God I hate fall. I just hate it. It’s by far my least favorite season. I hate squash and pumpkins and gourds. I hate the colors associated with fall, brown and dark red and mustard and orange (all fine colors on their own but nauseating when grouped together.) I hate dry, brown grass and trees looking all spindly. I hate wearing pants and long sleeves. I hate seeing Christmas displays in stores come Halloween. I hate wind and chill and days getting shorter and darker. It sucks.

I love summer. It’s by far my favorite season. I love tomatoes and strawberries and corn on the cob and watermelon. I love green grass and the beach and heat radiating up from the ground. I love the sky and the water and the smells from my herb garden.

I love wearing dresses and shorts and leaving my shoulders open to the sun. I love reading books with my feet in the pool. I love the complete lack of commercialized holidays. I love going to bed with the sun still kind of up and awaking to the sun already kind of up. I love tomatoes.

This “summer” in California has been mild, and that is putting it mildly. While the rest of the country had raging heat waves, we had overcast mornings and grey-tinged afternoons. If we were lucky, the sun peeked out for four or five hours a day. We didn’t have the blazing heat that goes on for weeks on end and drives everyone to the beach or into the AC. I only swam twice compared to dozens of times last summer. Now people everywhere are starting to get all goo-goo-gaga about fall coming and “oh isn’t it nice and cozy and we can drink tea and bundle up and make stew…” and I say NO! I am not done with summer yet. So I will not go gentle into that good night. I am going to stockpile tomatoes and eat corn on the cob and I am going to use all my spiritual energy to shift the weather in L.A. and force the sun out of hiding for at least one more month. Maybe two. Also, I am going to make this recipe. A lot. I made it last night and loved it so much, I named my adaptation of it after myself. I am that confident that I will never love another pasta dish more than this one. This dish IS summer.

Pasta Alla Callie

Serves 2 not very hungry people or one very hungry person

Adapted from Fried Wontons For You

Ingredients:
- 1/2 lb mixed variety of heirloom tomatoes (I used one medium/large and two medium/small ones)
-  2 large basil leaves plus more for garnish
-  1 clove garlic
-  1 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
-  1/4 to 1/2 lb gluten free spaghetti or linguini (I used Ancient Harvest corn/quinoa blend linguini)
- 1/2 – 1 ball of burrata mozzarella (cream-stuffed fresh mozzarella, it oozes out melty, creamy cheese when you cut into it. They even sell this stuff at Costco now, if you haven’t had it, this is your chance. Do yourself a favor and get some.)
- drizzle of good balsamic (I used this one. My parents recommended it to me and I love it, super thick and strong, a little goes a long way)
- plenty of kosher or sea salt
- black pepper if you’re a weirdo and eat that grossness

Smash your garlic clove using the flat of your chef’s knife or a heavy pan. Throw away the peel and rub the smashed garlic all over the inside of the bowl you plan to serve your pasta in.

Discard the smushed garlic clove.

Dice tomatoes into quarter inch cubes.

Put the diced tomatoes into your bowl and drizzle with the olive oil then sprinkle about about a teaspoon of salt over the top.

Roll up your two basil leaves like a cigar then slice them into a very thin chiffonade (cut the rolled up basil like you were cutting slice-and-bake cookies only make the slices as thin as you can. You will end up with lovely little strips of basil.)

Mix thoroughly and allow the tomatoes to sit while you prepare your pasta according to the package directions.

Cook the pasta until it’s almost al dente and set it aside.

Pour the tomato mixture into a colander or sieve held over a skillet large enough to hold all your pasta. Place the tomato chunks back in the garlicky bowl and add the pasta to the skillet containing the liquid that came through the colander.

Turn on the flame to medium high and cook, stirring well to keep the pasta from burning or sticking until the liquid is almost completely absorbed by the pasta.

Place the pasta into the bowl with the chunky tomato sauce and toss well until everything is combined. Place a ball of burrata on top and gently split it open with a butter knife and a fork. Drizzle the top with balsamic and  a touch of olive oil, sprinkle lightly with salt and serve immediately.

Then eat the entire bowl by yourself and cry when it’s gone. Then make it again tomorrow.

I miss summer already and it barely has one foot out the door. It’s not the sweaty, sticky weather I miss, it’s the gorgeous, plump, rainbow hued heirloom tomatoes. You can still find the last of them kicking around farmer’s markets and shops but it’s obvious that fall is here and the best tomatoes are gone until next year. If you do happen to come across some decent tomatoes or if your garden produced a bumper crop, this recipe will put them to good use, making the most of their tart, umami goodness. I put together this recipe to use up the last bit of burrata cheese we had in our fridge. Burrata is a very soft mozzarella stuffed with cream. It is one of my very favorite things in the world. It’s mild, creamy and tender. It brings out the very best in anything you put it on. My sous-chef likes his on warm crusty bread with a bit of sea salt, olive oil and balsamic. Since bread is a no-no for me, I decided crispy polenta would be even better.  I couldn’t be happier with how these turned out. Try them for yourself and see!

- 5-6 heirloom tomatoes of assorted sizes and colors
- olive oil
- balsamic vinegar 
- 1-2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tsp of sugar
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper

- ready-to-use polenta log
- pinch of garlic powder
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 1/2 tbsp canola oil
- 4-6 oz package fresh mozzarella cheese (cut into 1/4-1/2 inch slices)
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese (shredded)
- 1 package burrata mozzarella cheese
- 4-6 fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
Slice tomatoes into 1/4 – 1/2 inch thick slices and place in a single layer on a foil lined baking sheet.

Drizzle with olive oil and a touch of balsamic vinegar.
Sprinkle minced garlic evenly over the tomatoes.
Mix together sugar, salt and pepper and sprinkle evenly over tomatoes.

Bake for 45 min to 1 hour until tomatoes are softened and beginning to brown at the edges.

Cut polenta into 1/2 inch slices

Heat butter and oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until it begins to bubble. Place polenta slices in the oil and cook each side about 10 minutes or until crisp.

Place the rounds on another foil lined baking sheet.

Top half the slices with grated parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of garlic powder.
Top the other half with a slice of fresh mozzarella cheese (NOT the burrata.)
Broil in the oven until the cheese melts; watch closely. When cheese is bubbly and edges are brown, remove and let cool.

Stack: Start with a polenta round topped with parmesan cheese, next place a roasted tomato, next place a plop of burrata, next place a polenta round topped with mozzarella then top with a tomato. Sprinkle fresh basil on top. Voila!