Category: Food: Recipes

Farmers’ Market Pasta from Our Archives
This recipe for a quick, fresh, farmers’ market pasta was buried deep in our archives from 2008. Today, we’re posting it anew so that a recent generation of BostonZest readers can try it out.

Farmer’s Market Pasta

When summer tomatoes and corn are at their best, let them star in this simple, uncooked sauce. You’ll be surprised at how creamy and rich it tastes.

For the sauce:
- 2 or 3 large, ripe tomatoes chopped into 1/2” cubes. (If you find heirloom tomatoes of different colors it will make a prettier pasta. The version in the photo has red, yellow, and green heirloom tomatoes.)
- 1/2 cup of olives pitted and chopped roughly. (Kalamatra olives are fine or if you can find a mix of green and black olives in the deli case, they would be perfect. That’s what I use. If they are in herb seasoning, so much the better)
- 2 to 4 large, fresh basil leaves sliced into chiffonade (very thin strips)
- 1 cup of sweet corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
- 2 or 3 scallions sliced into thin rings
- 2 or 3 sprigs of parsley chopped
- 1 small clove of garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh ground black pepper and salt to taste
- 4 ounces of goat cheese crumbled (One of my recipe testers, cj in Michigan used feta cheese and Kathie in Illinois tried it with Boursin.) Try any soft cheese you like if you don’t like goat cheese. )
Toss all of the sauce ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. This may be made a couple of hours ahead, making this a great dish for entertaining.

For the Pasta:
- 8 oz. dry pasta cooked in salted water according to package directions. We like small shells or orecchiette but any shaped pasta that will help scoop up the sauce is good.
- Drain the pasta but don’t worry about shaking off all the water, it will help form the sauce. (I usually scoop out a cup of the hot pasta water before I drain the pasta just to be sure I have some if the mixture looks a tad dry.)
Toss the pasta with the tomato mixture adding some of the reserved pasta water if needed to form a light, creamy sauce. Serve family-style in a big bowl or plate in individual soup or pasta bowls.

Garnish (optional)

Garnish each serving with a few basil leaves and, if you like, pass a chunk of Parmigiano Reggiano around the table and let each person grate their own.

Note: Today I took a bit of a short cut that added a big taste to this recipe. Instead of plain goat cheese, I bought a marinated goat cheese from Crystal Brook Farm at the Copley Square Farmers’ Market. This already had olive oil, garlic herbs, and pepper.

I prepped my heirloom tomatoes and corn from Stillman’s Farm, chopped more heirloom tomatoes, parsley, basil, and garlic from Atlas Farm, and the result was absolutely delicious.

This is a recipe that encourages improvisation. Let us know what riffs you play with it.

What’s on your Food Lover’s Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photos: ©2008 Penny Cherubino
July 26, 2013
Farmers’ Market Pasta from Our Archives
This recipe for a quick, fresh, farmers’ market pasta was buried deep in our archives from 2008. Today, we’re posting it anew so that a recent generation of BostonZest readers can try it out.

Farmer’s Market Pasta

When summer tomatoes and corn are at their best, let them star in this simple, uncooked sauce. You’ll be surprised at how creamy and rich it tastes.

For the sauce:
- 2 or 3 large, ripe tomatoes chopped into 1/2” cubes. (If you find heirloom tomatoes of different colors it will make a prettier pasta. The version in the photo has red, yellow, and green heirloom tomatoes.)
- 1/2 cup of olives pitted and chopped roughly. (Kalamatra olives are fine or if you can find a mix of green and black olives in the deli case, they would be perfect. That’s what I use. If they are in herb seasoning, so much the better)
- 2 to 4 large, fresh basil leaves sliced into chiffonade (very thin strips)
- 1 cup of sweet corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
- 2 or 3 scallions sliced into thin rings
- 2 or 3 sprigs of parsley chopped
- 1 small clove of garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh ground black pepper and salt to taste
- 4 ounces of goat cheese crumbled (One of my recipe testers, cj in Michigan used feta cheese and Kathie in Illinois tried it with Boursin.) Try any soft cheese you like if you don’t like goat cheese. )
Toss all of the sauce ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. This may be made a couple of hours ahead, making this a great dish for entertaining.

