Scallops Marinara

I just love this time of year, warm enough to get your hands dirty and cool enough to not work up a sweat. I've been busy working in the garden all this week clearing,transplanting, adding amendments and planting. So far my peas have sprouted, the lettuce is up and the spinach is just beginning to pop through the soil. Big meals have been sparce spending so much time outdoors, but big appetites at the end of the day abound.

We try to eat seafood twice a week in our house, be it fresh fish or shelled and one of my favorites are sea scallops. In all honesty, they are so easy to prepare, I'd hardly call it a recipe, but still affordable. So when our good vegan friends Robin and Marcie came for dinner this weekend, I served these seared rapidly with a mushroom brushetta along with antipasto. With a few nice bottles of wine and great conversation we feasted and shared many laughs over a 'throw together meal' as Robin so aptly put it.



Scallops Marinara

2 lb sea scallops
3-4 tbs olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp white pepper
Marinara sauce

Heat olive oil in a large pan, and saute garlic 2-3 minutes over medium-high heat. Add all herbs and spices and saute another minute before adding the scallops. Cook the scallops just until they turn opaque, then add the marinara sauce and bring to a simmer, reducing the heat to low for just a few minutes. This is so good served over polenta, angel hair or linguine..but we decided to keep this meal really simple and along with the sides--it was more than enough to fill us up. Enjoy!

Marinara sauce

3 tsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, smashed
5 fresh basil leaves
1/4 tsp oregano
1 16 oz can San Marzano plum tomatoes, crushed
sea salt & ground pepper
pinch of sugar

Saute the garlic in olive oil. Add crushed tomatoes, basil oregano, sugar,sea salt and pepper. Over medium heat-- simmer just 30 minutes.