Because 2 days is never enough.

We teamed up with Hardy to create a menu out of the goodies from the Prospect Park farmer’s market and the West Harlem CSA. Mindy and Erik’s first Brooklyn dinner party was a smashing success, with delicious food, great company, and at least one exciting new discovery.

The menu included Hardy’s fresh pea and bib lettuce soup, recipe courtesy of Ma Stecker, two home-made pizzas (using the whole wheat dough recipe from Barbara Kingsolver’s fantastic new book “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle”), a salad, and Mindy’s famous apple pie.

I brought over some treats from last Thursday’s CSA share, including garlic scapes. To be honest, I’d never tasted a scape before I dug a huge pile of them out of the box at the CSA pick up. I’d seen them at the farmer’s market, but wasn’t sure what one would actually DO with a vegetable that looks a bit like a green electrical cord.

Raw scapes taste like garlic with a little bit of green onion mixed in. The night before the dinner party, I had sauteed them like garlic, which was fine, but after cooking them, the flavor was exceptionally mild. Mindy and I put our heads together and decided to make some garlic scape pesto for the pizzas. Let me tell you, this was a revelation. Now, just about every day, I get an email from Hardy heralding the new meals she has created using her scape pesto.

I’m hoping for a summer full of new recipes, unfamiliar vegetables, and dinner parties.

Garden Fresh Pea Soup

• 1 pound peas, shelled
• 1 small head of bib lettuce
• 1 spring green onion, chopped
• 1 sprig mint (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons water

Make a nest of the lettuce in the bottom of the pan. Put the onion or mint (one or the other), the salt, butter and peas into the lettuce. Add the water, cover and gently boil until the peas are tender. Depending on the quality and freshness this may take anywhere from 5-20 minutes. Taste and season with extra salt, and perhaps a pinch of sugar (if needed). Serve with the lettuce and liquids in the pan.

[Notes: You can also add a strip or 2 of thick cut bacon cut into 1″ pieces to the simmering pile. You can add less water since the lettuce gives it off. When you think the peas are done, lift all the goodies out of the pan and taste the broth. You’ll certainly want to add pepper and salt and 1/2 cup of light cream or half and half.]

Pizza #1: Tomato sauce mixed with garlic scape pesto, mozzarella, onions, basil
Pizza #2: Garlic scape pesto, mozzarella, tomato

Garlic Scape Pesto:

• 1 cup chopped garlic scapes (maybe 10 scapes depending on the size)
• 1/3 cup walnuts (or pinenuts)
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Add scapes and nuts to food processer and blend until smooth.
Drizzle in the olive oil a bit at a time, blending as you go.
Add cheese, salt, pepper, blend one last time.