Farmer’s Market: 5/30 - 6/2

What’s at the Market

May 30, 31 and June 2
Arugula, beets, broccoli, green beans, carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers, fennel, greenhouse produced items - basil, cucumbers, and tomatoes; greens: bok choy, collards, escarole, kales, pea shoots, spinach, swiss chard; garlic, herbs bunches: greenhouse basil, cilantro, dill, and parsley; kohlrabi, leeks, lettuces: Baby lettuce mix, Lolla Rossa, Red Sail, red and green Bibb, red and green Oak leaf, red and green Romaine, spicy mesclun mix; onions: yellow, green, and red;  peas: English and sugar snaps; red and white new potatoes, radishes: Easter egg, Icicle, French breakfast, Round reds; radicchio, squash and zucchini, strawberries, turnips, vegetable and herb seedlings, bedding and landscape plants, cut flowers, succulent houseplants; pastured-based meats: beef, buffalo, chicken (limited quantities,) lamb, pork; charcuterie: bacon, bratwurst, breakfast sausage, chorizo, country ham, hot and sweet italian sausage; eggs, fresh and aged cow’s milk and goat’s milk cheeses, honey, pecans, jams, jellies, wine (Thur. only,) baked goods, and crafts.

Recipe of the Week

Pasta with Peas, Parmesan, and Bacon
from Sheri Castle of Creative Cooking with Sheri Castle

There are peas a plenty in the Market right now. Although it’s hard to resist simply eating them raw to savor their crunchy sweetness, it’s good to cook a few also.  This dish (inspired by a photograph in a recent foodie magazine) combines up to three types of peas: sugar snaps, garden peas and pea tendrils. The tendrils of a pea plant taste like a cross between peas and spinach. If you can’t find any, substitute another leafy green, such as spinach, arugula, watercress or Romaine (yes, lettuce—Europeans cook lettuce and peas together all the time).

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) box short pasta, such as Orecchiette or Bowties
12 slices bacon,* chopped
8 shallots, halved and sliced
2 1/2 cups (about 10 ounces) sugar snap peas*
6 cups (about 6 ounces) pea tendrils or other spring green*
1 1/2 cups (about 8 ounces) shelled petite peas*
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh mint*
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups shaved Parmesan cheese, plus more for passing

Procedure

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions. Drain, but reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Transfer the pasta to a large bowl.  While the pasta cooks, cook the bacon in a large, heavy large skillet over high heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain.
2. Add the shallots to the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until they are golden brown, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the snap peas and cook, stirring constantly, until the pods are bright green and crisp-tender, about 1 minute.
4. Add the pea tendrils and petite peas, stirring just until tendrils wilt, about 1 minute. (By now the pasta should be done.)
5. Add the pea mixture, bacon and mint to the pasta. Drizzle in just enough cooking liquid to moisten pasta, if needed. Stir in the Parmesan.
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve at once, passing additional cheese alongside. Makes 4 to 6 servings

* Available at Market