Fancypants Pasta

Along with cousin Jan, My Beloved and I attended the March meeting of the Homegrown Marin market. We wandered around the transformed fencing school and tried almost everything there from chocolates so rich and spiced that they sang on the tongue to kimchee (my first ever) and lamb sausage sliders. The invitation said to come hungry and we took them at their word.

I brought home a few things from that foray - the chocolates, of course, and Jan bought some cupcakes, but the most expensive item I bought was handmade Baia pasta. The nice guy with the Italian accent who sold it said that they call it "vines." Made from Durum wheat, it's a little different in color than the usual store-bought kind. It's S-shaped in cross section, all the better to capture the flavorings in those long, bendy grooves.

We bubbled it up the other night and topped it with kale sautéed with green garlic (note to self: next time, much more green garlic) as I still had a craving for that left over from the last time I made kale. We grated small, snowy hillocks of ricotta salata over it at the table and enjoyed every bite. Once again, no meat was needed - the filling pasta, satisfying kale and salty cheese were plenty.

We enjoyed our culinary explorations at Homegrown Marin. They are having another event in April. Maybe we'll see you there.