I’m a vegetarian, and cook for myself and my husband, who is not a vegetarian. Despite the fact that he’s Italian, sometimes, we get sick of regular pasta. I was excited to I found an awesome Israeli couscous recipe on Smitten Kitchen, one of my favorite food blogs, and modified it to fit our tastes and what herbs we had on hand. If you’ve never had it, Israeli couscous, sometimes called pearl couscous, or Middle Eastern couscous as it was labeled in Whole Foods’ bulk aisle, are like little pearls of pasta usually made of semolina. You can add whatever veggies you like, but who can argue with the cherry sungolds at the farmers’ market right now? This dish can also be served warm or room temp, though, to be honest, I couldn’t wait for it to cool down before chowing down.

Israeli Coucous With Roasted Tomatoes

Serves Six

For the roasted tomatoes and dressing

2 pts grape or cherry tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs)

3 large garlic cloves, left unpeeled

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup warm water

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

For the couscous

2 3/4 cups vegetable broth

2 1/4 cups Israeli couscous

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

handful chopped parsley

handful chopped basil

Roast tomatoes and make dressing:

Preheat oven to 250°F.

Halve tomatoes through stem ends and place, cut sides up, in 1 layer on a baking sheet. Add garlic to pan and roast in middle of oven until tomatoes are slightly shriveled around edges, about 1 hour. Cool in pan on a rack 30 minutes.

Peel garlic and purée with oil, water, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup roasted tomatoes in a blender until dressing is very smooth.

Make couscous:

Bring broth to a boil in a saucepan and stir in couscous, then simmer, uncovered, 6 minutes. Cover pan and remove from heat. Let stand 10 minutes.

Spread couscous in 1 layer on a baking sheet and cool 15 minutes.

Transfer couscous to a serving bowl and stir in remaining ingredients, dressing, roasted tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste.

Any in-season eater will tell you that spring has officially sprung when the asparagus show up at the local farmers markets. Here in the Midwest, asparagus is often one of the few veggies ready when farmers markets open in the spring. Not only are they tasty, but they are low in calories and high in nutrients such as folic acid, beta-carotene, vitamin C, and potassium. This is a simple, yet sublime preparation that will showcase the flavor of this phenomenal veggie.

Balsamic Asparagus

• 1 lb fresh asparagus spears, washed and ends trimmed
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. On baking sheet or in baking dish, drizzle asparagus with olive oil, then toss with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Roast in oven for ten minutes, then drizzle with vinegar. Return to oven, roast 2-3 more minutes, until spears are bright green and "popping" in the oven. Spears should still have crunch.

Tip: Asparagus will tell you where the ends should be trimmed. Just bend in half gently–wherever the spear snaps is where you should trim. Compost the ends or add them to a veggie stock.

With farmers markets opening up here in St Louis, it's time to get out those recipes that taste so much better with fresh, local produce. One of my favorites is this light summer pasta dish, which I modified from a Moosewood Cookbook to suit my own tastes. The raw sauce, with sweet tomatoes, basil, and creamy fresh mozzerella, starts with the classic Caprese salad flavors and adds a little something extra. On those hot summer days, it's best served room temperature.

Summer Pasta

2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered

1/4 cup minced parsley

2 tbsp fresh basil

1/4 cup minced red onion

1 garlic clove, minced or pressed

1/4 cup chopped Kalamata olives

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 lb short pasta (I use penne rigate or farfalle)

2 cups asparagus spears, chopped into 1" sections

1/2 cup-1 cup fresh mozzarella cheese or soy cheese, diced into 1" cubes

Directions

1. Bring large pot covered water to boil (don't forget to use your lid!).

2. While the water is heating, combine tomatoes, parsley, basil, onions, garlic, olives, oil, S & P, and vinegar in a large bowl.

3. When the water is boiling, stir in pasta, cover, and cook for 2-3 mintues. When water boils again, add asparagus spears and cook for 8-10 minutes, until asparagus are tender and pasta is al dente. Drain.

4. Combine pasta and asparagus with tomato mixture. Add cheese and toss together. Serve lukewarm.

Later in the summer, I like to add a cup of fresh sweet corn to the mix. You can use any combinations of herbs, veggies, and cheeses. Served with crusty bread and a salad, this pasta makes a great light lunch. It has also been my go-to dish to bring to backyard barbeques and potlucks.