Recipes to Highlight Our Early Summer Harvest

This past spring, we shared how we’re extending the Market Garden growing season, and now the earlier and bigger harvests are rolling in! Fresh squash, greens, beans, peas, peppers, eggplants, and more are now available at our Farm Store & Welcome Center.

To celebrate the bounty, we’ve compiled a handful of favorite recipes - from our Kitchen Team, local cookbook authors, and others culled by Director of Community Programs Tre McCarney that have been passed around in staff newsletters and email chains (subject line: you have to try this recipe!!!).

Swing by our Farm Store & Welcome Center to stock up on ingredients, or visit your own local farmers’ market, and try these recipes to kick off the growing season:

Swiss Chard Salad With Lemon, Parmesan & Breadcrumbs

Recipe credit: Alexandra Stafford, Alexandracooks.com

Ingredients

• 1 bunch Swiss chard
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1½ cup fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• sea salt to taste
• crushed red pepper flakes, optional
• 1 lemon
• ¾ cups grated Parmesan, Grana Padano or Pecorino

Preparation

1. Wash and dry the chard and remove the stems from the leaves. (Save stems for another use.) 
2. Stack a few of the leaves on top of each other, roll them like a cigar and cut the cigar into thin (1/8-inch) ribbons. Repeat until all the leaves are shredded. Put the leaves into a large salad bowl.
3. Warm ¼ cup olive oil in a small, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring frequently, until they are crisp and golden brown (about 5 minutes). Be careful not to burn them! Stir in the garlic, a pinch of salt and pepper flakes, and let them toast for another minute, then remove from the heat.
4. Zest the lemon into the bowl of chard. Juice the lemon into a small mixing bowl. Add a few generous pinches of salt. Slowly whisk in ¼ cup of the olive oil.
5. Add the Parmesan and about ⅔ of the lemon dressing to the bowl. Toss until nicely coated. Taste and add more dressing if you like. Toss in the toasted breadcrumbs and serve immediately.

Marinated Beets with Pistachio

Recipe credit: Shelburne Farms Executive Chef John Patterson

Ingredients 

• 3 pounds medium sized beets, tops cut off, and beets washed well
• 1 cup hot water
• 1/2 cup toasted shelled pistachios (walnuts or almonds also work well)
• 1 cup torn mint leaves and chives
• 4-inch sprig of rosemary
• 1 tablespoon good sherry vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt + 1 teaspoon salt to finish

Preparation

1. Remove stems from beets and rinse thoroughly.  Toss beets with 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon kosher salt.  Place beets in an oven proof dish.  Add hot water to the dish (this will help to steam the beets).  Cover the dish and bake in the oven at 400°F for 1 hour or until fork tender. Allow the beets to cool for 30-45 minutes, or until cool enough to peel with a paper towel. 
2. Once peeled, slice beets into small bite-sized pieces.  Toss with sherry vinegar, olive oil, remaining salt, and herbs. Finish the dish with the toasted pistachios.

Pasta with Creamy Zucchini Pesto

Recipe credit: EmilyC, Food52

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds zucchini and/or summer squash (about 3 medium)
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• Kosher salt plus freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons unsalted roasted pistachios (shelled)
• 2 cups to 2 1/2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
• 2 teaspoons finely grated zest + 1 tablespoon juice (or to taste) from 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup whole-milk ricotta
• 1 pound linguine (or spaghetti, fettuccine, tagliatelle, or pappardelle)
• 1 cup finely grated Parmesan (or a mix of half Parmesan/half Pecorino), plus more for serving

Preparation

1. For creamy zucchini pesto: Trim the ends of the zucchini but don’t peel them, then coarsely grate. (Tip: Use the shredding attachment on a food processor). Gather shredded zucchini in a clean towel, and squeeze a few times to remove water (this helps caramelization).
2. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons butter plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the shredded zucchini, garlic, and a few big pinches of salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, scraping up any caramelized bits from bottom (lower heat if the zucchini is starting to burn). It should be lightly caramelized in spots, and very soft and almost jam-like.
3. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, add pistachios, basil, lemon zest, and 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. Pulse several times until the pistachios and basil are coarsely ground. Add the cooked zucchini (no need to cool it first). Pulse a few more times, then add the ricotta plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Season with salt and black pepper; add more lemon juice, to taste. Use immediately, or cover tightly and refrigerate for up to a day.
4. For the pasta and finishing the dish: Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons salt and pasta; cook until al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
5. Add the creamy zucchini pesto to the linguine, along with the parmesan and 1/4 cup of the starchy cooking water. Toss to coat the noodles evenly; it’ll seem like a lot of sauce, but it’ll nicely meld with the pasta after a few good tosses. Add more cooking water, as needed, to thin the sauce (note: I usually add close to the full cup). Divide among plates, and top with more parmesan. Serve warm.

Roasted Carrots with Pistachios & Yogurt-Lime Drizzle

Recipe credit: Molly Stevens, mollystevenscooks.com

Ingredients

• 2 pounds carrots, preferably long, skinny ones
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup shelled pistachios
• ¼ cup plain whole-milk yogurt (Greek or regular) or crème fraiche 
• 1 to 1½ teaspoons fresh lime juice
• ½ teaspoon ground sumac
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, mint, or parsley (optional)

Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 400°F convection (425°F non-convection) with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line a heavy rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, if you have it.
2. Look over the carrots to figure out how you want to prepare them. If you have skinny, young carrots, leave them whole and scrub them instead of peeling. I like to leave about an inch of the green tops on, as long as they are fresh-looking—if you choose to do so, trim and scrub any grit from where the tops sprout from the carrot. If the carrots are much thicker than a cigar, cut them lengthwise in half. If you’re using blocky, mature carrots, cut them on a diagonal into irregular ¾- to 1-inch chunks. No matter how you cut them, aim for pieces that are around the same size, but don’t fret about having entirely uniform pieces; the thinner pieces and tips will brown up while the thicker pieces will offer more bite. Pile the carrots onto the baking sheet. Drizzle with the oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss the carrots with your hands to coat lightly, and spread into a loose single layer. 
3. Slide the baking sheet onto the lower oven rack and roast, stirring after 15 to 20 minutes and shaking the pan to restore an even layer, until the carrots are tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife and browned and caramelized in spots, 30 to 45 minutes. (The fresher the carrots, the more quickly they will cook—and the more they will brown, thanks to their higher natural sugars content. Carrots that have been in storage for a long time may not brown much, so use the tenderness test.)
4. Meanwhile, spread the pistachios onto a smaller baking sheet. Toast on the top rack in the oven, shaking the pan about halfway through so they toast evenly, until slightly darkened and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven. When cooled enough, chop the toasted pistachios medium-fine and set aside.
5. Place the yogurt or crème fraîche in a small bowl and whisk in lime juice to taste. Whisk in just enough water (1 to 2 teaspoons) to get a smooth, pourable consistency. (If using regular yogurt, you won’t likely need any water.) Season with salt and pepper. Set aside. 
6. Arrange the carrots on a serving platter and serve warm or at room temperature. Just before serving, drizzle the seasoned yogurt over the carrots. Sprinkle with the sumac and chopped pistachios. Top with the fresh herbs, if using.