Last night, my friend Christine invited four of us and our kids to stay for spaghetti after a playgroup at her house. While she certainly did all the real cooking (the creamy roasted tomato sauce was amazing and I’m hoping she’ll post the recipe here), the informality of the evening and the way people pitched in made it feel like a Cooking With Friends night.
At least three people stirred the sauce, others mixed salad dressing, put garlic bread in the oven to bake and set the table. Moms served kids fruit and even one dad showed up after work to join the fun. There were sippy cups to be filled with milk, babies to be held and bibs to be fastened. I got to know Christine’s kitchen well as I searched for a large serving spoon and navigated the childproofing system on the drawers. Her dining room was full of laughter and enjoyment together of good food, the most natural and casual of dinner parties.
I can’t imagine a more wonderful ending to playgroup than having my friends and their kids share a meal at our home. It was fun, relaxing, and a treat for my daughter and me as we would have been eating by ourselves, probably singing Wiggles songs! This is the beauty of cooking with friends as it can happen spontaneously with heart-warming results.
Here is my Roasted Tomato Sauce…keep in mind I am an improv cook and it tastes a wee bit different each time.
Approximately 3-4 pounds of Plum Tomatoes
8-12 cloves of garlic
1 bunch of fresh basil
Cut the tomatoes in half and toss with a nice olive oil, seasoned pepper and bit of kosher salt. I usually do enough to fill an 9×13 pan. Pop the garlic (you don’t have to take it completely from the shell, but be sure to idividualize) and toss with the olive oil and seasoned pepper and bit of salt in a separate smaller pan. Roast both in the oven at 400 degrees. The garlic takes about 20 minutes (depending on how much you peeled) and the tomatoes can take up to an hour – it all depends on how closely I am watching them. You can’t goof this up.
Throw the garlic in a food processor or blender to finely mince and then add the tomatoes when they have finished roasting. Be sure to add all the juices as well as they make it so yummy! Blend until the tomatoes are a bit chunky, but not totally smooth. Then, add a bunch of basil – this depends on how you like it. I usually add about 8 big stems or maybe 20-25 leaves.
It is wonderful, simple, but so satisfying! We’ve served it over pasta, chicken, fish, you name it!
Thanks! Have fun! I just love cooking with my friends!