Episode 5! Pull up a seat while I tell y’all about identifying as queer + swooning over jammy tomatoes, and sharing my love of artichokes with my daughter.
Jammy Tomato Orzo Salad
Use this recipe/non-recipe as a vehicle to create other meals.
A jammy tomato can be (almost) anything you want it to be, if you just give it the chance.
I love to eat this at room temperature, after it has had a chance to cool for at least thirty minutes, and the orzo had begun absorbing some of the sauce.
4 Tbsp olive oil
1.5-2 pints of cherry or grape tomatoes
6 cloves of garlic, smashed and peeled
Generous sprinkle of salt
Fresh cracked pepper
6 scallions roughly chopped
1 can chickpeas (or legume of your choice) rinsed and drained
A cup of vegetables of your choosing (I did 1 medium zucchini, chopped)
Fresh herbs (I did a couple handfuls of fresh dill)
A couple handfuls of feta
Zest from 1 lemon
Juice of half a lemon, plus more to taste
1 pound of cooked grain/pasta of choice (I did orzo)
Preheat the oven to 425
Cool orzo according the package instructions, set aside
In an 8×8 pan, add the olive oil, garlic, green onion, tomatoes, chickpeas, salt & pepper
Bake for 35-45 minutes, stirring every ten minutes (don’t forget to add your zucchini if using just before the last 20 minute cycle). You want the garlic to have a little color, the olive oil should deepen, and your tomatoes should be broken down and jammy.
Pull from the oven, allow it to sit for 5 minutes, and add a handful of chopped dill.
Pour the contents of the pan over the orzo (that has since made its way back into the pot it was cooked in) and stir well to combine, adding the lemon zest, lemon juice, another handful of chopped dill, feta, and salt and pepper to taste.
Allow to settle for thirty minutes before serving.
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