In 1972, Dana Gabriel and I shared a bedroom on a farm in the coal mining village of Rossington in the wilds of Yorkshire England. We were student teachers in the local elementary school. This unlikely spot was among the first to experiment with the Montessori method, and so that’s where our college sent us for a semester abroad. (The previous year the group went to Switzerland!) It was winter and the miners were on strike, so we only had electricity 4 days a week. We were young enough to find reading “Wuthering Heights” by candlelight and sleeping with our winter coats over our beds a romantic adventure. Quite a bonding experience as you can imagine, and she has been an angel in my life ever since.
Dana served this lovely side dish last weekend, and it was just ideal for a summer meal…served room temperature, prepared ahead and a perfect complement to a barbecued steak. It looked beautiful on the platter, but then so did the view of the sun going down on Lake Tahoe out of her window…..
12 medium tomatoes
3/4 pound vermicelli
1/4 cup pesto (your favorite recipe, or purchased)
Basil leaves or Italian parsley sprigs
Hollow out the tomatoes by cutting off the stem end with a sharp serrated knife and removing the seeds with a melon scoop. Turn the tomatoes upside down on a rack to drain before filling with pasta.
Cook the vermicelli in a large kettle of boiling salted water. Drain well. Mix in a bowl with the pesto. Cool to room temperature. Fill the tomatoes with the pasta and top each with one or two basil or parsley leaves . Serves 12
Note: This recipe came from the 1982 Martha Stewart “Entertaining”, a stunning book full of recipes for all types of occasions. This recipe was part of a buffet for an at home wedding, which included 15 different dishes. What a woman! Martha says to choose ripe firm tomatoes all of one size (any colors), and to serve at room temperature. If you have one left over I’d be interested to hear how it tastes hot!
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