farmers market bounty

It turns out that I live three blocks from the spot where the farmers market is held every Saturday morning. In Palo Alto, those three blocks translate into a mere five minutes from the time I walk out my front door until the time I am faced with the rather difficult but very pleasant task of deciding which variety of pluot to buy.



pasta primavera à la emily

simple and delicious. good in any season, best in late summer (i know primavera means spring, but it still sounds nice in the name.) feel free to experiment with variations.

1 clove garlic, chopped finely
½ red bell pepper, cut into short strips
1 or 2 small green chilies (mild or spicy), cut into strips
1 zucchini, sliced thinly
1 yellow summer squash, sliced thinly
1 green summer squash, sliced thinly
a couple of handfuls of grape tomatoes, cut in half
fresh basil leaves
cooked pasta, any variety (for this dish I like penne or farfalle)

Sauté garlic and peppers in good olive oil. Once peppers are softened, add zucchini and squash. These will cook very quickly if they are sliced very thinly; you need wait only a minute or so before adding the tomatoes. Along with the tomatoes, add several leaves of fresh basil, torn into smaller pieces, to the skillet. Cook until tomatoes are softened and heated through (another minute or two). Serve over freshly cooked pasta.