Just like last year, we’re participating in two farm shares. Our friends Raphe & Teresa are no longer sharing their bounty with us, having found that increasing their wedding flower business far outweighed the pleasures of driving to Louisville to hear Steve incessantly begging for raw milk. We’re still with our neighbors at Foxhollow, but this year also got a share from Riverfarm Organics, a new CSA up in Goshen.

Steve somehow missed the message about our first scheduled Riverfarm pickup.  Luckily, we were able to get our box at Blue Dog Bakery in Louisville on Saturday, containing bok choy, lettuce, strawberries, dill, turnips, Russian kale and garlic scapes.

Riverfarm’s farm manager, Valerie, expressed concern that we’d have no room in the refrigerator for Tuesday’s box of produce. But by Monday we’d already plowed through most of it, as well as some extras like English and snap peas that we couldn’t resist at the Norton Commons Farmers Market—so no fear we’ve “over-shared.” Valerie’s veg were quite good, especially the lettuce which made a lovely salad which we enjoyed with pasta and peas.

It was a meal that Barbara Kingsolver would be proud of.  Everything, except the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper was from Kentucky or Indiana.  The pasta was made with Weisenberger Mill flour and eggs from our back yard.  The bacon started with a Fiedler Family Farms pork belly.  The vegetables in our Riverfarm box were supplemented by scallions from Diamond H, English peas from Garey Farms, snap peas from Stone Run Farms and green garlic from Foxhollow via Grasshoppers.  Bring on Summer, and God bless our local farmers.

PASTA WITH PEAS, GREEN GARLIC, SCALLIONS AND BACON

• Pasta, preferably homemade
• Bacon, chopped into lardons
• English peas, shelled
• Snap peas, cleaned
• Green garlic, sliced
• Garlic scapes, chopped
• Scallions, chopped
• Half and half
• Parmesan cheese, grated
• Salt & pepper

Fry bacon. Drain on paper towels. Reserve some of the bacon grease in the skillet.

Steam peas for 2 minutes. Shock in cold water.

Sauté green garlic and garlic scapes in reserved bacon grease. Add scallions.

Cook pasta. When pasta is almost done, add peas to vegetable mixture. Season. Splash on some half and half. Strain pasta and add to skillet, tossing.

Plate, sprinkle with bacon and add grated cheese.