For the Pasta:
- 8 oz. dry pasta cooked in salted water according to package directions. We like small shells or orecchiette but any shaped pasta that will help scoop up the sauce is good.
- Drain the pasta but don’t worry about shaking off all the water, it will help form the sauce. (I usually scoop out a cup of the hot pasta water before I drain the pasta just to be sure I have some if the mixture looks a tad dry.)
Toss the pasta with the tomato mixture adding some of the reserved pasta water if needed to form a light, creamy sauce. Serve family-style in a big bowl or plate in individual soup or pasta bowls.

Garnish (optional)

Garnish each serving with a few basil leaves and, if you like, pass a chunk of Parmigiano Reggiano around the table and let each person grate their own.

Note: Today I took a bit of a short cut that added a big taste to this recipe. Instead of plain goat cheese, I bought a marinated goat cheese from Crystal Brook Farm at the Copley Square Farmers’ Market. This already had olive oil, garlic herbs, and pepper.

I prepped my heirloom tomatoes and corn from Stillman’s Farm, chopped more heirloom tomatoes, parsley, basil, and garlic from Atlas Farm, and the result was absolutely delicious.

This is a recipe that encourages improvisation. Let us know what riffs you play with it.

What’s on your Food Lover’s Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photos: ©2008 Penny Cherubino
July 26, 2013
At the Market: Flowers, Too!

You see many customers at area farmers' markets carrying bouquets of flowers in addition to their food purchases. This mixed bouquet above is from Atlas Farm at the Copley Square Farmers' Market.

My friend Liz raves about the lilies and other flowers she buys from Stow Greenhouses.

And, it's worth a trip to the Newton market for the wonderful arrangements from Old Friends Farm.

The Word from the Farms & Market Managers

Lily Carone from Atlas Farm says, "… we have River Valley Farm Blueberries – a rain loving crop which are so plump and sweet this summer, it almost makes us pause in cursing the weather…"

Louisa Denison, Manager of the Harvard University Farmers' Markets, sent out a recipe for Blueberry Lemonade.

From Jan at Warren Farm & Sugarhouse

Blueberry Lemonade
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4 small lemons)
2 cups water
*2 cups fresh blueberries
*1/2 cup maple syrup
Garnish: lemon slices
Process first 4 ingredients in a blender until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Pour through a wire-mesh strainer into a pitcher, discarding solids. Serve over ice, and garnish, if desired. Yield: 5 cups

In Season, Right Now!

Blueberries, gooseberries, raspberries, cherries, new potatoes.

Lily from Atlas said, "This week, we added white sweet spanish onions and eggplant to our harvest list….and peppers are not far behind. Our own raspberry crop on our new land in South Deerfield is full of flavorful bright berries too…leaving little to be desired."

Looking Forward!

The crew from Old Friends Farm sent a message to their ginger fans. "Our ginger crop (bless it's little rhyzomial heart) is the weediest we have seen in years – it's actually quite embarrassing. You would think we would have it down by now… We just finished weeding it, and its already time to start at the beginning again." This ginger should show up in September.

Follow all our Local Food/Farmers' Markets and At The Market reports:

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your Kitchen & Dining needs and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

July 18, 2013
At the Market: Flowers, Too!

You see many customers at area farmers' markets carrying bouquets of flowers in addition to their food purchases. This mixed bouquet above is from Atlas Farm at the Copley Square Farmers' Market.

My friend Liz raves about the lilies and other flowers she buys from Stow Greenhouses.

And, it's worth a trip to the Newton market for the wonderful arrangements from Old Friends Farm.

The Word from the Farms & Market Managers

Lily Carone from Atlas Farm says, "… we have River Valley Farm Blueberries – a rain loving crop which are so plump and sweet this summer, it almost makes us pause in cursing the weather…"

Louisa Denison, Manager of the Harvard University Farmers' Markets, sent out a recipe for Blueberry Lemonade.

From Jan at Warren Farm & Sugarhouse

Blueberry Lemonade
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4 small lemons)
2 cups water
*2 cups fresh blueberries
*1/2 cup maple syrup
Garnish: lemon slices
Process first 4 ingredients in a blender until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Pour through a wire-mesh strainer into a pitcher, discarding solids. Serve over ice, and garnish, if desired. Yield: 5 cups

In Season, Right Now!

