Home Alone on a Saturday Night

I could be in Chicago. Sam and I have been talking about going for awhile now. I have a seasonal business which kicks into high gear in two weeks (more on this in a later post). This was pretty much the last chance to get away and there won't be another until October. On days like this I question my sanity over picking a business that takes up my entire summer. I guess that's the way it has to be when you work with local/seasonal food.
But I'm not in Chicago. I couldn't find someone to cover my shift at work. Sam went by himself. I could have called up some friends as I won't be seeing as much of them this summer either but instead I chose to sit home and drown my sorrow in a bowl of noodles.
That's right- Lindy over at Toast is hoasting a one-shot blog event. The challenge is to create something out of nothing. Lacking funds or the will to go to the store is not an excuse for eating poorly. (Okay, sometimes it is but not when you have a blog challenge!)
I decided to make an old favorite that I haven't had in a long time. It's basically an adaptation of pasta with garlic and oil. I'm not going to post an actual recipe because this is something you should make with what's around, just like I did today.
I had no garlic (horrors, a cook without garlic!) so I used the last few shallots that had not succumbed to the Spring sunlight and sent out shoots. I also like to throw in some preserved lemon. This may not be a staple for everyone but these have been resting in the far recesses of my fridge for about two years and still give up their special lemony bite when needed. This is my favorite kind of condiment- one that lasts forever and never goes bad!I don't eat much pasta these days. I'm trying to stick with whole grain options and while I usually prefer brown rice to it's pale cousin, I'd rather eat no pasta at all than to suffer through the whole wheat stuff. Since I can never throw food out, though, I still had this in my pantry.While the pasta boiled I fried the shallots, threw in the preserved lemon and grated copious amounts of cheese. This is my favorite (and it's local).I also threw in an artichoke heart that was leftover from a feast earlier this week. When the pasta was done, I threw it in with the shallots added the cheese and a bit more oil. Toss until mixed and serve it in your favorite bowl with a grind of black pepper and a sprinkle of pepper flakes. Cheap comfort in a bowl. Thanks for the inspiration Lindy!