An Early Mother's Day Gift, a few months late!

This post is dedicated to my dear sweet mum, who has been waiting patiently for this recipe, ever since I wowed her with it last summer.
This is a go-to meal without a doubt. It is easily customizeable to whatever season or state of the produce drawer, provided you have a few staples. In the recipe I will include a few options/substitutions you might try and please feel free to go with your whims here.
So here it is, Mum, Pasta Puttanesca! Eat it outside and you could call it al fresca! Ha!


1 can good-quality albacore tuna (the albacore is a must), drained
1 orange, zested and juiced
1 can tomato chunks ( I used san marzano but you can use something more conventional)
1 -2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 large shallot, minced
1/2 bulb fennel, sliced thin
1-2 carrots, chopped quite small
mixed olives (I used a mix of kalamata, green, and oil cured), sliced lengthwise
a splash of red wine (I save the bottles I don't finish in the fridge to use for cooking)
olive oil
2 cups penne pasta (I use whole wheat but semolina works fine, too, also rigatoni or linguini would work well), cooked according to package instructions
1 cup fresh chopped parsley

1. Heat 2 Tbs. oilve oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and shallot, keeping the heat low enough that the garlic doesn't turn brown. Add the fennel and carrots and saute until the vegetables begin to sweat and soften. Add salt and freshly ground pepper, saute a few minutes more. Add the tomatoes and most of the tomato juices, 1 Tbs of orange zest, a splash of red wine, and the juice of half the orange (you can squeeze the juice directly into the sauce if it is seedless), and about 1/2 cup chopped parsley. Stir and set to simmer for 20 - 25 minutes. Taste for seasoning. The sauce should be sweet and thick with a hint of orange. If the sauce is not thick enough, simmer another 5 minutes. If it is too tangy you can add more orange juice and even a pinch of sugar.
2. Add the drained tuna, olives, and the remaining parsley to the sauce, along with the cooked pasta. Stir to coat. Serve! Easy!

Inspiration Returns in a Fuzz-Lined Beanpod

I felt like it had been a long time since the thrill of kitchen inspiration had blessed me with a visit. Like I'd eaten too much leftover soup and meals grabbed on the go. Thankfully I saw the light (literally, in the form of the sun, finally illuminating the flowers and tree buds), and felt the offer of spring on the 40 mph winds that seem to be incessantly blowing through my fair city. Adding to my springtime bliss was a blessing of fresh fava beans in the produce section of the international grocery. Californians may take fresh favas for granted but we here in the midwest have to grab 'em when we can and commit their green, marshy flavor to our palettes' memories as they are not so easy to come by (or to prepare for that matter). I for one enjoy the challenge of shelling any bean and so don't mind the double-shelling favas require. Give me a seat on the porch and a bucket of beans, some iced tea (or beer) and I'll be quite content.
Digression!
So, Fava beans and mint and pecorino are a classic combination of springtime flavors. I decided to add some shittake mushrooms; I have been thinking about marinated mushroom salads lately and I like the contrast of dark, woodsy mushroom flavor against the bright green bean flavors, to say nothing of the grassy, buttery zip of the crumbled pecorino. Tie it all together with a simple dressing of mint, honey, and lemon juice, toss, marinate for a bit, and there you have it. I could parallel a spring day here: bare brown branches represented by the mushrooms, dark greening grass of fava beans, lemon sunshine, and tender green leaf buds as mint. Corny?
Yummy.
Fava Bean and Shittake Salad

1 pound Fresh Fava Beans, peeled (If I had to substitute something here I think I'd reach for shelled edamame)
1/2 # fresh Shittake mushrooms
2 oz. pecorino romano, crumbled
fresh mint
honey
lemon
1 tsp. fresh garlic, minced
olive oil

1. To prepare the fava beans: open the shiny green pods and collect the beans in a bowl. Blanch the beans in boiling salted water for 1-2 minutes, then plunge into an ice water bath. Drain. Use your thumbnail to puncture the light green skin surrounding the bean, then give a little squeeze. The innermost and true fava bean should slip right out.
2. Clean, destem, and cut the shittake mushrooms into about 1/5 th inch slices. Saute in a tablespoon or two of hot olive oil, turning after few minutes and making sure all the mushroom slices get browned on both sides. Set aside.
3. While the mushrooms cook, (or better yet, before you clean the mushrooms) combine the garlic with 1-2 Tbs olive oil in the bowl you will mix the salad in. Let the garlic rest in the oil until you are ready to assemble the salad. When you are ready to add all the other ingredients, use a fork or spoon to pull most of the garlic out of the oil. (The garlic will have lent some of its flavors to the oil, leaving you with a hint of garlic- I use this technique often when making dressings)
4. Whisk 1-2 tsp. honey and the juice of one lemon into the garlic-infused olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Taste. Add more honey if the lemon juice is too pithy and overpowering. Add the shelled fava beans, sauteed mushrooms, and pecorino crumbles* into the dressing. Add 1/2 cup chopped mint and toss it all together. Taste again for zip, sweetness, and seasoning. Let rest for an hour or more before serving for tastiest results.
*to crumble the cheese, set it out and let it come to room temperature, then poke with a fork and give a little twist. The cheese will break apart into natural chunks, which will look natural and add an interesting texture to the salad.