Blueberries, gooseberries, raspberries, cherries, new potatoes.

Lily from Atlas said, "This week, we added white sweet spanish onions and eggplant to our harvest list….and peppers are not far behind. Our own raspberry crop on our new land in South Deerfield is full of flavorful bright berries too…leaving little to be desired."

Looking Forward!

The crew from Old Friends Farm sent a message to their ginger fans. "Our ginger crop (bless it's little rhyzomial heart) is the weediest we have seen in years – it's actually quite embarrassing. You would think we would have it down by now… We just finished weeding it, and its already time to start at the beginning again." This ginger should show up in September.

Follow all our Local Food/Farmers' Markets and At The Market reports:

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your Kitchen & Dining needs and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

July 18, 2013
At the Market: Flowers, Too!

You see many customers at area farmers' markets carrying bouquets of flowers in addition to their food purchases. This mixed bouquet above is from Atlas Farm at the Copley Square Farmers' Market.

My friend Liz raves about the lilies and other flowers she buys from Stow Greenhouses.

And, it's worth a trip to the Newton market for the wonderful arrangements from Old Friends Farm.

The Word from the Farms & Market Managers

Lily Carone from Atlas Farm says, "… we have River Valley Farm Blueberries – a rain loving crop which are so plump and sweet this summer, it almost makes us pause in cursing the weather…"

Louisa Denison, Manager of the Harvard University Farmers' Markets, sent out a recipe for Blueberry Lemonade.

From Jan at Warren Farm & Sugarhouse

Blueberry Lemonade
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4 small lemons)
2 cups water
*2 cups fresh blueberries
*1/2 cup maple syrup
Garnish: lemon slices
Process first 4 ingredients in a blender until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Pour through a wire-mesh strainer into a pitcher, discarding solids. Serve over ice, and garnish, if desired. Yield: 5 cups

In Season, Right Now!

Blueberries, gooseberries, raspberries, cherries, new potatoes.

Lily from Atlas said, "This week, we added white sweet spanish onions and eggplant to our harvest list….and peppers are not far behind. Our own raspberry crop on our new land in South Deerfield is full of flavorful bright berries too…leaving little to be desired."

Looking Forward!

The crew from Old Friends Farm sent a message to their ginger fans. "Our ginger crop (bless it's little rhyzomial heart) is the weediest we have seen in years – it's actually quite embarrassing. You would think we would have it down by now… We just finished weeding it, and its already time to start at the beginning again." This ginger should show up in September.

Follow all our Local Food/Farmers' Markets and At The Market reports:

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your Kitchen & Dining needs and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

July 18, 2013
Enhancing an Italian Grinder with Summer Market Fare

Sandwiches make it onto our menu more often when I have wonderfully fresh ingredients from the farmers' markets to enhance them.

The Italian Grinder style sandwich above was the result of a quick stop at Trader Joe's to buy milk on the way home from the Copley Square Market. Ed and Poppy (our puppy) waited upstairs while I shopped for that and something for lunch.

In the deli case, I saw mixed packages of Italian and Spanish ham and salamis. I bought the Italian to make my farmers' market version of this Italian American classic.

At home, I made a mixed salad from some tomatoes, cucumbers, and scallions from the market, seasoning it with vinegar, olive oil, and ground pepper. (There is more than enough salt in the prepared ingredients for our taste.)

Ed sliced our loaf of Iggy's Francese and I layered on the prosciutto, capocollo, and salame from the TJ's package. Next, I spread a bit of TJ's tapenade and sliced artichoke hearts we had in the refrigerator, then piled on the tomato salad.

Even in a mixed presentation like this, the freshness of the heirloom tomatoes and snappy, farm-fresh cucumbers shined through and turned a sandwich lunch into a memorable meal.

What do you know about Amazon Prime? We use it and love it. You pay once-a-year for free, 2-day shipping delivery charges. Amazon throws in access to instant streaming movies and tv shows, and they let you borrow a free ebook each month. They will even give you a one-month free trial. Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Join Amazon Prime – Watch Over 40,000 Movies

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Penny Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

July 16, 2013
Enhancing an Italian Grinder with Summer Market Fare

Sandwiches make it onto our menu more often when I have wonderfully fresh ingredients from the farmers' markets to enhance them.

