we definitely played. My dad whisked away my eldest son for a few days, and so my husband and I have been leisurely accomplishing things we never seem to manage to with two kids around. I harvested some nettle from the garden and made homemade pasta. Seriously good served with a filet of salmon in a balsamic mustard glaze. I said, "Honey, you know what they say....the way to man's heart is through his stomach....". A great way to say I love you.
FRESH NETTLE PASTA with Fresh Tomatoes and Blue Cheese
The idea for using fresh tomatoes and blue cheese came from Hugh Fearnsley-Whittingstall's cookbook Three Good Things.
1 1/2 cups unbleached organic white flour
2 cups organic light spelt flour
3 organic eggs, beat lightly
1/2 tsp sea salt
6 cups fresh nettle
Method: Wash the nettle to remove grit. Remove leaves from woody stems and place in a pot with 1/4 cup of water. Bring to a boil and then reduce, steaming until tender - about 4-5 mins. Drain well and allow to cool. Be sure to squeeze out excess moisture. Chop finely.
In the bowl of a stand mixer add the flour, salt, eggs and nettle. With the paddle, stir for 1 minute on #2. Switch to hook and mix for a couple of minutes. Add more flour if necessary. Then knead by hand for a couple of minutes. Allow to rest in a covered bowl for 30 mins.
Use a pasta machine to make pasta.
SAUCE: 2 tubs of cherry tomatoes, quartered
1-2 cloves of garlic, sliced
sea salt and pepper
good olive oil
nice wedge of European blue cheese
Method: Combine all ingredients and allow to macerate for at least 30 mins. When pasta is cooked, toss with the tomatoes and then crumble on the blue cheese. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper. Stir lightly and serve.
SALMON with Balsamic Mustard Glaze
1 nice wild salmon fillet
4 cloves organic garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp organic white wine
1 Tbsp local honey or maple syrup
1/3 cup organic balsamic vinegar
4 tsp organic Dijon mustard
sea salt and pepper to taste
fresh organic oregano, chopped
Method: Preheat oven to 400*. In a small saucepan combine the garlic, wine, honey, vinegar, and mustard. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 5 minutes or until it starts to thicken. Allow to cool and then brush the salmon with half the glaze and sprinkle with chopped oregano. Bake in oven for 10-15 mins. Reglaze halfway through cooking time.
