Bacon Pasta Primavera & Apple-Goat Cheese Salad with Blueberry Vinaigrette

When I signed up for the Lowcountry Local First Eat Local Challenge, I was really excited to be able to try out some new recipes using local ingredients. I recently signed up for a CSA from Ambrose Farms (which I’ll talk about in a separate review) and received my first box last week. It was packed full of delicious and yummy goodies, like arugula, sweet onions, collards, asparagus, swiss chard, and more.

I’ve got a pocket, got a pocket full of swiss chard.

Living on Johns Island, I’m lucky enough to have access to such wonderful places in terms of fresh fruits and vegetables, like the Johns Island Farmers Market, Stono Market, and Blackbird Market, as well as a number of little stands and farms from which to buy fresh produce.

All the tomatoes are belong to me.

Using what came in my CSA, as well as some other goodies I found at the markets, my good friend Sean and I came up with the following recipe that’s about 95% local.

Bacon Zoodle Primavera

Bacon Pasta Primavera

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 lb Bacon chopped - I used the salt cured from Blackbird Market
• 2 Pete's Sweet Onion diced - From my Ambrose Farms CSA
• 1 Shallot diced - From Blackbird Market
• 1 Green Pepper chopped - From Johns Island Farmers Market
• 5 Tomatoes chopped - From Stono Market & Johns Island Farmers Market
• 1/2 lb Okra - From Blackbird Market
• 3 Zucchini - From Blackbird Market
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil - I used Holy Smoke
• Salt & Pepper - this was the only non-local thing I had in the mix

Method

 

1. Sauté the onion, bacon, shallot, and green pepper in a sauce pan until the bacon renders down.
   
2. Add the tomatoes and let it simmer for about half an hour.
   
3. While the sauce is simmering, shred the zucchini using a spiralizer until it resembles thin noodles.
   
4. Lightly sauté the zucchini in some olive oil for about 5 minutes (if you don't like zucchini, use your favorite pasta).
   
5. Serve the sauce over the zoodles and enjoy with a little freshly grated parmesan!
   

Apple-Goat Cheese Salad with Blueberry Vinaigrette

Apple-Goat Cheese Salad with Blueberry Vinaigrette

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 lb arugula - From the Ambrose Farms CSA
• 1 Apple of your choice chopped - my favorite is honeycrisp. This one was from NC
• 1 oz Goat Cheese crumbled - I used a smoky goat cheese from Blackbird Market
• 1 Heirloom Tomato chopped - from Blackbird Market
• 1/4 cup Blueberry Balsamic Vinegar - From Lowcountry Olive Oil
• 3/4 cup Olive Oil - I used Holy Smoke

Method

 

1. Rinse the arugula and pat it dry.
2. Chop if you prefer smaller pieces of lettuce.
3. Combine the arugula, apple, tomato, and goat cheese in a bowl.
4. Using a food processor or immersion blender, blend the olive oil and balsamic vinegar together until fully incorporated. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss to coat.

And voilá! You have a perfectly delicious and happily local dinner for you and friends! I also served it with a side of tomato pie, which I bought from Blackbird Market earlier that day because I am an impulse shopper and it sounded so good. And it was absolutely amazing, I’d highly recommend it.

And it tastes as good as it looks!