The Italian Grinder style sandwich above was the result of a quick stop at Trader Joe's to buy milk on the way home from the Copley Square Market. Ed and Poppy (our puppy) waited upstairs while I shopped for that and something for lunch.

In the deli case, I saw mixed packages of Italian and Spanish ham and salamis. I bought the Italian to make my farmers' market version of this Italian American classic.

At home, I made a mixed salad from some tomatoes, cucumbers, and scallions from the market, seasoning it with vinegar, olive oil, and ground pepper. (There is more than enough salt in the prepared ingredients for our taste.)

Ed sliced our loaf of Iggy's Francese and I layered on the prosciutto, capocollo, and salame from the TJ's package. Next, I spread a bit of TJ's tapenade and sliced artichoke hearts we had in the refrigerator, then piled on the tomato salad.

Even in a mixed presentation like this, the freshness of the heirloom tomatoes and snappy, farm-fresh cucumbers shined through and turned a sandwich lunch into a memorable meal.

What do you know about Amazon Prime? We use it and love it. You pay once-a-year for free, 2-day shipping delivery charges. Amazon throws in access to instant streaming movies and tv shows, and they let you borrow a free ebook each month. They will even give you a one-month free trial. Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Join Amazon Prime – Watch Over 40,000 Movies

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Penny Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

July 16, 2013
Enhancing an Italian Grinder with Summer Market Fare

Sandwiches make it onto our menu more often when I have wonderfully fresh ingredients from the farmers' markets to enhance them.

The Italian Grinder style sandwich above was the result of a quick stop at Trader Joe's to buy milk on the way home from the Copley Square Market. Ed and Poppy (our puppy) waited upstairs while I shopped for that and something for lunch.

In the deli case, I saw mixed packages of Italian and Spanish ham and salamis. I bought the Italian to make my farmers' market version of this Italian American classic.

At home, I made a mixed salad from some tomatoes, cucumbers, and scallions from the market, seasoning it with vinegar, olive oil, and ground pepper. (There is more than enough salt in the prepared ingredients for our taste.)

Ed sliced our loaf of Iggy's Francese and I layered on the prosciutto, capocollo, and salame from the TJ's package. Next, I spread a bit of TJ's tapenade and sliced artichoke hearts we had in the refrigerator, then piled on the tomato salad.

Even in a mixed presentation like this, the freshness of the heirloom tomatoes and snappy, farm-fresh cucumbers shined through and turned a sandwich lunch into a memorable meal.

What do you know about Amazon Prime? We use it and love it. You pay once-a-year for free, 2-day shipping delivery charges. Amazon throws in access to instant streaming movies and tv shows, and they let you borrow a free ebook each month. They will even give you a one-month free trial. Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Join Amazon Prime – Watch Over 40,000 Movies

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Penny Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

July 16, 2013
Home Made Summer by Yvette Van Boven: Cookbook Recommendation
Somehow the cookbook, Home Made Summer
by Yvette van Boven keeps popping up to the top of my mind and my books to review pile.

I was invited to events surrounding this book by my friends at KitchenWares and Jacqueline Church. Unfortunately, I couldn't make any of them, but I was able to sneak in a lunch with Jacqueline and she presented me with a copy of this tantilizing book. Scanning it on the way home, I was so engrossed that I almost sat through my station on the subway and had to hustle myself off the train.

Last In, First Out

As always with new books, I spent some time reading it that evening and put it in my "read and possibly review" pile. Then, raves for the book started arriving in my social media feeds and I would pull it out again to check out a recipe or look at a larger version of a photo. The photography by Yvette's husband, Oof Verschuren, is fabulous and one more reason to get the book.

Here are a few of the pieces that had me pulling out Home Made Summer and dropping it back on the top of the pile.
- Tammy Donroe over on one of my favorite food blogs, Food on the Food, featured the book and then her version of Yvette's Summertime Crab Cakes.
- That inpired Jacqueline to create a virtual pot luck, "It’s a Summer Solstice Party – Homemade Summer Style," using posts about the book from all over. This was a fun idea!
- Next, I came upon theKitchn's review.
- Then, I found praise for the dessert recipes on Serious Eats.
Before long, I found myself moving Home Made Summer into today's spot in our editorial calendar. I want our readers to have the opportunity to use this book for the rest of the season. Flip through it when you make out your list for the farmers' market and pick it up again when you come home with your seasonal treasures. That's what I've been doing!

