one of my favorite young friends, halldor dropped by last sunday. i had promised him a dinner of potstickers and mussels marinara. we talked a lot and listened to all kinds of music. finally, got down to making the 'potstickers' and re-doing my latest discovery for a salad.... romaine lettuce with avocado, mango and nectarines (all the usual suspects also... scallions, capers, radishes and a dressing i immitated from the sushi house} someday i will divulge the secret of that dressing, if i can remember what i did.)

anyway, we finally ate around midnight and we were really hungry by that time.

we never got to the mussels. the next day i experimented with the marinara sauce which i recommend everyone try. it's really easy and fast.

what started my obsession with marinara is the plethora of tomatoes i have grown in my little back yard. and peppers. i made gazpacho twice.

i also learned from remembering that someone said the easy way to skin a tomato is to freeze them. i did. and it worked.


when the tomatoes thaw out, just squeeze them and the skin comes off.

so here is the show and tell for mussels marinara.

wash and then steam the mussels



too many tomatoes



this is adjustible, just put what you have. for instance if you don't have scallions, use shallots. mushrooms would be cool too. marinara is supposed to be a little hot. i mean peppery hot. and served piping hot with buttered artisan bread.



add the capers after an hour of simmering.



the full dinner should really include the avocado, mango salad. and the artisan bread for sopping up the juices.


salad: with the magic dressing. i finally figured out how to make. but now i forgot what i did. i know it has mashed apple with no skin and rice vinegar, a dash of tamari sauce and fresh ginger juice. it is so delicious it makes you eat every bit of your 'rabbit food'. greens i mean.



i hope i have made everyone so hungry...