Market season is officially underway

Threats of rain, and a little actual rain, didn't keep anyone away from opening day of the grower's market last week. The community milled around the parking-lot-turned-marketplace tasting hot sauces, learning about local wines, asking farmers how to best care for the flowers and veggies they were about to plant, and oh yes - shopping!




Children could fill a little plantable pot with soil, as seen above, before spreading out to the various stalls to choose their first plant of the season.

Most vegetables to be found at the market in this early stage of the season are still in the soil. But one thing that's already on its way to tables around the region is asparagus. Since the weather hasn't been cooperating with anyone's plans to grill, here is a great way to use asparagus in a year-round dish. This recipe for Linguine with Shrimp, Asparagus and Basil comes from Sydney restaurant Bills and was reprinted in Bon Appetit magazine. It's great for company because it's a bit fancy but is fairly quick and easy to make.


Ingredients:


8 oz linguine

3 tbs olive oil

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tbs chopped red jalapeno chiles

1/2 c dry white wine

1 tbs butter

12 uncooked large shrimp

12 slender asparagus, trimmed, cut diagonally into 1-1/2 inch pieces

1 tbs fresh lemon juice

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced, plus additional for garnish

2 lemon wedges



Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and jalapeno; saute 1 minute. Add wine and butter; boil 2 minutes. Add shrimp, asparagus, and lemon juice. Toss until asparagus is just tender and shrimp are just opaque in the center, about 2 minutes.

Drain pasta and add to the skillet; add 2 cups sliced basil leaves and toss until basil wilts and sauce coats pasta.





(Since your fresh basil plants may not yet be ready to harvest, try this trick. At the end of each season pick the remaining basil off your plant, put a few leaves into each section of an ice cube tray, fill with water, freeze and then empty into a bag to keep in the freezer all winter. I add a few cubes of frozen basil to this recipe in place of fresh basil during the winter.)

Season with salt and pepper. Divide pasta between 2 plates. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and lemon wedges and serve.



Paul Hauser of the Maple Hill Farm advises shoppers on caring for the baby plants he sold last Saturday.

Just one of the non-edibles available at the market, handcrafted soaps from Ellen April.