A Taste of Italian Summer Recipes

Crafted from tender basil leaves, sweet pine nuts, extra-virgin olive oil, Grana-style cheese, fragrant garlic and a kiss of sea salt, classic Genovese pesto is a true taste of summer—and our weekly delivery comes complete with the ingredients to craft your own incredibly fresh version. Accompanied by imported orecchiette pasta and fresh Italian Rustica bread to pair with that glorious pesto, this summery lineup also includes farm-fresh eggs, heirloom tomatoes, a crisp rosé and beautifully ripe plums. Mangia!

Here are a few recipe ideas for the week:

Classic Basil Pesto
Toss it on pasta, stir into salad dressings, drizzle over heirloom tomatoes—the possibilities are endless with this classic sauce!

Frisée Salad with Plums & Hazelnuts
Later in the fall, this salad is equally amazing with slices of crisp apple or juicy pear.

Slow-Roasted Heirloom Tomatoes
Slow-roasting these beautiful tomatoes concentrates their unique flavor—try these with a drizzle of pesto!

Grilled Turnips with Mint & Lime
The bright combination of mint and lime adds summery appeal to these tender-crisp grilled turnips.

Grilled Cauliflower Steaks with Honey & Lemon
Break out the barbecue for these flavorful cauliflower “steaks”!

Plum Compote
This delectable compote is delicious spooned over yogurt, ice cream, even waffles or pancakes!

Plum Compote

This delectable compote is delicious spooned over yogurt, ice cream, even waffles or pancakes!

Ingredients:
3-4 plums, seeds removed and quartered
1 orange
3 tablespoons high-quality maple syrup
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cardamom
Pinch kosher salt

Method:
1. Squeeze the juice from the orange into a medium skillet, then add the maple syrup, spices and salt. Set heat to medium and gently stir mixture until sugar dissolves. Allow the mixture to gently simmer (adjusting heat as needed) for about 5 minutes, then add quartered plums.

2. Continue to let the mixture simmer for another 5-7 minutes, or until the plums are tender, but still maintain their shape. If the liquid appear more watery than syrupy, remove plums with a slotted spoon and continue to simmer the liquid until a slightly syrupy texture is achieved, then pour over plums. Allow compote to cool to room temperature before placing in an airtight container. Refrigerate if not using right away.

Frisée Salad with Apple, Fresh Chevre and Hazelnuts

This salad is equally amazing with slices of juicy pear.

Ingredients:
1 medium head radicchio, torn into bite-size pieces
1 medium head frisée, torn into bite-size pieces
1 apple, cored and diced
F&L honey-citrus vinaigrette
4 ounces chevre cheese, crumbled
½ cup roasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Method:
1. Add the radicchio and frisée to a large bowl and then toss with about ¼ cup of the dressing, until coated. Add the apple slices, chevre cheese and hazelnuts, season the salad with salt and pepper, toss gently and serve.

Sun Ripened Recipes

No matter how you pronounce it, the word ‘tomato’ practically sings of summer, as well it should as the vine-ripened beauties are now at their best as the first heirlooms begin to arrive. This week’s box pays homage to the ripe, juicy tomato with both mixed heirlooms and Sungold cherry tomatoes, plus a bevy of complementary ingredients like focaccia bread, feta cheese and fresh, locally-made bucatini pasta, plus summery produce like purple eggplant, cucumbers and yellow Romano beans. So, uncork a bottle of wine, flip through this week’s recipe cards and then get cookin’ with these bright and beautiful summer favorites.

Here are a few recipe ideas for the week:

Ratatouille
This rustic Provencal dish is summer in a bowl, with summer squash, eggplant and tomatoes.

Chilled Tomato Soup
Sweet and deeply flavorful, this chilled soup from Martha Stewart is perfect for a hot summer’s night.

Fresh Bucatini Pasta with Heirloom Tomatoes & Basil
Using top-notch olive oil and authentic Grana-style cheese are key to this dish’s success.

Heirloom Tomato & Herb Salad
A simple drizzle of oil and vinegar allows the natural tomato flavors to shine in this recipe from Martha Stewart.

Grilled Lemon-Garlic Zucchini
Brushed with a herb-kissed butter mixture, these zucchini slices pair well with grilled chicken, fish or steak.

Yellow Romano Beans with Caramelized Sweet Onions
These beautiful beans are tossed with flavorful onions and fresh parsley.

Plum Compote
This delectable compote is delicious spooned over yogurt, ice cream, even waffles or pancakes!

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