Livin' La Vida Local

It’s summer, and the eatin’s good. Locavores, holler at our penne with littleneck clams and garlic scape pesto, brought to you by the bounties of our garden and the Headhouse Square and the (controversial) Margate farmer’s markets. Check the shopping list:

Littleneck clams (Brigantine)
Green Zebra tomatoes (self-grown)
Purple and yellow fingerling potatoes (Germantown)
Garlic scapes (Germantown)
Green beans (Hammonton)
Italian parsley, basil and pineapple-mint (self-grown)

The only ingredients not sourced locally are the pasta (Italy), butter (Vermont), olive oil (Spain) and almonds (California) and Locatelli (Italy) in the pesto. We never said we were perfect. Here’s the recipe:

1) Make the garlic scape pesto in a blender and reserve.
2) In a large pan, sauté two chopped garlic scapes in extra virgin olive oil.
3) In a pot of boiling salted water, blanch one handful of green beans and shock in ice water. Cut into one inch pieces and add to pan.
4) Slice one handful of fingerling potatoes into quarter-inch rounds and add to pan.
5) Sauté the potatoes and green beans with the scapes for five minutes and add littleneck clams. Cover for eight minutes or till clams open.
6) While clams steam, finely chops herbs and dice one Green Zebra tomato.
7) In a pot of boiling salted water, boil pasta. Uncover clams and add one ladle of pasta water to clam mixture. Drain pasta and reserve.
8) Add two generous spoonfuls of pesto to clam mixture and stir to coat. Add pasta to clam mixture. Add another spoonful of pesto and stir to coat.
10) Pour pasta and clams into large serving bowl. Scatter raw tomato and herbs on top. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and serve.
11) Pat self on back for progressive eating habits.

Good locavore.

Photo: blogalicious