{"id":643,"date":"2011-06-30T20:09:26","date_gmt":"2011-06-30T20:09:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/feedingandrew.com\/?p=643"},"modified":"2011-06-30T20:09:26","modified_gmt":"2011-06-30T20:09:26","slug":"christmas-in-june","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/feedingandrew.com\/?p=643","title":{"rendered":"Christmas in June"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Pesto Pasta with a Raw Tomato Sauce<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cWhat plans do you have for your summer break?\u201d is a question I have been fielding for weeks.\u00a0\u00a0 People who know me have come to expect an answer that includes some exciting adventure or destination.\u00a0 I take the educator\u2019s perk of two months off seriously and scrimp and save all year long to have enough money to do something special with all that time.\u00a0\u00a0 Andrew and I have climbed mountains, backpacked into deep wilderness areas, and have even taken a road trip from Paris to Rome.\u00a0\u00a0 So most people have been surprised when I told them that we are staying home because Andrew is taking a geometry class at UCLA.\u00a0\u00a0 The minute I say it, I can see that special look in people\u2019s eyes that either conveys empathy for Andrew who suddenly has a tiger dad with unrealistic expectations, or pity for me and my continuing struggle to help \u201cpoor little Andrew\u201d break free from his past and correct the mistakes he made in eighth grade.\u00a0 Both reasons couldn\u2019t be further from the truth and I immediately follow up with a \u201chis choice, not mine\u201d statement that always gets a raised eyebrow.<\/p>\n

A couple of months ago, Andrew heard that one of our friend\u2019s daughters was taking the class and he wondered why someone would choose to give up their summer for a math class.\u00a0 I explained that it could either help you catch up if you needed to or even help you get ahead and end high school with more math classes than most kids.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to do that,\u201d was his immediately answer.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeriously?\u00a0 It\u2019s a six-week class, starts at eight in the morning, lasts half a day, and includes homework!\u201d\u00a0 Incredibly, Principal Dad was trying to dissuade him from ruining his summer with math.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeriously Dad, I want to take the class,\u201d he insisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it will allow you to take calculus before college,\u201d I answered as I started to warm up to the idea.\u00a0 Still, I wanted to make sure this wasn\u2019t a momentary lapse in good judgment and told him, \u201cIt\u2019s supper expensive and if you do this you can\u2019t miss any days and you have to do really well because the grade is going to count on your high school transcripts.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, that\u2019s fine.\u00a0 I don\u2019t mind and besides it\u2019s my choice so I will want to do the work.\u201d<\/p>\n

I was thinking, \u201cWell, it\u2019s my money and you better work your rear end off,\u201d but decided to keep that thought to myself.\u00a0\u00a0 The truth was that I was a bit stunned and incredibly proud of him.\u00a0 He gave up a two-week backpacking summer camp to take a high school level math class and to me it felt like a glacier had just melted off of a mountain to reveal a profound valley in spring bloom.\u00a0\u00a0 I knew this was there in the depths of his soul and as the awkwardness of his childhood slipped away, I could see the young man he was quickly becoming.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m so grateful that I had somehow been able to sense what Andrew was capable of six years ago when he was my student. \u00a0I can\u2019t imagine what his future might have held if we hadn\u2019t crossed paths.\u00a0 Except for one other teacher, the incredible Miss Dolly, every one of Andrew\u2019s teachers has let me know in one way or another that they didn\u2019t believe in him.\u00a0 One teacher even said, \u201cPerhaps Andrew didn\u2019t belong in a public school setting.\u201d<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t completely blame his teachers for having mixed feelings about trying to corral the impulsivity that Andrew brought to their classrooms.\u00a0\u00a0 Just five years ago he couldn\u2019t read, write, or even do basic math.\u00a0 Just five years ago, Andrew would pull cell phones out of women\u2019s purses as we stood in lines at the grocery store and innocently ask the stunned women how much they paid for it and did they have good games on it?\u00a0 It was only five years ago that Andrew first sat at my table and I realized that he didn\u2019t even know how to eat with a fork and knife.<\/p>\n

I can hardly remember that kid, but he existed and he wasn\u2019t easy.<\/p>\n

So as I watched Andrew walk away from me on Monday morning and into his UCLA math class, my heart was bursting with pride, love, and incredible admiration. This incredibly strong and resilient child of mine was willing to walk into his future with all the confidence in the world.\u00a0\u00a0 In many ways, it feels like Christmas in the June.\u00a0 After years of so many people telling me that he needed major counseling and every concoction of drugs, I keep hearing the Grinch\u2019s epiphany ring in my ears, \u201cIt came without ribbons!… it came without tags!… it came without packages, boxes, or bags!\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 For Andrew, this day came without drugs, special education classes, or even a good therapist.\u00a0 It came without perfect teachers, understanding coaches, and sympathetic outside adult support.\u00a0 It came because Andrew had two key people who chose to never give up: his dad and, even more important, himself.<\/p>\n

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Summer's finally here!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Spaghetti was one of the first dishes I made for Andrew after he came to live with me.\u00a0 I prepared it, set the table and called him to dinner.\u00a0 Then I sat in horror as he grabbed it with his hands and started to shove it into his mouth.\u00a0 I wish there had been a reality TV film crew on me at that moment as I\u2019m sure the look on my face would have been blasted across the network as the hook to get you to tune into the disaster I was witnessing.\u00a0\u00a0 Of course, eating spaghetti with your hands is par for the course when you have a new one at home, but not when they are nine!<\/p>\n

