how can social media empower artists and designers?

How can you move ahead of the crowd? The videos say it all… Seriously, listen to what Raul has to say (video #2 & #3). You could be just one tweet away.

Genius and the Age of Enlightenment: Part #1

Genius and the Age of Enlightenment: Part #2

Genius and the Age of Enlightenment: Part #3

Speakers:

• Hope Frank, CMO, Webtrends
• Even Grenne, CMO, Grammy Awards
• Raul Penaranda, Fashion Designer
• Jeanniey Mullen, CMO, Zino (wearing Raul Penaranda!)

pasta frittata + heirloom tomatoes + yummy goodness

Since farmer market season is almost over here in Boston, I’m trying to get my heirloom tomato fix DAILY. So I spiced up a bland pasta frittata recipe with veggies and a few surprises. Yum!

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons good olive oil4-6 eggs (4 is enough, 6 if you want more)
• 10 ounces thin spaghetti
• 1 chopped large (sweet) white onion
• 1 chopped garlic clove
• 3 (farmers market) heirloom tomatoes
• 1 cup MorningStar Farms Meal Starters Grillers Recipe Crumbles
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup goat cheese
• 1/4 cup packed chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• bed of greens

Directions

Boil hot water and add thin spaghetti. Cook until tender.

While pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a very large pan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute for about 10 minutes, until very tender.  Add Crumbles and two (2) of the heirloom tomatoes and saute for another 3-5 minutes.

Drain and cool pasta. Whisk 4-6 eggs in large bowl. Mix all remaining ingredients except one (1) tomato and greens with eggs. Add saute onions, tomatoes and Crumbles and mix well covering all ingredients with whisked egg.

Add olive oil to frying pan to prevent sticking and pour mix into pan. Cook on low heat for about 5 minutes (until bottom begins to brown). Lift up edges of the frittata pushing them gently towards the centre, reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for 2 – 3 minutes or until bottom is golden brown.

When the frittata is cooked on bottom side, set a large, flat lid or cooking sheet over your pan, grip the handle of the pan with one hand, hold the lid firmly against the pan with your other hand and quickly flip the pan and lid. Return the frittata to the pan by sliding it from lid of cooking sheet and cook the other side until golden brown.

Once cooked, loosen the edge of the frittata. Cut into wedges and serve hot or at room temperature over bed of greens and sliced heirloom tomato.

I’m having the leftovers for lunch today….and probably tomorrow. This serves eight HUGE slices. I also recommend adding Olde Cape Cod Vinaigrette & Marinade to the top for some additional flavor!

pesto + pasta + heirloom tomatoes. yum!

I don’t have a recipe for this one, just eyeballed proportions.

Here are the ingredients:

• pasta (really, any kind)
• maple pesto (from the boston south station farmer’s market)
• walnut oil (mixed with the pasts and pesto)
• mozzarella cheese (under the tomatoes)
• heirloom tomatoes (also from the farmer’s market)

barefoot contessa tomato soup

I don’t eat meat (I sometimes eat fish), but I haven’t found a vegetarian cookbook that I truly love. I often prefer to make non-veggie recipes veggie friendly (or I check out eat well with janel for inspiration). When I saw a friend tweet the Barefoot Contessa Cream of Fresh Tomato Soup recipe two days ago, I couldn’t get it off my mind! It is heirloom tomato season after all! So I had a mission to shake things up a little. (Be warned, this recipe takes longer than an hour to complete.)

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped red onions (2 onions) 1/2 large (sweet) white onion
• 2 carrots, unpeeled and chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 4 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes (farmers market) heirloom tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar 3 tablespoons (local) honey
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/4 cup packed chopped fresh basil leaves, plus julienned basil leaves, for garnish
• 1/8 cup rosemary leaves
• 3 cups chicken 2 cups vegetable stock, preferably homemade
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup heavy cream 1 1/2 cups silk creamer
• Croutons, for garnish grilled cheese sandwich / corn salad

Directions

Heat the olive oil and honey in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and carrots and saute for about 10 minutes, until very tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the heirloom tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste, basil, rosemary, chicken stock vegetable stock, salt, and pepper and stir well. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes are very tender.

Add the cream to the soup, process it through a food mill liquify in a blender (don’t burn yourself!!) and pour into a bowl, discarding only the dry pulp that’s left. If necessary, reheat the soup over low heat just until hot and serve with julienned basil leaves and/or croutons grilled cheese and corn salad. (I don’t have a food mill, so I improvised. I’m sure a food processor would work too.)

I’m having the leftovers for lunch today, with a little avocado added to my corn salad. Yum!

smangela is not

NOT smangela