August is, hands down, my favorite time of year for food. Everything that is fresh and tasty seems to be bursting out everywhere: the farmers market is at peak capacity, roadside stands offer everything from peaches to roasted chilis, and even the grocery store seems to boast more colorful and tasty goodness. Every year, my summer bucket list includes a morning at the farmers market gathering a basket of fresh veggies, a freshly baked loaf of bread, and some variety of local meat—all of which can be made with minimal prep. Delicious.

I think one of the reasons I love this kind of meal so much is that it helps me feel connected to the rhythms of the earth. As the harvest is gathered, some deep part of me comes alive as I see, smell and taste so many wonderful foods at their absolute peak. This kind of meal (what I call my farmers market haul dinner) satisfies in ways that nothing else can. I find that even foods I don’t normally gravitate toward (beets, for instance) are suddenly the most appetizing food I have ever encountered. Side note: if you have a seasonal beet obsession, as I often do, wear gloves when you are preparing them. The red stains they leave on your fingers leave you looking suspiciously like you have been involved in a terrible crime.

During this season, I sometimes have trouble reining myself in, so it is not unusual for my fridge to get a little over full. Simply eating produce as a side dish with regular meals sometimes doesn’t allow for speedy consumption. I cannot abide the idea of letting a single treasure go to waste, so I have amassed a collection of recipes that use multiple pieces of fresh produce. Most of them lend themselves to improvisation, so if I find that my refrigerator drawer has green beans instead of sweet corn, I can sub them in. If I have rutabaga instead of carrots, I’ll sub those in. Alternatively, if I’m running low of fresh goodies, frozen or even canned veggies generally work well too.

This baked pasta is a veritable blank canvas for so many of the things in season this month. I’ve used corn and zucchini, but if you find that the summer squash looks better—toss that in. Green beans would work well here too, but you may want to blanch them (just toss them into boiling water for about three minutes, then drain before adding). A fresh diced tomato or two would add nice acidity and add a lovely color, too.

This recipe has a few steps, including making a simple white sauce to bring the dish together. Don’t let this step scare you—it is a nice skill to have in your arsenal and can be useful for lots of dishes. It also has the added benefit of making you feel a little bit fancy in your kitchen. Throw together that white sauce, add an array of local, fresh vegetables, toss in some cheese (local, if you can find it), pasta, and put the whole thing in the oven. Then slice up some fresh, crusty bread and settle in for a simply and deeply satisfying meal.

 

Corn and Zucchini Pasta

If you add the chicken listed here, you’ve got a balanced meal in one dish.

• ¼ cup butter
• 2/3 cup flour
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• ½ tsp garlic salt
• ½ tsp thyme
• 8 ounces rigatoni or penne pasta, cooked according to package directions and drained
• 1 ½ cups mozzarella
• 1 large or two small zucchini, diced
• 1 ½ cups corn (fresh or frozen)
• 1 cup baby spinach
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups pre-cooked chopped chicken (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a large skillet, then stir in the flour and cook for about one minute. Whisk in broth, milk, salt, pepper, garlic salt and thyme. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly to ensure a smooth mixture. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the remaining ingredients except for ½ cup of the mozzarella and the Parmesan. Pour the mixture into a greased dish (a 9×13 pan works well), then top with the remaining cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes and serve.

 

 

Article and photos by Lisa Crockett