Radish Pesto

Don’t compost those radish greens! The local radishes are better than ever this year, and the tops make for a tasty pesto. Start with a couple garlic cloves and a handful of pine nuts or almonds in the food processor, pulse until finely ground.

Add your washed radish greens and a third as much fresh spinach to temper any bitterness. With the food processor running, drizzle some extra virgin olive oil through the top until the mixture is runny. Next in is a quarter cup of grated Parmesan, pulse, then adjust your consistency with some more olive oil if necessary and salt to taste.

A large dollop will easily elevate any steak, chicken breast, or piece of fish to new heights. For a refreshing radish appetizer, grill some baguette slices in a medium hot well-oiled pan until crispy. Top with the pesto, a thick slice of feta, sliced radishes, and a sprinkle of coarse salt.

Spicy Fried Shrimp

Fried seafood tastes better in the summer, and a little spice in your cocktail sauce will cool you right down on a hot night. Set up your breading station with a bowl each of flour, lightly scrambled eggs, and breadcrumbs. Cover the bottom of a large pan with vegetable oil and set on a medium hot burner.

For the cocktail sauce start with a quarter cup of ketchup then add horseradish to taste. For some spice add a quarter teaspoon of cayenne pepper, a squeeze or two of Sriracha, or chili garlic paste, depending on your mood.

Salt and pepper the peeled shrimp, in batches of two or three at a time, dust with flour, dip in the egg, and coat with breadcrumbs. Fry them in the oil until golden brown, about a minute per side, then drain on a paper bag. Give them a squeeze of lemon and serve with your sauce.

Summer Noodle Salad

I have to confess, I attempted to make Vietnamese summer rolls this week but the rice paper didn’t cooperate…talk about a frustrating experience. However, the Rt. 100 noodles I recently had at the Mehurons’ deli inspired me to throw all the summer roll ingredients together for what turned out to be a pretty awesome salad.

Fill a bowl with hot water and soak approximately 4 ounces of vermicelli rice noodles for approximately 10 minutes. Run under cold water, drain, and set aside. To make the dressing, stir together a little bit of vegetable and sesame oil, some soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, fresh lime juice, a pinch of cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper to taste.

For the salad, combine a third of a bunch each of roughly chopped basil, mint, and cilantro, some sliced radish, carrots, cucumber, and snap or snow peas. Pile the drained noodles on a cutting board, cut into quarters, then toss with the salad ingredients and dressing.

If you’re looking for more of a meal, add some thinly sliced cooked shrimp or pork.

Steak with Tomatoes and Basil

Grilling season is here and sometimes simple is best, and this combination of a perfectly grilled steak with fresh basil and tomatoes can’t be beat. Especially when you use ingredients from you local farmer's market.

While your grill is heating up prep equal parts basil and spinach then place in a large bowl with some cut up tomatoes. Salt and pepper your steak and grill to your desired doneness then place on a cutting board to rest for a few minutes.

Toss the salad with a couple splashes of your best extra virgin olive oil, a generous pour of balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. After plating your steak pile the salad over the top along with any dressing that’s left in the bowl.

Oh yea, it’s summer!