At first, I assumed this was a \u201cspaghetti only\u201d problem as eating spaghetti properly is a hard skill set for younger hands. However, at subsequent meals it quickly became apparent that Andrew had never learned to use a fork and a knife.\u00a0 You don\u2019t really need to learn to use utensils when foraging through a Happy Meal.<\/p>\n

Andrew was motivated to learn everything there was about living life on the \u201cright side of the tracks\u201d and he quickly learned to maneuver pasta from plate to mouth.<\/p>\n

Pasta is still a favorite at Casa Providencia and this recipe is really a two-for-one deal.\u00a0\u00a0 I love pesto and always have an abundance of basil growing in the garden ready for the mortar and pestle.\u00a0\u00a0 Andrew isn\u2019t as keen on pesto by itself, but loves it with the addition of a raw tomato sauce that also works well by itself on hot pasta or as a topping for bruschetta (a grilled piece of thick crusty bread with a topping). Besides, with all the green and red in the dish, it likes Christmas in June!<\/p>\n

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Pesto<\/strong><\/p>\n

The word pesto originates from the use of making a sauce with a mortar and pestle.\u00a0 In the United States we are most familiar with a pesto made from basil, but equally good pesto is made from arugula, parsley, and other pungent leafy herbs.\u00a0 Pine nuts are the go-to nut, but walnuts are an interesting alternative (especially with arugula).\u00a0\u00a0 Here\u2019s my basic recipe, but the truth is that I usually measure pesto by handfuls and not measurements.\u00a0\u00a0 If you like more garlic, add more.\u00a0 If you feel it needs more basil, add more basil.\u00a0 Play with it until you find the right balance for you and your family.<\/p>\n

2 cups fresh basil leaves, thoroughly washed and patted dry<\/p>\n

2 garlic cloves, peeled<\/p>\n

\u00bc cup pine nuts<\/p>\n

\u00bd cup freshly grated Parmesan<\/p>\n

\u00bc cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese (if you don\u2019t have this, a very nice pesto is made with only Parmesan)<\/p>\n

\u00bd cup olive oil (or anywhere from \u00bc cup to 1 cup depending on the consistency you want)<\/p>\n

Salt and pepper to taste<\/p>\n

1 or 2 tablespoons of butter, softened at room temperature (optional)<\/p>\n

If you use a mortar and pestle, you probably don\u2019t need my recipe, so I am giving instructions for a food processor only.<\/p>\n

Combine the pine nuts and garlic in the food processor and give them a few good pulses.\u00a0 Add the basil leaves and pulse until finely chopped but not mushy.\u00a0 Leave the motor running and add the olive oil in a slow steady stream.\u00a0 Shut the motor off and add the cheeses, a big pinch of salt and a good grinding of pepper. \u00a0Process very briefly to combine, and then scrape into a bowl.\u00a0 If using the butter (it adds a nice luxuriousness to the pesto), do it by hand and then top the pesto with plastic wrap until ready to use.<\/p>\n

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Everything raw and ready to go<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Raw Tomato Sauce<\/strong><\/p>\n

2 pounds fresh tomatoes (see note)<\/p>\n

\u00bd cup fresh basil, chopped<\/p>\n

\u00bd cup fresh Italian leaf parsley, chopped<\/p>\n

4 garlic cloves<\/p>\n

\u00bd teaspoon crushed red pepper (I sometimes add a diced fresh red chile from the garden instead of the dried peppers)<\/p>\n

\u00bd teaspoon fresh ground pepper<\/p>\n

2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil<\/p>\n

Salt (see instructions)<\/p>\n

Note:\u00a0 I used to peel the tomatoes for this recipe, but now just seed them and leave the skins on.<\/p>\n

Dice the tomatoes and place in a colander.\u00a0 Salt them very well and toss them around.\u00a0 I use at least a tablespoon of salt, sometimes more.\u00a0 Leave them in the colander for two hours, occasionally shaking them to extract excess water.\u00a0 This step will concentrate the tomato flavor and give you an exceptional sauce.\u00a0 Most of the excess salt is removed in the process, but not all, so you may not need additional salt to finish the sauce.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, mix the other ingredients and refrigerate until tomatoes are ready to be added.\u00a0\u00a0 Serve over hot pasta of your choice, rice, fish, or chicken.\u00a0 Of course, a it\u2019s great on top of a good piece of crusty bread that has been toasted and brushed with olive oil.<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cWhat plans do you have for your summer break?\u201d is a question I have been fielding for weeks.\u00a0\u00a0 People who know me have come to expect an answer that includes some exciting adventure or destination.\u00a0 I take the educator\u2019s perk of two months off seriously and scrimp and save all year long to have enough […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-643","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-recipes"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/feedingandrew.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/643","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/feedingandrew.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/feedingandrew.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feedingandrew.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feedingandrew.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=643"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/feedingandrew.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/643\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":658,"href":"https:\/\/feedingandrew.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/643\/revisions\/658"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/feedingandrew.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=643"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feedingandrew.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=643"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feedingandrew.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=643"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}