2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup spinach
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
salt and pepper

1. Combine vinegar, olive oil and sugar in a small bowl.
2. Toss cherry tomatoes with spinach and basil and season with salt and pepper.
3. Combine tomatoes with dressing and serve.

Makes 4 servings

12 ounces linguine
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 slices bacon, chopped
1 small onion, sliced
1 cup chicken stock
3 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
1 cup spinach
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
salt and pepper
water

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the linguine. Continue cooking until al dente.
2. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Fry the bacon until just crisp, then add the onions.
3. Sauté the onions until tender, then stir in the chicken stock and sage.
4. Reduce heat to a simmer until linguine is cooked. Add the spinach to the skillet and allow to wilt, then add the linguine.
5. Toss the linguine with the other ingredients, season with salt and pepper to taste and top with parmesan.

Makes 4 servings

I have a horrible habit of buying tomatoes and then never using them for anything. I don't typically like tomatoes enough to just eat them basically by themselves, unless it's in Caprese Salad or basically any sort of pairing with cheese and basil. Usually I'll use canned tomatoes for cooking, even if I have fresh ones sitting on the counter. I bought a pint of cherry tomatoes and didn't want to see them end up the garbage can, so I made a simple Cherry Tomato Salad for one. I added a bit of spinach for no reason other than because I had a little bit leftover.

I had contemplated adding them to the Linguine with Bacon, Spinach and Sage that I was making, but I really wanted that whole balsamic vinegar and tomato flavor. The balance of acidity and sweetness with balsamic vinegar and cherry tomatoes is great, I think. Had I added them to the pasta, I think I would've done a bit extra and put the tomatoes inside meatballs or something, for a bit of a variation on spaghetti and meatballs. I've sort of lost all desire to eat pasta, even though this was very good. I guess I'm just a big fan of having thick, rich sauces with pasta, rather than a more subtle flavoring of stock and vegetables.