Al Dente- By Morgan

What better excuse for dropping my toddler with the rents for a few hours than to go to the farmers market to get fresh ingredients for Jessie's Pasta Pomodora! 
While strolling through  the out door market I pretended that I too was in France.  France has hippies right? Because the Rutland, VT  Farmers Market sure does!  My nose was filled with the fresh smells of dirt, veggies, patchouli.  I sipped wine at the eager Vermont winery booths- yes that's right we make our own wine.  I purchased 2 bottles of rose, a giant bulb of garlic, fresh tomatoes, goat cheese,and a  a tear producing giant yellow onion.  I ran into a few of my more cultured friends and left feeling good about contributing to the local economy and having a few hours to myself!  I was eager to go home and start my sauce. 
Pretty Much Hubby was working on our roof with his friend- so I enticed them with smells of onion, and garlic wafting through the kitchen window.  I opened a bottle of rose- and skipped Frank Sinatra for a marathon of Top Chef.  I diced and chopped and stirred.  I cried when the onion did what it's pungent smell promised to do.  Monster Pants slept through my whole cooking experience. 
At 5:00pm I called in the troops to try out my new pasta recipe. 
Pretty Much Hubby- squinted, searching for the meat...disappointingly he asked me if he was going to like it.  I promised him that he would and swore that the green bits (basil) were not in fact a vegetable.  Sorry Jessie but I had forgotten to get real Parmesan so Kraft it was...I said I was sorry! 
The pasta was delicious- even Little Man thought so.  PMH did a good job giving it a try although he did say that it needed meat- I promised him that I would add shrimp next time.  PMH's friend- convinced he is allergic to garlic ate half a loaf of Italian bread.  I was the only one who touched the fresh mozzarella with basil and a balsamic reduction.  I told my men that I felt sorry for their taste buds for not giving them the opportunity to try some real...delicious (if I do say so myself) food. 
My first attempt at Frenching (this time Italianing) Forestdale had mixed reviews.  I am not giving up though.  Vermont has too many wonderful home grown goodies to waste them on simple dishes for people with simple palates.  And so I continue to cook for my family...no matter how much they think I am torturing them!  Mamma Mia!

I did have a few questions for chef Jessie though:
1.  Is there any way to make cutting onions less painful?
2.  Where can I get a cute apron?