Hi! What did you do this weekend?
I set my oven on fire.
Yeah. I really did. I meant to make chips. I made a huge mess instead. And I’m pretty sure I’m inhaling tons of chemicals as I’m writing this. If anyone has advice on cleaning this thing out, please let me know.
But let’s talk about something with less charcoal flavor and more taste.
While my range is taking a brief vacation, I started to think about no-cook meals. Ways that I could eat food full of vitamins and flavor without using any kind of flame.
And that’s how I came to this stove-free and salt-free pasta dish. Which is not only a great idea for those times when your oven is covered in fire-extinguisher dust, but also when you have limited time to throw something together for dinner, lunch, or any other snack attack.
This particular “pasta” is made from thinly sliced asparagus, which I cut with a peeler. I then chopped up some fresh summer fruit – nectarines and tomatoes – gave it a squeeze of lime, sprinkled it with chive, freshly ground pepper, and a quick dressing made from the final bits of my salt-free Mendocino Sweet & Hot Mustard and some olive oil.
Drizzle and dig in.
So the next time you find yourself in a hazmat suit, just know that your cooking appliances may be limited, but your food doesn’t have to be.
Chow on. And safety first.