Garden greens & goodness

What is seasonal eating? Eating food that is grown & harvested at peak quality, typically in its specific season, following the natural rhythms of nature. That sounds difficult if you don’t grow all your own food and aren’t sure what produce is “in season” when, doesn’t it? It can be confusing at first, and I’m still learning about it.

Good news is, you don’t have to go all out with it immediately.

This recipe is a perfect starter recipe for practicing seasonal eating. You can substitute the veggies for a combo of whatever you have in season, locally available to you at any point in time. Shoot, you don’t even have to use green veggies, contrary to the name of the recipe! Ha!

In addition to being a super versatile recipe for practicing seasonal eating, it’s also super yummy, dare I say almost bordering on a comfort meal - it’s just got a super fresh twist.

Ingredients:

• 12oz Pasta (we used a spinach dough green pasta to go with the green theme!)

• 2 TBSP butter or oil of your choice

• 4-5 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 small shallot or onion would be great in this, but we didn’t add it in this time around because we didn’t have any on hand

• Veggies! We love to use a mixture of asparagus, fresh snap peas, frozen peas, and sometimes zucchini. You can truly use any fresh veggies you have coming out of the garden, making this a SUPER versatile, seasonal recipe! Or you can use whatever veggies are on sale at your local grocery store this week.

• Salt & pepper

• Garlic powder

• Onion powder

• Red pepper flakes

• 1/2 cup (roughly) of heavy cream, half & half, or coconut cream (I just splash some into the pan)

• 1/2 cup (roughly) Shredded or shaved parmesan cheese

• 1/2 cup of water reserved from boiling your pasta

• 1/4 cup of basil pesto

• Fresh basil garnish

Instructions:

Step 01:

In a large pot on the stove, bring water to a boil for pasta. Cook your pasta per the package instructions. Strain and set aside. (Note: if the pasta is done before the rest of it, try and keep it warm!)

Step 02:

While the pasta is cooking, chop your veggies up. Start with garlic and onion if you’re using it. For the other veggies, we try and slice them all to be about 1 inch in length - bite sized! Slice them to your own preference, though.

Step 03:

Once your veggies are all cut up, add your 2 TBSP of butter or oil to a large skillet (preferably a tall-sided/deep one). Allow this to melt over medium heat, and add your onion (if using! if not, skip straight to garlic). Saute your onion for a minute or two, add the garlic, then saute another couple minutes until it all starts to get slightly golden in color. Add your other veggies now. (Note: Depending on which veggies you use, you may need to add some before others. For example, I cook my asparagus for a few minutes before adding any of my peas or zucchini).

Step 04:

Add seasonings to taste - we like salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder, and red pepper flakes in this recipe. Allow these to cook, stirring often, until they’re just about your desired doneness.

Step 05:

Add your cream, half & half, OR coconut cream - whichever one you’re using. Let the mixture heat through, stirring often. Lower the heat to medium-low. Add your parmesan cheese and pesto. Stir to combine and let the cheese melt. If the sauce is thicker than you’d like, add the reserved pasta water a splash at a time until it’s your desired consistency. Turn off heat.

Step 06:

Plate up your pasta, scoop a bunch of the green veggie goodness and some sauce on top, and enjoy!

We love to serve this with some hot, cast iron focaccia bread on the side. It’s just such a delicious, surprisingly hearty meal that’s packed with fresh veggies. And I mean…ya can’t go wrong with pesto amiright?! I’d love to hear what veggies you decide to toss into this recipe - go ahead and tell me which combo is your favorite!

Do you have any questions?

As always, I encourage you to send me a message on my Instagram account (@calicocowacres) if you have any recipe questions or need advice while making it. I want my recipes to be something you can adapt and make your own - and I’m happy to help you do it!