When we returned from our honeymoon, we faced the end of vacation woes:  an empty fridge, piles of laundry, and exhaustion.  The empty fridge didn't stay empty for long (though the ironing pile remains), as when we arrived home last Wednesday we were able to walk to the corner of our street for our first summer CSA pick up, courtesy of Garden of Eve Farm.

Several days later, at Grand Army Plaza, we loaded our bags with berries, cherries, snap peas, and zucchini.

Suddenly, our empty fridge was bursting with summer produce and our next task was to make a meal that would a) use as much of our fresh food as possible and b) capture the peak flavors of each main ingredient.

After consulting The Produce Bible, and making several necessary modifications, what resulted was a true summer feast, complete with White Rascal Wheat Beer.

First Course:  Field Greens with Blueberries & Grape Tomatoes topped with an Asian Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

1 collection of greens, any fresh greens will do

1 small container of blueberries

1 small container of grape tomatoes

Asian Vinaigrette:

1-2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar (start with one and add more at the end, to taste)

1 Teaspoon Soy Sauce

1/2 Teaspoon Sesame Oil

1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper

4 oz Rice Wine Vinegar

1 oz Canola Oil

*Add solid ingredients first and liquids second, then stir

Side Dish: Sugar Snap Peas and Carrots in Lime Butter

Adapted from a recipe by Leanne Kitchen

Ingredients:

1 large carrot (or 4 small carrots)

1 1/4 cups sugar snap peas

1/4 cup butter

2 garlic cloves, crushed (or 1 garlic scape)

1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon lime juice

zest of 1 lime

Directions:

Peel the carrot(s) and cut into thin diagonal slices.  Wash and string the snap peas.  Heat the butter in a large frying pan.

Add the garlic and cook over low heat for one minutes.  Add the lime juice and sugar and cook until the sugar has dissolved.  Finally, add the carrots and peas and cook until just tender (2-3 minutes).  Garnish with the lime zest.

Main Dish:  Zucchini Fritters

Adapted from a recipe by Leanne Kitchen

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups grated zucchini

1/2 of a large onion (or 1 small onion), chopped

1/2 cup flour (add more if necessary for binding)

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons chopped parsley

1 pinch nutmeg

1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs (add more if necessary for binding)

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

Put the zucchini and onion in the middle of a dishtowel and twist as tightly as possible to remove the juices.  Grate the zucchini, chop the onion and prep the other ingredients.

Combine the zucchini, onion, flour, cheese, parsley, nutmeg, breadcrumbs, and eggs in a large bowl.  Season with salt and pepper as you'd like.  Mix with your hands to form a stiff, clumpy mixture.

Heat the oil over medium heat.  When the oil is hot, drop tablespoons of mixture into the pan and shallow fry until well browned all over.  Drain on crumpled paper towels.