Abundance at the Farmer's Market

by Karen Schuppert

With the abundance of summer produce now at market, I don’t know where to start.  Or stop.  From heirloom tomatoes and corn to zucchini, green beans, berries and peaches, by basket runneth over and I just can’t help myself from buying one of each.  But even with such a variety to chose from I, too, experience ‘culinary fatigue’ and rely more on the pure flavors to dance on my plate than trying a new preparation.  If you find yourself in a ‘recipe’ rut,’ here are some suggestions on different ways to create simple magic from the bounty:
Tomatoes – cut them in quarters, sprinkle with olive oil, salt, pepper and a dash of fresh thyme.  Roast at 400 degrees on a baking sheet for 45 minutes.  Use in lasagna, pasta salads or homemade pizza. Other ways: slice heirloom tomatoes about ¼” thick and stack them in between fresh mozzarella and basil; stuff whole tomatoes with fresh tuna or egg salad and top with chives.
Zucchini – thinly sliced lengthwise or like noodles, this summer squash can be substituted for pasta (see recipe) and  topped with pesto or tomato sauce; shredded it makes for great zucchini bread or chocolate cake; lightly grilled with corn, mixed with olive oil, lemon, cilantro and cumin for an alfresco salad.
Peaches – pies, cobblers, smoothies, salsas or grilled with a sliver of Manchego or mascarpone cheese.
Herbs – it’s amazing how much they can make a dish sing.  Rosemary lemon chicken, Thai basil stir-fry with shrimp, cilantro-walnut pesto and white beans.

The Napa Farmers’ Market is the place for all of these ingredients, plus so many more. And now we are reaching even more of the community. In an effort to promote health and insure that fresh produce is more accessible to low-income Napa residents, we are proud to announce a double value program! Beneficiaries of CalFresh will receive twice the amount of market script when using their EBT card at the Market. Products eligible for purchase with EBT script include all fresh fruits and vegetables, plants for growing food, plus dairy products and bread. Prepared foods for immediate consumption may not be purchased with EBT script. Please inquire at the information booth for more details.

And don’t forget to stop by the Chef’s Table this Saturday at 10:00am where Napa Chef Elizabeth Skylar will be preparing a locally ‘grown’ Grilled Bread and Heirloom Tomato Salad with tomatoes from BOCA Farm, bread from Model Bakery and olive oil from Atlas Peak.

Zucchini Lasagna – Makes one 9×13 dish (from www.cook4seasons.com)

10-12 medium Early Girl or Roma tomatoes, quartered – or marinara sauce (about 3 cups)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 TB thyme
3-4 medium zucchini, about 6 inches long
1-2 bunches basil
1 pint organic whole milk or lowfat cottage cheese
1 pint shredded Parmesan, save 1/2 cup for topping
1 farm fresh egg
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded (I used leftover rotisserie)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Toss tomatoes with olive oil, thyme and salt and pepper.  Roast on baking sheet lined with parchment paper skin side up for 45 minutes, until nice and brown. Reduce oven to 375 degrees.

Slice zucchini lengthwise about 1/4″ thick, using a mandoline if possible.

Mix cheeses and egg together plus chicken, if using.

To assemble, lightly oil 9×13 baking dish. Start first with zucchini strips (next to each other like lasagna noodles), followed by basil leaves, then cheese mixture.  Top with tomatoes (or sauce) and repeat one more layer.

Finish with zucchini and sprinkle remaining Parmesan on top.

Bake at 375 degrees covered for 25 minutes.  Remove top and bake for 10 minutes more.

Let stand 10 minutes before serving.