to the saucepan. Stir through the sauce from the food processor. If you want a runnier sauce, add a little of the cooking liquid to loosen it.

4. Serve topped with grated parmesan and fresh basil. 

Eggplant Puree Pasta

adapted from Smittenkitchen.com

Serves 4

1 medium-large eggplant, chopped into cubes

2 cups cherry/grape tomatoes

3 cloves garlic, peeled

olive oil

salt and ground black pepper

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 lb penne

1/4 cup torn fresh mint and basil (or one or the other, if you prefer), plus extra to serve

3 TBSP olive oil

1/2 cup grated parmesan

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

1. Preheat oven to 400F (200C).

2. Put eggplant, tomatoes and garlic on a large rimmed roasting tray, and toss with olive oil to coat. Sprinkle with salt. Put in preheated oven to roast for about 35 minutes, by which point the vegetables should be tender, and the eggplant tinged with brown on the edges.

3. Meanwhile cook the pasta according to instructions. Drain, reserving some of the cooking liquid, and return to the saucepan.

4. Put the roasted vegetables in the bowl of a food processor. Add the torn mint/basil/both and 3 TBSP olive oil and then blitz until almost smooth.

5. Add this eggplant mixture to the saucepan with the pasta, adding a little of the cooking liquid to make a sauce that coats the pasta.

6. Serve with more herbs, parmesan and pine nuts sprinkled on top.