Tonight's Dinner: August 6, 2012

My friend Genna gave me a giant basil plant that she didn't think she could keep alive.  So for tonight's dinner I literally planned our meal 1.) on using some basil, and 2.) on using up veggies from our fridge.  The only thing I could think of was an all-in-the-pot pasta.  It was hot, a Monday, and I was tired so this was the best that I could come up with.  Plus, I had just taken a bunch of veggies from my parents house since they're on vacation and I'm house sitting.   I couldn't stand the thought of their veggies rotting in their fridge while they were gone so I pilfered them after watering my Mom's plants.

I sauteed sliced garlic, shallots, and about two pounds of button mushrooms (which by now you know I have to cook until they're limp and dead so that my throat doesn't itch) then added a cup of red wine, two large tomatoes and half a Costco-sized bag of baby kale.  I've never had baby kale before and have to say that it's fantastic.  Nick and I still stand by the mantra of, "anything in baby form is delicious".  We topped the pasta with a mound of freshly grated Parmesan and a chiffonade of basil.  All that for a basil garnish, I know it's silly and I probably could have come up with a better use for it, but I didn't.  Maybe on another night when it's not 95 degrees outside and my brain is not recovering from a long Monday at work.  It was still a tasty dish regardless and I got to use my newly acquired basil plant.