Where'd The Sun Go?

I know better than to trust the talking heads on TV when they say it's going to be nice for the next 8 days, but somehow I fell for it anyway. I was thinking Yee Haw - here comes a great Friday. Oh Well. Mark my words, they will all be telling us how difficult it is to predict the weather in this area. We might even hear one of them mention the dreaded "convergent zone" as an excuse. Who decided there was such a "zone" anyway, and how are we to know whether every area has one or not? TV weatherman is a great job. You are regularly wrong and they still pay you.

Nothing like a good conspiracy theory to kick off Sea Fair weekend! Here is the real scoop. There had to be cloud cover here because some sun explosions made it likely that there would be great northern lights viewing if only it was clear. See how that works? If there is a chance of seeing something cool the clouds WILL come. That's all you need to know about weather in the Northwest.

The final recipe for the "Pasta" salad I made for our picnic tomorrow is as follows.

10 or 12 cups of julienned raw squash
30 peas shucked
3 pint boxes of organic Cherry Tomatoes
1 Red Onion sliced paper thin
3 Cloves Garlic minced
2/3 cup White Wine
1 Cup String Beans (I used a mix of green and purple or black) cut in 1/2 in pieces
4 sprigs of Thyme
1/2 cup fresh Basil
1/4 cup fresh Oregano
Fresh Mozzarella - I marinated mine in Balsamic Vinegar Olive Oil and Basil
1/2 to 1 cup of Freshly grated Romano cheese - to taste.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Olive Oil

Heat 1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil and saute the onion for 4 or 5 minutes.Add salt and pepper. Add the garlic and saute another minute. Add white wine and let the wine reduce by half. Halve all of the tomatoes and add all but 1/2 cup to the pan and saute until they get mushy. Add peas and cook for 2 minutes and then add all the herbs - first the thyme and then the other 2. Salt and pepper to taste and then pour over the julienned squash. Stir until all the "pasta" is coated well. Allow it to cool to room temperature and then mix in the beans, reserved tomatoes and cheeses.

If you want it a little spicy add some red chili flakes with the tomatoes you cook.

Enjoy your weekends and remember to use sun screen. Just kidding! You'd need sun for that.

More soon....