Saturday marks the official start of farmers’ market season — and I couldn’t be more excited. Andrew and I are making a day of it this weekend, hitting all the markets in our area.
What does this have to do with Italian food? The availability of fresh vegetables means the Italian cuisine we create in our kitchens will be even better. I don’t know about you, but using fresh foods from the farmers’ market makes me more adventurous in the kitchen. How could any dish taste bad when it’s made with sweet Jersey tomatoes?
In fact, if you can get your hands on a plump, juicy Jersey tomato this weekend — and simply must make it into an Italian dish — here’s my suggestion. It’s a simple recipe, great for a quick meal for two: Heat a few cloves of minced garlic in about a quarter cup of olive oil. Don’t let the garlic brown. Toss in about a half pound of cooked spaghetti and coat it with the garlic and oil mixture. Finally, throw in the diced tomato and serve with Parmesan cheese.