Almost Summer Food

Each year I am struck by the abundance and variety of fruits and vegetables we receive in our CSA share as we start a new season.  It’s often difficult to keep up with all the things that need to be cooked.  Tonight we are having a medley of roasted vegetables in a variety of colors.

While they are roasting, I just finished shelling 12 ounces of green peas, yielding about a cup of peas for 20 minutes of work.  It has always fascinated me how the peas seem to alternate sides in their shells.

The absolute best offering of the season is garlic scapes.  The first time we got them, I blogged about the mystery vegetable I couldn’t identify.  Since then I have learned just how special they are.  Last week I made shell pasta with black-eyed peas and garlic scape pesto, omitting the bacon.  Served with some parmesan shavings on top, it was heavenly.

The other news of the season is my almost-4-year-old amaryllis has once again offered up its tall stalk of blooms.  Unfortunately they are unpredictable and short-lived, one of those things you simply appreciate in the present moment.

I have missed everyone.  Blogging is starting to feel like a therapeutic thing to do after a long period of drought.  I hope to make the rounds to visit my old friends in the next day or two.