From bushy basil to blackberries to the first peaches of the season, summer is in full swing at the Chappaqua Farmer's Market. This week, Black Creek Farm is bringing in beautiful fennel bulbs to prove it. What do farmers like to do with fennel, a flowering plant in the carrot family? Well, this farmer doesn't like to waste a single part of this aromatic plant, hence his recipe for "fennel frond pesto". The farmers at Black Creek say fennel's anise (licorice) flavor brings "a bit of bright coolness to any dish". Not a fennel fan? Feel free to work with the beautiful basil that Black Creek is also bringing to market this week instead.
Fennel Frond Pesto
There is no cheese in this recipe, which makes it a particularly fitting partner to seafood. Or add 1/2 cup grated Parmesan and use the pesto with grilled veggies, pasta, meat
(Makes 1 cup )
Ingredients:
• 1 cup roughly chopped fennel fronds
• 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoon pine nuts or slivered almonds
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Method
1. Combine the fennel fronds, garlic, nuts and salt in a food processor or blender and pulse until the mixture is chopped up.
2. Add oil and process/blend until the mixture becomes paste-like. (You may have to scrape down the sides of the bowl.) Serve pesto at once, refrigerate for up to a week, or freeze for up to a month.
This week Hive Juice Lab is in the house. They were so sorry to miss last week's market due to a truck breakdown.
Also, don't miss Sweethearth Bakery with their vegetable granola and gluten-free brownies decked out in flower petals. Speaking of flowers, did you spy the gorgeous bouquets MaryBeth was putting together at the Stars of the Meadow tent last week? Headturners all of them!
Running low on Bourbon? Hillrock Estates is back this week.
In the Music Tent: Peter Calo has produced many recordings including Carly Simon’s release, “Never Been Gone” and is featured in the documentary, “All You Need is Klaus”. He was guitarist for Showtime’s “Ray Donovan” and for the Tony and Grammy Award-winning original Broadway and film production of “Hairspray”. He also contributed music for Carly Simons recently released autobiography Audio book, “Boys In The Trees.” and has played to a sold out Carnegie Hall. In 2018 Peter was the Musical Director for the PBS Special “Jimmy Webb Live from The Kate” and recently released, “Time Machine” which has gone #9 Top Album on the Top 50 Alternative Album Chart With the single “Don’t Ever Go Away”.
Makoto Matsuo, the Personal Training Manager at Life Time Athletic Chappaqua, will lead an FREE “Alpha MetCon" class at the Market on Saturday at 9:30am. All you need is workout clothes, a towel, water or sports beverage of your choosing and to be prepared to work and sweat!