My garden is literally exploding right now. My Sungold tomato plant is reaching its tentacles well beyond the confines of its cage…and I am a bit nervous my pumpkin plants are going to take over the world. Want to save money on good food? Grow it. As they say, growing food is like printing money. Well, as long as the seeds take.

The challenge is that, particularly when you’re a novice at growing in stages like me, you end up with an insane amount of the same veggie to use up, all at once. So you need some go-to recipes to make the most of the bounty.

This is the kind of recipe where ingredient quality is king. In the middle of winter, this is a nice simple pasta dish. In the middle of summer – particularly when picking perfectly ripe produce from your garden – this is a transcendent experience. The sweet acidity of Sungold tomatoes makes it totally addictive, if you can get your hands on them.

If you’ve been reading on the internet that tomatoes are inflammatory, never fear… it’s total hogwash. Every single fruit and vegetable has a place in an anti-inflammatory diet. I also highly recommend the almond ricotta here as without it, the recipe doesn’t have much in the way of plant-based protein.

I love this dish so much…it’s the star on the cover of Eat More Plants Cookbook for a reason! This is exactly what I want to eat on a hot midsummer day.

Craving a good salad? Enjoy these!

Summer Zoodles with Raw Sungold Tomato Sauce

The perfect summer dish that is fresh and light, but not a salad!
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Ingredients

  • 2 pounds zucchini, ideally firm and large diameter for better spiralizing,, or 1 pound box of spaghetti, boiled according to package directions
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced or micro-grated
  • 3 tablespoons pickled capers, chopped
  • 1 pound ripe Sungold tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil, sliced into ribbons , (chiffonade)
  • salt, pepper and fresh lemon juice to taste
  • To serve, one 398ml can of white beans, rinsed or 1 cup of my almond ricotta

Equipment

  • Spiralizer

Instructions 

  • In a large serving dish, place oil, garlic, capers, tomatoes, and basil and crush the sauce together with your fingers to release juices and blend ingredients. Season with a generous lashing of salt (at least 1/4-1/2 teaspoon), pepper and lemon juice for more acidity if required. If tomatoes aren't naturally sweet, the addition of 1/2 teaspoon of sugar can boost flavour. Let sit so flavours can blend.
  • Spiralize zucchini or cook pasta. If you don't have a spiralizer, you can use a good vegetable peeler to make large ribbons of zucchini. It will just take a little longer!
  • Make my almond ricotta or rinse and drain beans.
  • Toss sauce with pasta of choice and if using a standard pasta, the addition of a couple of large handfuls of arugula will add extra greens. Divide among four plats and top with almond ricotta.

Photo Credit: Melissa Quantz