Summer Salad

I made a tasty summer salad this week with some pretty white & green beans from the farmers market. Pairs perfect with a quesadilla (one of my many cravings).

*trim and cut beans into 1-1.5 inch pieces

*quickly cook beans in boiling water for 4-5 minutes

*drain water & let beans cool in an ice bath to stop cooking

*dice a shallot

*crumble some queso fresco

*toast some pepitas seeds (I prefer mine toasted, but it's not necessary)

*dressing: zest of half a lime, juice of one lime, a little olive oil, tiny bit of agave nectar (sugar will do), salt & pepper

*mix together and enjoy!

p.s. I ended up throwing some avocado on there at the end. Optional, but when isn't avocado a good idea?!

Peaches, Peaches, Peaches!

Holy moly, I just meandered through my favorite farmers market in town and came home with a huge basket of local, juicy and delicious peaches. I know it's a bold statement, but I'm pretty sure I just tasted the best peaches in the country.

Nothing say's peach season when you have to step outside to eat your peach on your porch because you have juices running down your arm (and in my case, there is a puddle on my ever so large belly). Tonight on the menu: grilled peaches with vanilla ice cream. Tomorrow: peach and blueberry tart. Any other suggestions?!

Garlic Scape Galore

Garlic scapes are delectable vegetables that you probably don't know about if you don't grow them or shop directly from farmers. They are an early summer treat and if you're like me, they are testing my creativity in the kitchen. They are great on homemade pizzas, pasta, breakfast scrambles. However, in order to keep up with the supply of my weekly CSA, I've been coming up with new delicious ways to incorporate these tasty treats into more meals (recipes below). Any other suggestions?

{garlic scape & almond pesto}

10 garlic scapes, chopped

1/2 c of parmesan

1/2 c of olive oil

1/3 c of almonds, chopped

combine garlic scapes, almonds and cheese into the food processor and pulse a few times. Add olive oil, pinch of salt and pulse until desired texture. Taste and season with more salt if needed. Makes about 1 cup.

{garlic scape & basil butter}

this is amazing.

4 garlic scapes, chopped

small handful of basil leaves

1 stick of salted butter, cut into pieces

combine scapes and basil into the food processor and pulse until scapes are broken into tiny pieces. Add butter and mix until well combined. I then transferred butter mixture to a small bowl and sprinkled with sea salt and serve with a good warm bread (i prefer ciabatta).

{summer pasta with scapes}

Note: you can make this pasta with just about any summer veggie. I use whatever is fresh: cherry tomatoes, peas, basil, asparagus, you name it. In the following recipe I used cherry tomatoes and basil.

5-8 garlic scapes, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

pasta of choice (i use farfalle)

1 lemon

one basket of cherry tomatoes, cut in half

handful of basil, chopped

parmesan cheese (i use about 1/4 cup, you can always use more or less)

Saute scapes in olive oil over low-medium heat for about 10 minutes or until tender. Season with salt & pepper. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a pot of salted water. When both the scapes and pasta are done cooking, transfer both to a large bowl. Add grated parmesan, lemon zest and lemon juice of one lemon, basil and combine. I then add olive oil and a small amount of pasta water to help incorporate flavors and sauce. Add tomatoes, salt & pepper and enjoy!