World's best meatballs

Our dinner last night was so good that I just have to share it with you. Both recipes are from my new favorite cookbook Food to Live By by Myra Goodman, owner and founder of Earthbound Farm. The meatballs were absolutely divine. They would be delicious sliced and made into a sandwich with marinara sauce. We also added some thin slices of fresh mozzarella on the side, as suggested in the cookbook. Mmmmmm. I had this for lunch again today!



Farm Stand Meatballs

This recipe makes about 20 two inch meatballs. I halved it for us.

Ingredients
Olive oil for greasing the foil
3 large eggs
1/2 c. whole milk
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil (It is so wonderfully worth it to use fresh basil! This is my new favorite thing!!!) or 2 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. dried red pepper flakes
1 1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese (I used the shredded kind that comes in a jar by Kraft. It's my best kept cooking secret:)
1 c. unseasoned dry bread crumbs (I crushed those Flips pretzel/crackers because it's what I had on hand, and it turned out great.)
1 pound lean ground beef (Because I halved the recipe, I just used 1 lb. beef)
1 pound ground pork

Directions
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper for easier cleanup. Lightly oil the foil or paper liner. Set the baking sheet aside.

2. Place the eggs, milk, garlic, oregano, basil, thyme, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add the cheese and bread crumbs and stir to mix.

3. Using your hands, break the beef and pork into small chunks and add them to the bowl. Blend the mixture with your hands until just combined, working the mixture as little as possible.

4. Gently form the meat mixture into 2-inch mematballs and arrange them on the prepared baking sheet so they do not touch each other.

5. Bake the meatballs until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the center of each one reads 160 degrees F, 25 to 30 minutes.

6. If you are not planning on serving the meatballs at this time, let them cool to room temperature. They can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze the cooked meatballs, place them on a tray in a single layer in the freezer. Once they are frozen solid, transfer the meatballs to an airtight container or freezer bag. Because they are individually frozen, you can take out just the number you need. Let the meatballs thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.

Spaghetti with Fresh Tomatoes, Zucchini, and Basil

I also halved this recipe for us, and also added a chopped yellow squash. I could not find truffle oil, but I'm curious how it would enhance the flavor.

Serves 8 as a first course or 4 as a main course.

Ingredients
2 medium-sized ripe tomatoes (about 2 c. cut into 1/2-inch dice) or 2 c. cherry tomatoes, cut in half
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. truffle oil, or 1 additional Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil
1/4 c. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Pinch dried red pepper flakes
Salt
1 pound dried spaghetti
2 medium-sized zucchini (about 8 ounces), cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1 1/2 c.)
1 large clove garlic, minced
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions
1. Place the tomatoes, 2 Tbsp. of the olive oil, the truffle oil, basil, parsley, and pepper flakes in a medium-size bowl and stir to combine. Season with salt to taste. Let the tomato mixture sit at room temperature until the flavor develops, about 1 hour.*

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook according to the package directions.

3. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 Tbsp. of olive oil in a medium-size skillet over medium-low heat. Add the zucchini and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is crisp-tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Season the zucchini with black pepper to taste.

4. Drain the spaghetti into a colander and transfer it to a large bowl. Add the tomato and zucchini mixtures to the spaghetti and toss to combine. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and/or pepper, if needed. Serve the spaghetti warm or at room temperature.

*Note: If you're making these two dishes together, I recommend doing step one of the spaghetti recipe first so it can begin to marinate.