Farmer's Market Fun

The Saturday Farmer's Market is a weekend ritual in our household and many other households across the nation. There is something to be said about getting up to shop around the freshest produce your region has to offer. Lucky for us, Northern California offers a supply of fresh fruits and vegetables that are rich in versatility and seasonality.

After arriving home, there is nothing I enjoy more than preparing a big lunch combining our yummy Farmer's Market finds with some of the best Copper Hill pantry essentials. For this particular market visit I decided to make a fresh basil pesto, a simple green salad, and sourdough bread served alongside a refreshing glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

I am a firm believer that cooking should be easy and delicious and in this case, the entire lunch took 30-45 minutes tops! Each dish I made used Copper Hill oils in different ways providing unique flavor profiles. Copper Hill's Frantoio was used in the salad dressing and the pesto. Copper Hill's Meyer Lemon extra virgin olive oil was used as a finishing oil atop the pasta and drizzled on the lightly toasted bread with sprinkled sea salt.

Saturday Farmer's Market Menu:

Pesto: Makes 4 Servings

- 3/4- bunch basil leaves

- 3 cloves garlic(I used 1 bulb of green garlic because it was fresh and available at the farmer's market)

- 3-4 pinches of salt

- 1/4 cup- Copper Hill Frantoio extra virgin olive oil (possibly more as you begin to blend all the ingredients in a food processor)

- 1/4 cup Parmesan Reggiano and more for serving

- 8-10 almonds (most pesto recipes call for pine nuts, however due to the high price of pine nuts, I opted for almonds and found the taste equally pleasant. You can also do without nuts all together.)

- 1/2 tablespoon- Copper Hill Meyer Lemon extra virgin olive oil for drizzling on top finished dish

- 1lb- Spaghetti

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti to the boiling water and cook according to directions on the package. Meanwhile, in a food processor,  add basil, cheese, oil, salt and nuts and blend until a smooth texture(almost like a paste or pate) is formed. Drain pasta, add pesto, and mix in a heated saute pan until warm and blended. Serve with additional fresh basil, Meyer Lemon oil drizzled on top, and grated Parmesan.

Fresh Green Salad: Serves 4

- 1 bunch Farmer's Market greens-rinsed and dried

- 1-Farmer's Market avocado

- 3-tablespoons Copper Hill Frantoio extra virgin olive oil

- 1/2-lemon, fresh squeezed juice

- 1 teaspoon- Dijon mustard

- Salt/pepper to taste

In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, mustard and salt/pepper. Pour dressing over lettuce and avocado. Toss salad until dressing is evenly dispersed. Add additional salt/pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Easy Breezy Sourdough Toast: Serves 4

- 4-6 slices sourdough bread(we used bread from the farmer's market)

- Copper Hill Meyer Lemon olive oil 

- Salt

Preheat broiler to high. Line a cookie sheet with foil, place sliced sourdough onto prepared cookie sheet. Drizzle each slice with meyer lemon oil, sprinkle with sea salt and broil for 1-2minutes(be sure to keep an eye on the toast as the broiler works fast!)

For the perfect pairing, serve with a chilled glass of your preferred white wine or a sparkling non-alcoholic beverage of your choice.

Cheers and Enjoy!