Viva Italia!

I am happy to report that my strawberry planter recently yielded enough herbs for a delicious Italian meal. I thought I'd share the super simple recipes.

Fetuccine With Fresh Garden Herbs
4 Servings Fettucine Pasta
1/2 Cup Chives
1/2 Cup Oregano
1/2 Cup Parsley
1/2 Cup Basil
1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
6 Cloves of Garlic

Prepare the pasta as directed. Mince garlic. Mince the herbs. Heat oil on low. Add garlic. Stir garlic in oil for about a minute. Add the herbs. Stir for 30 seconds. Toss fettucine with herb mixture.

Sure there's a lot of mincing to do, but as recipes go, it doesn't get much easier than that. A Caprese salad is the perfect side dish and just as easy. My tomatoes have a ways to go before I'll be able to enjoy them in this salad.

Caprese Salad
4 medium tomatoes
4 balls of bocconcini cheese
1 bunch basil torn by hand
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Chop the tomatoes and cheese into discs. You can either overlap them on a plate or just toss everything together. Sprinkle with the basil. Add vinegar and toss (if you've chosen the overlap method, just drizzle the vinegar over the plate). I especially love this salad super chilled. It's a real refresher on a hot summer day.

I rarely cook. I leave that to my husband, take-out joints, and whatever fast-food outlet is convenient. Not healthy, I know. But if every recipe was as easy and delightful as the fettucine and caprese salad, I'd have no excuses.