Ravioli with Roasted Vegetables

Here is another recipe I got off of a favorite food blog, Debbie Does Dinner Healthy.

This is a really nice, light meal, for the summer.

Ravioli with Roasted  Vegetables

Adapted from recipesitalian.com and DebbieDoesDinnerHealthy.blogspot.

1 head of garlic

3-4 zucchini

(7 or 8 plum tomatoes)

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. italian seasoning

Salt and pepper to taste

1 package cheese or meat ravioli  (I used whole wheat/four cheese from Buitoni)

Preheat oven to 450. Cut off top of head on garlic. Place in a piece of foil. Drizzle with a little bit of oil, season with salt and pepper. Close foil tightly and place on baking sheet. Slice zucchini into 1/4 in. circles or strips. Cut tomatoes in half lengthwise, remove the seeds and juices. Place both on baking sheet. Drizzle with the rest of the oil, season with salt, pepper and about 1/2 of the italian seasoning.  Roast for 20-30 minutes. 

(I cut the zucchini  into strips during prep so it would be easier to chop for the sauce.  I scooped out the tomato seeds and pulp with a spoon.)

Roast all of the veggies until the zucchini and tomatoes are softened, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and turn off heat. Leave the garlic in the oven for about 20 more minutes. Coarsely chop the zucchini and tomatoes when they are cool enough to handle. Place in a small bowl with any of their juices. When garlic is done and cool enough to handle, squeeze it out of the peels into the same bowl.

Cook ravioli according to package directions, reserving the pasta water. Heat a saute pan sprayed with a bit of cooking spray. Add the vegetable mixture, 1 T tomato paste and a pinch of sugar. . Drain the ravioli and add it to the veggies, along with enough pasta water to make a bit of sauce.  Stir in some chopped parsley. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  I thought the touch of tomato paste and the bit of sugar deepened the flavor of the zucchini.  Give it a try!

Fresh Spring Rolls

I love it when I see a fresh spring roll on a menu.  You know, not the crispy fried things, but the lovely fresh stuff wrapped up in rice paper and served with an asian dip with a kick?  Well, thanks to the internet and Everyday Food, I finally figured out how to buy the rice papers and to make these rolls.  Everyday Food had a 'meal tip' months ago suggesting you roll julienned raw veggies in a rice paper.  The photo looked so good.

So....I found the wraps at the local Earth Fare.  They keep forever, of course, but I always forget about them.  Anyway, here is a veggie wrap I created.  Not gorgeous to look at, but it tasted good.

Yummy Bread

A new local farmer's market has opened here.  It began on a vacant lot near the Lynx tracks last year for very local farmers and others to sell their wares.  This year it managed to rent the empty Trolley Barn (we scrapped the trolley when we built the Lynx commuter train line).  It is still on the Lynx Line, but has good parking and big air blowers to keep customers cool, as well as a roof.  There is a local knife sharpener truck parked right outside.....

Anyway, I stopped by and bought some homemade okra pickles and also visited the stand with local bread.  Big, beautiful round loaves.  This one was stuffed with cheese and sausage.  When I got it home and sliced it in half for lunch, it did not have very much sausage in it, so I ended up making a sandwich from some spring greens and other fresh vegetables, and some salami, all drenched in vinaigrette.  A very yummy lunch.