I felt as though I was in Italy

My best friend of more than 30 years is going to Italy (Tuscany!) next month to celebrate a major birthday. It is my dream trip too, but not something I can't afford to do at this point in my life, so all I can be is happy for her and wistful for myself.

But, tonight I think I was in Italy, if only for an hour or so. I made the freshest tasting pasta ever tonight. It is, of course, from the EatingWell.com site, and has the unfortunate title of Raw Tomato Sauce. Raw is such an ugly word. It offers nothing for the mind to envision. This pasta is not raw, it's fresh. The name does not bring to mind visions of outdoor bistros in a town square in Tuscany or the beyond stunning flavours that my mouth is still remembering almost two hours later.

Look at this and tell me you don't want it!

This is A Taste of Tuscany, not Raw Tomato Sauce!

Actually, this dish is quite similar to something my sister makes each time I come to visit. She knows how much I love it. I'm not a fan of mozarella, nor did I have any. Like my sister, I would have used feta, but was out of it as well. In the end, I sprinkled it with my favourite pasta cheese, Romano. I followed the recipe quite closely, but used fresh from the garden herbs (basil and oregano instead of dried (what the?!) and grape tomatoes instead of plum, and two cloves of garlic instead of one (remember my rule of doubling the garlic in most recipes [or using half again as much at least]). The hit of garlic, the sweentess of tomatoes and the tang of the kalamata olives made my belly so happy. This is a dish worthy of Eat, Pray, Love.

With a glass of wine — belissimo!

I don't know what else to say but use fresh tomatoes now that they're in season, fresh herbs, lots of pepper, and whatever cheese works for you. You may need to add more salt if you don't use Romano or feta. It could be a bit bland otherwise, and I think you need it to accent the sweet tomatoes. 

Then, sit out on your desk, close your eyes, listen to the birds singing, feel the sun warming your arms, imagine the raucous sounds of Italian voices arguing over the vintage of the wine, take a sip and enjoy your first taste of Tuscany...

Godere, mangiare!

Raw Tomato Sauce

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/raw_tomato_sauce.html
From EatingWell:  August/September 2006In this raw sauce, tomatoes marinate in their own juices along with some fresh herbs, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil and red-wine vinegar. Diced fresh mozzarella absorbs the delicious flavors of the whole melange. Toss with hot or room-temperature pasta.
4 servings | Active Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1/3 cup diced fresh part-skim mozzarella
• 2 tablespoons chopped Kalamata olives
• 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh marjoram
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preparation

1. Combine tomatoes, mozzarella, olives, vinegar, oil and garlic. Add basil, marjoram, salt and pepper. Let stand to allow tomatoes to release their juices, about 10 minutes.

Nutrition

Per serving : 141 Calories; 10 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 7 g Mono; 2 mg Cholesterol; 8 g Carbohydrates; 6 g Protein; 3 g Fiber; 386 mg Sodium; 412 mg Potassium
1/2 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 2 fat
Nutrition Note: What you get: Vitamins A & C, potassium, fiber.