Veggie Fajitas

Local Ingredients
Zucchini from Red Earth Farm
Baby Bella Mushrooms from Avondale, PA
Garlic from Highland Orchards
Scapes from Jeff at Fitler Square
Tomatoes from Fahnestock at Rittenhouse Square Farmer's Market
Green Onion from Red Earth Farm
Assorted Peppers (canned last summer)
Parsley from Rittenhouse Square Farmer's Market
1 lb nature's soy tofu

Veggie Filling
3 small zucchini, sliced (or julienned)
2 C mushrooms, sliced
2 scapes, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t cumin
1/2 t chipotle
1 T hot sauce
Juice from 1 1/2 limes
1 T agave
salt and pepper
optional: tequila

Mix ingredients above and marinate 5-10 minutes. Heat skillet (preferably cast iron) until hot, add high heat oil until hot, and add zucchini mixture. Saute until mushrooms release their juices.

Salsa
2 tomatoes, chopped
5-6 pickled or fresh peppers, chopped
2 T parsley, chopped
1 green onion sliced
salt and pepper to taste

Add above ingredients to blender and blend until frothy. Let sit for a few hours.

Tofu
Press water from tofu using kitchen towel and a plate.
Slice thinly and dust with flour, cumin powder, chipotle powder and salt

Heat cast iron until very hot. Add oil until hot. Quickly add tofu in one layer and turn heat off. Cook for 1 minute. Turn heat back to high and flip tofu pieces over. Repeat if necessary to cook all of the tofu.

Assembly
Lightly warm tortillas (flour or corn) and top with veggie mixture, salsa, fried tofu and sour cream. Roll or fold and enjoy!*

*very messy!

Pasta with Shrooms

Local Ingredients
Mushrooms from Highland Orchards at Fitler Square
Asparagus from Buono Amici at Fitler Square
Shallots from Highland Orchards at Fitler Square
Parsley from Rittenhouse Farmer's Market

1/2 lb pasta (rotini, fettucine, or fusilli)
2 T butter
2 T olive oil
4 C chopped mushrooms (any variety works)
1 C asparagus broken into bite size pieces
1 shallot, minced
1/2 C white wine
2 T chopped parsley
1/2 C parmesan cheese, finely grated
toasted pine nuts to garnish

Melt butter and oil in a large pan. Add mushrooms, asparagus, and shallots. Cook until asparagus is tender about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling, salted water until ready.

Add wine to the mushroom mixture and reduce heat to simmer. Stir pan to incorporate browned bits (deglaze the pan with the wine). Stir for a few minutes. Add parmesan, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.

Add cooked pasta to mushroom mixtures, combine, and serve in bowl sprinkled with roasted pine nuts. Optional garnish: roasted red peppers.

Optional: Add 1/4 C sour cream or creme fraiche after adding the pasta. Warm slightly before serving.

White Bean & Asparagus Salad

Local ingredients:
Asparagus (Rineer Family Farm, Rittenhouse Farmer's Market)
Tomatoes (Fahnestock Farms, Rittenhouse Farmer's Market)
Shallots (locally grown, from Almanac Market)
Thyme (originally from Greensgrow in Kensington, now growing on my deck)

While I am in no way claiming that the majority of the ingredients in this salad are local, it does showcase the delicious local ingredients listed above.

Salad:
Large white beans, i.e. butter or lima beans (I used Rosa brand)
Asparagus, blanched and broken into 1" pieces
Tomatoes, diced
Artichoke hearts (sliced, in olive oil)

Toasted pine nuts for garnish

Dressing:
Olive oil (mainly form the jar of artichoke hearts)
Sun-dried tomatoes (reconstituted in boiling water and then finely chopped)
Vinegar (I used Martin Pouret vin rouge vinegar, can be found at Claudio's in the Italian market)
Thyme
Finely sliced shallots
Lemon juice (and zest, if desired)
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix salad ingredients (except pine nuts; add these right before serving).
Have dressing separately and add to asparagus, tomato and beans right before serving.

Can also top with fresh grated parmigiano, if you'd like.