Friday, January 7, 2011

Long Time Gone

The ham is done, gone, eaten by us, the lab and as many friends as we could feed it too.

The last bite I had of it was in a pasta dish sharing the spotlight with cauliflower.

First I steamed a head of snowy white cauliflower broken into florets.   As the water boiled I sauteed a small chopped onion in a little olive oil along with equally small cubes of  the ham.  Then I added a few cloves of finely minced garlic, a scattering of crushed red pepper  and the steamed cauliflower.  I cooked  orecchiette pasta in the same water I used for steaming and when done combined all together in  the saute pan.  A few grinds of black pepper and salt, okay and a splash of heavy cream just because I had some in the fridge, a generous handful of fresh Parmesan cheese and a coating of toasted bread crumbs.

Did it need the ham?  No, it would be just as fulfilling without it, but it didn't need the cream either....


You all noticed I didn't make any New Year's resolutions didn't you?

12 comments:

  1. I dare you to make it next time without the ham, the cheese or the cream! :)

    Got 3 boxes of salal in the shop today to use for a party this weekend and I accidently threw it all in the dumpster...it was frozen by the time I realized it! I thought you wished me a GOOD week!

    No need for resolutions...just do what you want, life's too short to hold back.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I think, using the last of the ham is the one thing most of us have in common at this time of the year!
    The sun may be shining, the snow may be falling, we may be swimming, we may be skiing, we may be saving our houses from flood but still there is that ham to finish!
    I am going to try that recipe tomorrow night xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  3. THis looks so scrummy... just got in from work and I am extra hungry too!! No, no NY resolutions for me either! X

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Jane,

    This looks like a meal with a lot of calories, but very tasty!! Who's cares about New Years resolutions :-)! Enjoy your meal!

    Happy weekend!

    Lieve groet, Madelief

    ReplyDelete
  5. enjoy it!!!

    it looks good.
    and i am sure it will look good
    on you as well.

    hehehehe xxxxx

    ReplyDelete
  6. Looks yummy! Unfortunately, we have a Smithfield ham - well, it's fortunate to have, but too salty to use with your recipe... but down the road... think I can do this. thanks.

    Hope all is well. We got another inch of snow last night, but the roads are blissfully clear!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sarah, it would probably be just as tasty without all these, true. Not my fault the salad, really!

    Julienne, I like it, ham, crosses all boundaries. Makes us all equal. Think I'll rewrite the constitution!

    Semi Expat, Hell with resolutions, let's just live! And live to write about it.

    Renee, Hahaha, unfortunately I was thinking the same thing as I struggled into skinny jeans today.

    Webb, It would be fabulous even without the ham. 2011, the year of the cauliflower.

    Madelief, Damn it, am I the only person out there eating without thinking? Must consider the calorie.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Leftovers and cauliflowers - two utterly under-rated sources of deliciousness in one dish! Love cauliflower in veggie curries too. Yum. I have put on half a stone over Christmas :(, so if you have any low cal loveliness I am all ears!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh, wow, excellent finish. You really sent that ham out with a bang.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Jane,

    I really don't know how you are able to make cauliflower look so tempting, but you did it! (I can't stand cauliflower by the way). You are quite the cook. Yum.

    Goodbye ham.

    ReplyDelete
  11. ~ oh...how i wish i lived next door to YOU , my friend...that pasta looks DELICIOUS !!!

    most of the bread recipes in sarabeth makes 2 loaves...i would leave one on your doorstep
    :-)

    kary and teddy
    xxx

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wow, that's a butt-load of ham, Jane!! We're working on light veggie lasagne, and I'll be making French lentil soup with sausage later today/tomorrow. B spent 4 hours yesterday peeling walnuts for a pasta sauce. PEELING the skins off, not shelling. And only 8 ounces, at that!

    ReplyDelete