Snap Pea and Penne Pasta with Fresh Pesto

Garden fresh is the theme at Well on Wheels this week.  I have a bunch of peas vining up a trellis in my garden and I picked a handful the other day, so I decided they'd be the feature item on my lunch menu.  It also helped that my basil plant is bushy and ready to be trimmed and transformed into pesto.

Any time you're looking for a quick alternative to ubiquitous marinara on your pasta, pesto can't be beat.  It's light, bright, garlicky and good.  How can you possibly go wrong with that combination on a warm summer afternoon?

Psychedelic IONic Lunch

Today's lunch felt like a cross between a homecoming and a visit with a long-lost friend, in more ways than one.  I used to work at Wesleyan University and would walk to It's Only Natural (ION) restaurant on Main Street in Middletown at least once a week, either for lunch or just to grab one of their hefty and homey Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, which I would eat on the walk back to the office.  Then after I left that job, I decided I missed the place so much that I needed to work there.  That was about eight years ago.

I think it's been about a year since I've visited, so I was happy to go there for lunch today.  Some things have changed, some have stayed the same.  Most importantly, their famous sweet potato fries are still on the menu and are just as crispy and tender as ever, albeit in a less generous portion size.

(oh wait, I think a few disappeared before I could get my camera out)

Normally I order something from the Specials menu, but the Moroccan Chickpea Stew didn't tempt me today, so I opted for my standby of Cajun Tempeh with Brown Rice and Sauteed Greens.  It was a treat to be able to order tempeh at a restaurant since I rarely make it at home.  The two slices, looking kinda lonely on the platter, were surprisingly filling.

I took a bathroom break to contemplate dessert, and when I came back, this strange message appeared on the table.  Could it have been to cajole me into ordering a decadent baked good, or something more ominous? 

I pondered this mystery, and almost fell into the devious trap when I saw Coconut Cake on the menu, but decided that if I ate anything else I'd need to take a nap.  Next time... perhaps after a night of skating. 

After lunch I perused a couple of used book stores for old cookbooks.  I found a really cute little recipe pamphlet put out by Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, copyright 1957. It was well worth the $1 pricetag. 

How can you go wrong with graphics like this?  Makes me want to brew a fresh pot of coffee and dig into a deep-dish pie with that cheeky illustrator (and I don't even drink coffee).

But the big find of the day was a 7" single by happy giant, the band I was in 20 years ago.  So yeah, that little 45RPM has been sitting in the dusty record bin of the Buttonwood Tree, a used book store/performance space where I've also played some shows, since 1993.  Freaky.  I'd buy that for a dollar. (and I did)

Lemon Basil Tofu with Zucchini and Shiitake Mushroom

Mmmm... leftovers never tasted so good.  Earlier this week I found a bag of Lemon Basil at my local health food store and decided to give it a shot.  I used it for a client's weekly meals to make a simple dressing with rice vinegar and olive oil which I tossed with zucchini ribbons.  The unexpected tang of lemon, which was reminiscent of lemon verbena, was a little sharp at first, but as the dressing sat and the flavors mingled, it really mellowed out nicely.

Today I used the lemon basil to perk up a simple stirfry with tofu, zucchini, and shiitake mushroom.  I started by sauteeing some red onion in a little coconut oil.  Then I added the half moons of zucchini and slices of shiitake.  I wasn't quite sure how I would season everything, though I knew I wanted an Asian flair because of the mushrooms, so I added a bit of tamari.

Then I looked in my fridge and found a jar of Shredded Mango Chutney, which I knew was slightly sweet and slightly spicy.  This was the perfect balance to the savory flavors I already had developing in the pan.  The slightly sour kick of the lemon basil really pulled it all together.  Again, lunch in less than 15 minutes.  Yum!