What's for Dinner

Tonight's menu features a "what's on hand dinner" - my favorite kind of dinner - no recipe - work with what I've got on hand - a beautiful pasta, mustard greens, lemons, smoked salmon and a divine fresh tomato from a Lancaster county hothouse. That tomato was so flavorful I had a flash back / forward to a 90 degree August day - amazing!

If you've never tried mustard greens now is the time to give them a try. Spring mustard greens are mellow compared to the bitterness they develop over the hot summer months. They are so simple to prepare - all they need is a wilting in a hot pan.

My dinner tonight features this gorgeous pasta from Severino - it looks like thin strands of lasagna noodles.

Pasta with Smoked Salmon and Mustard Greens in a Lemon Cream Sauce
3/4 pound pasta
1/2 to 3/4 cup cream
zest of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 bunch mustard greens
4 ounces smoked salmon, flaked
1 tomato, cubed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta as directed - reserve 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Place cream, lemon zest and garlic in a small sauce pan - heat to simmer and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and strain. In a large skillet heat olive oil, add the mustard greens and turn constantly with tongs until wilted, add the salmon, tomato, cream and Parmesan cheese - toss to coat. Add the pasta - toss again to thoroughly combine, add the reserved pasta water if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Done!

Mmmmm! Here - have a bite! Yummy!

Dessert - stewed rhubarb and vanilla ice cream - hello spring!

My husband were driving around Lancaster county today and stopped by Zook's in Intercourse - love their pricing system - masking tape. This is a shop which had gas lights illuminating the shop until just a few years ago - gas lights and fabric - what could possibly go wrong??? I picked up the fabric for my entry in my guild's baby quilt challenge - the two prints are from Andover fabric, the solids are Kauffman. I've got an idea and can't wait to finish the bird quilt challenge to start on the baby quilt.