buying and cooking local

If you hadn't noticed by now, I love cooking seasonally. Not only are ingredients fresher, better tasting, and readily available, but by cooking seasonally, you can also do your best to eat local. It can be very hard when eating out, to guarantee that you are eating local. While more and more restaurants these days cook with local ingredients, and adjust their menus for the season, it is still a slow growing trend, even here in New York. Check out the green market website here to learn more about buying and cooking local. You can read all about why buying local is not only awesome, it is delicious, good for you, good for farms, and good for the city. The website elaborates on each reason, but below is their top 10 reasons to buy local food. Definitely check it out, some might surprise you!

10 Reasons to Buy Local Food

1. Local food tastes better
2. Local produce is better for you
3. Local food preserves genetic diversity
4. Local food is safe
5. Local food supports local families
6. Local food builds community
7. Local food preserves open space
8. Local food keeps taxes down
9. Local food benefits the environment and wildlife
10. Local food is an investment in the future


All sorts of yummy foods are in season right now. I promise to have a green market post soon- and, if you live in New York, and you don't shop at the green market, you're missing out! They are in every neighborhood in the city, so check out their website if you're not sure where the closest one to you is. The colors of the veggies and fruits right now are just amazing, and their taste is even better. For example, garlic scapes. If you don't know them, get to know them! They are the curly top of garlic plants, which are just as edible as garlic. They have a slightly milder flavor, almost in between a scallion and garlic.

When one of my wonderful friends came over this week to cook dinner with me, we used some delicious green market veggies, that we had each picked up last weekend. We both love the market, and often run into each other there on Saturdays. We often cook together, and always make delicious dinners. This week's meal was inspired by the market, and brought to you by local farmers. The fresh ingredients, purchased from the market, give the dish amazing flavor and brightness. I promise, you won't be missing your marinara sauce here; this is a different kind of pasta, and it is delicious.

Farmer's Market Summer Pasta

beautiful, just in time for summer.

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium handful brown rice (or whole wheat) spaghetti
1/2 a shallot, chopped
2 garlic scapes, cut into inch long pieces
1 yellow summer squash, cut into thin strips
3 large carrots, shredded with a vegetable peeler
2 cups of raw kale, cut or torn into bite size pieces
2 large sprigs of Rosemary
1 medium lemon
1/8 cup white wine
Sea salt and pepper to taste


Bring a large pot of water to boil over medium heat on your stove, before adding in the spaghetti
Cook spaghetti until aldente and drain
While your pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat
Add in shallots, and cook for a few minutes until they begin to turn translucent
Next, add in the garlic scapes and cook for two minutes before adding the yellow summer squash
Add in the carrot, and last the kale
Remove the leaves of the rosemary from the stem, and add to your pan as well
Add a good splash of white wine to the pan, and the juice of one whole lemon
After the liquid cooks down, add the drained spaghetti to the pot as well
Season the pasta with sea salt and pepper, to taste, and enjoy!

thanks to my favorite farmers