Rose of Sharon Jewelry

On the vine, in the sauce and over your head – tomatoes are a juicy fruit that combines fun, flavor and good health! Got the idea for today’s Tantalizing Tuesday post after reading about Reno’s 2nd annual La Tomatina tomato fight on Saturday.

Modeled after Spain’s famous tomato festival, over 2,500 people gathered in Downtown Reno, NV  to toss around 25 tons of fresh, juicy, ripe tomatoes. The object is merely to let go of all your adult inhibitions and have a full-fledged tomato fight!

The Cal-Neva Club, sponsors this charity event for the American Cancer Society, raising over $25,000 at $10 a head to squish, smash until nothing is left but juice.

If you’d rather eat than wear your tomatoes, I thought I’d share this quick pasta and fresh tomato recipe that is my personal favorite for a quick evening meal. Quantities (and even ingredients) are variable based upon what you have on hand and the number you have to serve. Experiment freely as it’s impossible to mess this one up.

Sharon’s La Tomatina Recipe

• Large pot of water with at least 1 tsp. salt (the pasta has to be able to move around freely and the salt adds flavor without being too salty.)
• Your favorite pasta – small with lots of nooks to hold the sauce is great but it also tastes wonderful with plain old spaghetti. Buy a quality pasta from semolina flour – the few extra pennies per serving are worth it. If you’re a whole grain eater, try one of the new whole grain pastas for extra goodness.
• In a large skillet, cover the bottom with thin layer of your favorite extra virgin olive oil and turn to medium high.
• While water starts to boil, rough chop tomatoes (Roma or other low juice, firm flesh tomato is  best but salad tomatoes work fine, just simmer a bit longer to remove extra juice.)
• Add finely chopped onions into now heated skillet. Soften until translucent. You can add zucchini slices, small squash chunks, celery, thin strips of pepper, eggplant – your choice here. These items need longer cooking so start these in the pan before adding the chopped tomatoes.
• Salt and pepper to taste. Any Italian herb mixture or pizza spice blend can be added. I like plenty of spices and nothing here is spicy so use enough to clearly see the flakes. You can also add a few red pepper flakes if you like it spicy!
• When water is at a full boil, add pasta (cooking time will be dependent on pasta type and wall thickness). Most packages will give you ala dente (a bit toothy) cooking time. The only way to accurately test doneness is to take a bit out of 2 or 3 pieces..
• Add finely minced garlic to sauce while pasta cooks. Watch the sauce to make certain garlic doesn’t burn.
• When pasta is finished, add 2 to 4 tablespoons of soft goat cheese to the tomato sauce (optional). The cheese melts making a lighter cream sauce.
• Scoop pasta from pot (don’t worry about having a bit of cooking water as this starchy water will add body to the sauce) into the sauce pan. Stir until well coated and cheese is melted.
• Serve in bowls with plenty of grated parmesan. This fresh tomato over pasta deserves fresh parmesan so buy a small chunk and grate generously over your steaming bowl!
• Enjoy with a fresh salad and a favorite hard-crusted Italian bread.

Now if you’d like to experience what a tomato fight looks like enjoy the video below of the 2009 event - largest tomato fight in America!

It’s Tantalizing Tuesday – every Tuesday you’ll find tantalizing ideas and products to make your life juicier and sweeter. Join me for some lip-smacking Tuesdays!

Ready for a Tantalizing Recipe?

Peaches are at their peak here and I’ve been buying then at Costco weekly so I have plenty to eat and share.

A great way to prepare peaches is to bake a galette – a cross between a pie and a tart. It doesn’t require the dexterity of working with pie crust, is a bit rustic but isn’t short on juicy, flavor.

My favorite recipe is a Heavenly Peach Galette from baking expert and cookbook author Rose Levy Beranbaum. The recipe including pictures and very detailed step-by-step instructions is on her blog.

If you’re lucky, perhaps have your own peach tree, a great Farmer’s Market in town or a local orchard that will let you pick your own! So find the juiciest peaches you can get your hands on and get to baking!

To learn more from Rose about baking pies and pastries, check out her best seller today. I highly recommend it!

Tantrum Tues. posts are moving to my writing blog at Writes a Lot.com. At the ROSJ blog, it’s now Tantalizing Tuesday – mouthwatering, juicy posts that add sweetness, spice and passion to life!

I love writing the Tantrum Tuesday rants but I decided in the shower this morning (I do some of my best thinking there) that the Rose of Sharon Jewelry blog should totally focus on the positive.

Tantalizing Tuesday will be just as interesting (hopefully you’ll agree) as I talk about jewelry (of course!) and other topics that make life more joyous, more beautiful and more exciting!

The first Tantalizing Tuesday post will appear later this morning!

If you’d like to keep up with my tantrums and rants, I’d love to have you become a Writes a Lot blog subscriber.

You won’t be bombarded with daily posts but what you’ll find there will be worth an occasional quick read.

If you love to write or are interested in a writing career, I’ll be having conversations about the business, creative and personal aspects of being a writer/blogger.

Thanks everyone for all your support of Tantrum Tuesday – I’ll keep stomping my feet just in another location!