With some hard frosts over the last couple of weeks, I’m so grateful for the hoop house so that we can continue to enjoy peppers and tomatoes! I was part of the small staff team that assembled the hoop house in the spring, and Emily has that process down to a science. It was really fun to see that part of the farm come together, and now to be enjoying tomatoes well into October!
What some of you may not know about me is that I’m a runner! I love running on the trail on Howe Island after a day at the farm, loosening up after hard work in the field or greenhouse. As a female endurance athlete, nutrition is super important to make sure my body stays fueled and ready for all the demands of farming and exercise. Which means I particularly love meals with a healthy serving of carbohydrates and a TON of iron. This dish satisfies both those aspects, and has a bright summery flavour (s/o to the hoop house) that also satisfies my non-running household eaters. I hope you enjoy!
Extended Summer Salmon Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- 300 g feta cheese
- 2 salmon filets or steaks (however you prefer to purchase)
- 1 lemon
- 2 cups spinach
- 410 g rotini or other noodle of choice
- 6-7 basil leaves
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 400.
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Place your tomatoes in a deep baking tray (they will release a lot of liquid which you want to catch). Roughly chop garlic cloves and add them to the tray. Toss with a drizzle of oil and salt and pepper. Place the feta cheese in the center in one large piece. Bake for ~60 minutes.
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Meanwhile, cube your salmon (approx. 1 inch cubes) and toss with oil, salt, pepper and juice from 1/4 of the lemon. Spread out on a parchment-lined baking sheet and add to the oven for the last 25 minutes of baking time.
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Meanwhile, remove stems and roughly tear your spinach into bite sized pieces.
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When the salmon & tomato trays are about 20 minutes from being done, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook your pasta as directed, adding the spinach to the pot with 1 minute of cooking time remaining. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.
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Return the drained pot of pasta and spinach to a burner on low heat, add a drizzle of oil and the reserved pasta water and stir until spinach is wilted. Remove from heat.
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When the tomato mixture is done baking, remove from oven and carefully use a wooden spoon to break apart the feta block. Add the contents of the baking dish (including released juices) to the pot of pasta and stir to combine.
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Add the cubed salmon to the pasta dish. Roll your basil leaves together and cut into thin pieces. Squeeze the remaining lemon juice over the pasta, finish with the basil leaves, and enjoy!