This is more than a cookbook. It has the feel of a travel journal through a summer in Europe. It has the warmth of a handwritten letter from a friend. The recipes are honed to include exactly what is needed to deliver the delights of the season without overwhelming the ingredients meant to shine.

The feeling that you have a friend in the kitchen with you tempts you to try your hand at making: "Home Made" Goat's Milk Ricotta, Negroni Fig Pops, or those wonderful preserved lemons on the cover.

I'm seeing figs around town this week so here's a recipe to try.

Negroni Fig Ice Pops
For 4 to 6 Ice Pops

½ cup plus 2 tbsp (150 ml) red vermouth
2 ½ tbsp (40 ml) gin
½ cup (125 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
3 fresh figs
1/3 cup (75 ml) golden syrup or clover honey
- Put everything in a blender and blend until completely smooth.
- Pour through a sieve into a bowl with a spout and then pour into 4 to 6 ice pop molds.
- Place in the freezer and push wooden sticks in after 2 hours.
- Freeze for at least another 4 hours, but ideally for 1 day.
- Run the ice pops under hot running water for 3 seconds to unmold them.
What else is on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Cover Art: Courtesy of the Yevette Van Boven

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.
July 9, 2013
Home Made Summer by Yvette Van Boven: Cookbook Recommendation
Somehow the cookbook, Home Made Summer
by Yvette van Boven keeps popping up to the top of my mind and my books to review pile.

I was invited to events surrounding this book by my friends at KitchenWares and Jacqueline Church. Unfortunately, I couldn't make any of them, but I was able to sneak in a lunch with Jacqueline and she presented me with a copy of this tantilizing book. Scanning it on the way home, I was so engrossed that I almost sat through my station on the subway and had to hustle myself off the train.

Last In, First Out

As always with new books, I spent some time reading it that evening and put it in my "read and possibly review" pile. Then, raves for the book started arriving in my social media feeds and I would pull it out again to check out a recipe or look at a larger version of a photo. The photography by Yvette's husband, Oof Verschuren, is fabulous and one more reason to get the book.

Here are a few of the pieces that had me pulling out Home Made Summer and dropping it back on the top of the pile.
- Tammy Donroe over on one of my favorite food blogs, Food on the Food, featured the book and then her version of Yvette's Summertime Crab Cakes.
- That inpired Jacqueline to create a virtual pot luck, "It’s a Summer Solstice Party – Homemade Summer Style," using posts about the book from all over. This was a fun idea!
- Next, I came upon theKitchn's review.
- Then, I found praise for the dessert recipes on Serious Eats.
Before long, I found myself moving Home Made Summer into today's spot in our editorial calendar. I want our readers to have the opportunity to use this book for the rest of the season. Flip through it when you make out your list for the farmers' market and pick it up again when you come home with your seasonal treasures. That's what I've been doing!

This is more than a cookbook. It has the feel of a travel journal through a summer in Europe. It has the warmth of a handwritten letter from a friend. The recipes are honed to include exactly what is needed to deliver the delights of the season without overwhelming the ingredients meant to shine.

The feeling that you have a friend in the kitchen with you tempts you to try your hand at making: "Home Made" Goat's Milk Ricotta, Negroni Fig Pops, or those wonderful preserved lemons on the cover.

I'm seeing figs around town this week so here's a recipe to try.

Negroni Fig Ice Pops
For 4 to 6 Ice Pops

½ cup plus 2 tbsp (150 ml) red vermouth
2 ½ tbsp (40 ml) gin
½ cup (125 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
3 fresh figs
1/3 cup (75 ml) golden syrup or clover honey
- Put everything in a blender and blend until completely smooth.
- Pour through a sieve into a bowl with a spout and then pour into 4 to 6 ice pop molds.
- Place in the freezer and push wooden sticks in after 2 hours.
- Freeze for at least another 4 hours, but ideally for 1 day.
- Run the ice pops under hot running water for 3 seconds to unmold them.
What else is on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Cover Art: Courtesy of the Yevette Van Boven

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.
July 9, 2013