Farfelle with summer squash and garlic scape pesto

Have you tried garlic scapes yet? Garlic scapes are the stems (or "flowering stalks") of hardneck garlic. I only discovered these cute and tasty items last summer at the farmers' market. 

Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase an item from these links, a small percentage goes to support the work of this blog. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

We bought some and just sauteed them in a little olive oil. They were delicious -- garlicky and peppery and fresh. So this year when I found them, I scooped up a couple bunches and decided to incorporate them into a pasta dish along with some little summer squash we bought.

I wanted to turn the garlic scapes into a sauce rather than leave them in pieces in the dish. What I imagined was pasta that was completely coated in the garlic flavor (my husband and I really love garlic). I decided to make the scapes into a pesto. 

The pesto was packed full of flavor and it was such a great summery pasta dinner, especially with the sauteed summer squash. I used a yellow squash and one that was light green. So grab some garlic scapes from your garden or local farmers' market before it's too late. They are one of those fleeting produce treats that come only once a year. 

The below recipe will serve four people and you will probably have some leftover pesto. Use it for a dip or spread it on a sandwich. Isn't the color lovely?

Roasted strawberry balsamic vinaigrette

I had some farm fresh strawberries left that were quickly getting soft on me. Originally, I was going to use them in this salad for a light dinner one evening. But since they were getting soft, I decided to turn the strawberries into the dressing. And it was a good idea! 

Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase an item from these links, a small percentage goes to support the work of this blog. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

The strawberries were very sweet and I decided to roast them until they become very soft and juicy. I added some balsamic vinegar, grainy mustard, and a bit of strawberry jam for extra sweetness. I used it to top a salad full of baby spinach and greens, red onion, toasted almonds, crispy bacon, and feta. It was such a fresh and delicious dressing and salad with a perfect combination of flavors. 

We try to eat a salad dinner at least once a week in the summer, especially on the evenings when I have my boot camp class. Have a mentioned this class before? Boot camps seem to be becoming all the rage recently. I've been taking one for about 8 weeks now and I absolutely love it. It's been a great way to get me to do more cardio exercise. Plus, the class is at a school right down the road from me so I can walk to and from class - a definite bonus. But after I get home, I don't want a heavy dinner to eat after working out, plus it's later than we would usually eat dinner. This recipe will make about 2 cups of dressing.

Strawberry spoon bread with vanilla cream

The other day we passed one of the best farms in the area and they had the first fresh-picked strawberries of the season for sale. We stopped and bought a quart and went on to our destination. 

Lemony potato and pea salad with mint

I threw this potato and pea salad together one night to enjoy with some lamb burgers (topped with grilled eggplant, feta, and yogurt). 

 

Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase an item from these links, a small percentage goes to support the work of this blog. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

 

I wanted something that would compliment the Greek flavors of the burgers and I always love potato salad with burgers, too. I had baby red potatoes on hand and fresh mint growing in my herb garden and after a few minutes of thought, this salad was born. It came together very quickly and easily. 

 

The dressing is pretty light compared to many potato salads and it is very flavorful and tasted of spring. It paired very well with the lamb burgers and was good for a snack the next day as well. I made a relatively small batch of this salad, probably enough to serve about four people as a side dish. You can easily double the recipe to make more.