Roasted Carrots with Parsley and Thyme

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Tonight's recipe is one of the simple side dishes that I made for the early Thanksgiving dinner we shared with friends several weeks ago. These herb roasted carrots are delicious and they are very easy to prepare. The recipe was developed by Martha Rose Shulman for the New York Times and it is one of those simple treasures that's really nice to have in your recipe quiver, especially if you entertain a lot or have a large family to feed. You will love the play of the bitter herbs against the sweetness of the carrots and the ease with which this recipe comes together. While I do hope you'll give this recipe a try, what I really want to share with you tonight are memories of bologna sandwiches, my daddy and Chicago ward politics during WWII. My dad, a victim of tuberculosis who had a collapsed lung, had been rejected by all branches of the armed services. He keenly felt the rejection and his patriotism and need to serve led him to seek other venues. He actually flew with the Air Transport Command for several months before his x-rays caught up with him and he was grounded yet again. When he was sent home, he devoted himself to the civilian war effort and became an air raid warden and was elected an alderman following a stint as a ward precinct captain. As a young man he had been a union organizer so he was well suited for both jobs and took them seriously. While we didn't have a lot of air raids in Chicago, we had drills aplenty, and, should enemy aircraft miraculously stray into the midwestern heartland, my daddy was  ready for them. Now, for those of you who younger than me, or are unfamiliar with ward politics in Chicago all those years ago, an alderman was basically a fixer/enforcer who delivered votes in return for favors. On election day, lists of voters were checked and those who had not yet exercised their civic responsibilities were found and encouraged to do so. It was a door-to-door effort and my dad really got to know the people in his ward. Their births, deaths, hopes and dreams were etched into his cortex and if help should be needed, he would be the first to offer assistance. He was a complex man, but he had a special affinity for the least, the lost and the lonely. Certain practices, now frowned upon, were commonplace back then, so free drinks at the local tavern and walking around or street money  were a fixture of the political scene. Street money, then and now, is a legal financial perk given to local party officials by an electoral candidate's campaign in exchange for the official's support in turning out voters on election day. Back then, it bought a shot and a beer or a bologna sandwich and election day itself was a social event that brought the neighborhood together. In retrospect, it seems to me that we have traveled miles to nowhere since then. Money is threatening to consume our electoral process, and while it is getting harder and harder for the voices of individuals to be heard, we owe it to ourselves to continue trying. Please vote!  Scream if you must, but vote. Someone is listening.

Roasted Carrots with Parsley and Thyme...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bitecourtesy of The New York Times

Ingredients:
2 pounds carrots, peeled quartered or cut into sixths lengthwise (depending on the size), then into 2-inch lengths
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon oregano
3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Oil a sheet pan or a baking dish large enough to fit all carrots in a single layer. Place carrots in a large bowl, and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme and oregano.
2) Spread in an even layer in prepared pan or baking dish. Cover with foil, and place in oven for 30 minutes. Uncover, and if carrots are not yet tender, turn heat down to 375 degrees and return to oven until tender, about 10 to 15 more minutes. Add parsley, stir gently, and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature. Yield: Serves six.

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Pasta with Pungent Parsley Pesto

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Forgive the alliteration. I know it's bad, but my children named this dish years ago while making merry at the dinner table. It was a working mother's secret weapon and I made it a lot when I needed something fast and easy to pair with broiled steak, chicken or, in a pinch, even poached eggs. The making merry part was usually at my expense and the alliteration was the result too many good teachers and overactive, albeit creative, imaginations. This was back in the day when we didn't grill, we broiled and at that time pesto, the basil and pine nut variety, was sweeping the country. My children didn't care for the standard version, so I had to search for and experiment with other types. The one I found for our use is based on a recipe developed Patricia Wells and it is much easier to make than its more familiar cousin. The pungent portion of the alliteration comes from a few anchovies that are added to parsley as it's processed. Unless you let it sit too long you won't know they're in the sauce, though I must admit their flavor can become harsh if it sits for too long before being served. This is one of those rare sauces that I like to make just before I add it to the pasta. Freshly made, it is delicious and the anchovies are barely discernible. This is very easy to make if you have a food processor. There are folks who insist it is more flavorful if made in a mortar and pestle. I leave the method up to you. Here's the recipe.

Pasta with Pungent Parsley Pesto...from the kitchen of One Perfect bite, inspired by Patricia Wells

Ingredients:
1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons fresh minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 oil-packed anchovy fillets, drained and minced
3 cups loosely packed Italian parsley
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound capellini
1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:
1) Combine garlic, salt, anchovies and parsley in bowl of a food processor. Pulse 2 or 3 times, or until the sauce is well-mixed. Scrape down sides of bowl. While machine is running, add lemon juice and olive oil in a slow stream. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
2) Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of salt and return to a boil. Add capellini and cook according to package instructions. Drain, reserving about 1 cup of water, and transfer to a very large bowl. Add 3/4 of pesto to pasta and toss to coat strands evenly. Add water by tablespoons if it seems to dry. Cover bowl for 1 minute. Toss again and add oil to moisten pasta. Transfer pasta to serving bowls, adding a spoonful of reserved pesto to each bowl. Serve immediately. Yield: 6 servings.

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