Zuchinni and Zinnias
I’ve always loved zucchini and happily accept others’ excess, providing the squash’s girth does not preclude tenderness. The mixture of zucchini and yellow squash in a dish, along with other colorful summer ingredients, is a happy plate. Zoodles, or noodle shapes of zucchini, have gained popularity and are easy to prepare and tasty. There’s no need for fancy cabinet and counter cluttering machines. A simple julienne or vegetable peeler is all you need.
Here is a suggestion for a bright summer salad: Combine julienned or thin peels of raw zucchini and yellow squash with halved cherry tomatoes and Doc Pickle kalamata olives, then toss with Joe Tomato’s pesto or 4E Green Farm’s chimichurri.
This Grilled Zucchini Ribbons with Pesto and White Beans also looks quite appealing.
Another way to use zucchini as pasta is this Zucchini Carbonara.
Not intimidated by pasta, or you can substitute LaTrafila’s new gluten-free pasta in “that zucchini spaghetti Stanley Tucci loves”(Spaghetti alla Nerano).
Finally, how about Zucchini Cobbler?
Summer berries are still plentiful so why not grab extras to freeze for the off-season. Simply lay in a flat single layer on a cookie sheet until frozen, then transfer to bags or containers.
It’s also easy to make a no-cook jam or sauce, where you control the type and amount of sweetener. Combine two cups of macerated berries with two tablespoons each of lemon juice, sweetener of choice, (honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, etc.), and chia seed. This is a good starting point, then you can adjust accordingly as different fruits have varying sweetness and natural pectin levels. Your sauce will also set a bit more if you gently cook the fruit for five or ten minutes, then remove from heat before adding remaining ingredients. Your finished product will keep in the refrigerator for two weeks or can be frozen for three months. It’s great used to flavor plain yogurt or oatmeal and top desserts and toast.
Yes, this is the same seed used to grow the famed Chia Pet. It’s found in the health food section and is packed with omega-3 fatty acids, rich in fiber and protein, and turns any liquid into a gel.
Hand Held Kitchen, the bright orange food truck at the market’s entrance, has been using fresh berries to top their recent menu addition of panna cotta. Their sandwiches are also mighty fine, in case you’ve yet to experience them yourself.
The eye-popping color at Stoneberry Farm is partially due to their accenting field bouquets. Much of the current color in these bouquets are zinnias ranging from white to orange, red, pink, yellow, and purple. They are American native flowers, great pollinators, and relatives of sunflowers and daisies. In the Language of Flowers, zinnias signify thoughts of absent friends and lasting affection.
If you’re wanting a custom bouquet, stop by Seed-on-Hudson Flowers where Katie and her daughter Imogen are happy to put together whatever suits your needs. Katie is a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm and just plain fun and interesting to chat up. Her flowers are exquisite!
Vicente Saavedra is in the music tent this week. A native of Venezuela, he now lives in Peekskill and teaches Art and Spanish at The Masters School in Dobbs Ferry. His Latin and Brazilian Jazz is always a welcomed market soundtrack.
See you on Sunday!
