RESURRECT DEAD ON PLANET JUPiTER

Recipe Corner

I swore I’d never do this, but this recipe is just too good to pass up. It has detailed regional instructions too, so that saves it a bit. But anyway, eat this:

First, buy a pound of Fusilli pasta. Next, you’ll have to take a trip to Sue’s on 18th near Sansom. Get there ASAP as this recipe is extremely time sensitive. Here’s what to buy:

Go to the back and pick up a large container (one of the $3 ones) of fresh mozzarella balls. On the way up front grab a bag of fresh basil ($1) and a small, ripe, red Jersey tomato ($1 a pound during this peak season) If you don’t have garlic, pick some of that up too. Next comes the important part. At the front counter are fresh, local grape tomatoes. The yellow ones. They’re $3 a pint, but they are the best tomatoes you’ll ever eat. I’ve eaten an entire pint as a snack, continuing munching on them well beyond the point that the acid in the sweet little things started burning the inside of my mouth.

Even with the little tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, you’ll make it out of Sue’s for under $10. For a festival of gluttony for 2 or a solid meal for 3 or 4, this is a good deal. Next, take your bounty home. The recipe is very simple.

Seed your red Jersey tomato. (Core it, cut it along its equator, squeeze gently and scoop out seeds and gook with your finger.) Dice the tomato fairly finely.

Put a pot of water on to boil.

Coat thoroughly a 9” stainless steel pan with a good olive oil. Dice or crush 4 cloves of garlic and heat it in oil over a medium flame. When garlic is barely golden, separate it from the oil through a strainer and discard it (discard garlic, not oil!)

Eat a few balls of mozzarella and a handful of yellow tomatoes. When water reaches a boil, cook pasta.

Wash up and cut a couple bunches of basil leaves. (Maybe half to three quarters of a cup chopped) Add this to the tomato. When pasta is done drain it, add oil, add basil/diced tomato, add mozzarella, add yellow tomatoes, salt and pepper. Serve immediately with shredded Reggiano Parmigiano, a nice Italian white wine and maybe a spinach salad.