Someone once said that bananas are only good for a couple of hours. They’re not yet ripe or over-ripe. And, how much banana bread can you eat?
It does seem that way in hot weather unless you keep your house as cool as or cooler than the supermarket. Years ago, I found a solution: the refrigerator.
Don’t pay attention to the “Chiquita Bananas” commercial that said, “You should never put bananas – in the refrig—erator. No, no, no, no.”
We keep ours on the door of our fridge. They stay the way I bought them for a few days. Plus, I really like a cold banana in warm weather. It helps me get going each morning.
One of my easy pasta dishes also is refreshing in the summer. I always have links of hot and sweet sausage in the freezer. For a quick “pasta night” dinner, I put one frozen link of each type of sausage in a small saucepan with water to cover and boil until the meat is cooked, about 15 to 20 minutes. To check, pierce a link with a fork and see what color juice runs out.
While the sausage is cooking, I prepare enough pasta shells for the two of us, plus extra. I start the pasta about 10 minutes before the sausage is done. I like the sausage to be cooked first. That way, I can cool it in cold water, dry it, then cut it into ½” sections.
After draining the pasta, I put it back on the warm burner to evaporate any leftover moisture. I next add the sausage pieces and a lot of shredded sharp cheese, plus about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. I mix this well to blend and then serve it.
I make more than we need for dinner. The next day, I put the cold leftovers on a bed of lettuce for my lunch. That’s a summertime treat.
Enjoy and stay safe!
If you have suggestions or questions for this column, please contact me directly at guthrilarason@verizon.net.
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