Plated in Season

Fresh From the Farm: Making the Most of Your Summer Haul

Summer is here, and there’s nothing quite like a trip to your local farm! Rows of vibrant produce call your name, and it’s easy to get a little carried away, filling your basket with an abundance of delicious, locally grown treasures. The fun part, of course, is figuring out what amazing meals to create with your fresh finds!

A Pro Tip for Your Farm Visit: When you’re at the farm, take a moment to look for signs or simply ask the workers which items were grown right there, and which are sourced locally. This helps you avoid paying a premium for produce you could easily find at your regular grocery store. Focus on those truly farm-fresh gems!

On our last farm adventure, my wife and I came home with beautiful yellow squash, string beans, garlic, and red spring onions, among other goodies that’ll feature in future posts. With a few pantry staples, we were ready to whip up something incredible.

Recipe: Linguini with Fresh Veggies

This simple yet flavorful dish truly lets those fresh farm ingredients shine. Use what veggies you find at your farm.

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 yellow squash, quartered and sliced
• 2 cups string beans, stems removed and cut in half
• 3 spring onions, sliced
• 6-8 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
• 6-8 basil leaves, torn (smaller ones can be left whole)
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Grated cheese (we used Locatelli)
• Linguini (or your favorite pasta)

Cooking Steps:

 * Warm the garlic: In a large pan, warm the whole garlic cloves with 1/4 cup of the extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Let the garlic gently cook until it’s a light golden color, which will release its fantastic flavor into the oil. You can remove the garlic cloves at this point if you prefer, or leave them in, as I did.

 * Sauté the vegetables: Add the prepared string beans, yellow squash, and spring onions to the pan. Sauté the vegetables until they gain some color and become tender-crisp.

 * Cook the pasta: While the vegetables are cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add your linguini and cook according to package directions but remove it from the pot when it’s about two minutes shy of being fully cooked (al dente).

 * Combine and finish: Transfer the partially cooked pasta directly into the pan with the sautéed vegetables. Add a ladle or two of the starchy pasta water to the pan. Drizzle in a bit more extra virgin olive oil and toss everything together vigorously. Stir in the fresh basil leaves.

 * Serve: Turn off the heat and stir in a generous handful of grated cheese. When plating, finish with another drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, more grated cheese, and some freshly ground pepper.

Enjoy your taste of summer! What fresh veggies are you excited to cook with this season?