I have to thank everyone who shared their favorite food memories for our contest. From fresh from the field, or off the truck, sweet corn to blackberry picking in Oregon and the apple orchards of Ojai, Michigan and upstate New York; date shakes from Palm Springs and the cheese of Marin County with a family connection – it was fun to read such an array of stories. I’ve made a contribution to Farm Aid’s Family Farm Disaster Fund (tacked on an extra zero to my pledge), and judging from the number of clicks through to their site, I’m guessing a few of you did as well. So thank you for sharing and supporting our family farming friends in the Midwest!

And without further ado, our free cookbook winner – as decreed by the random integer generator – is … Lelo in Nopo! Who shares the following:

Eating local and supporting local farms was inherent to my childhood. In the fertile valleys of Southern California, some of the very best growing conditions for produce existed. I’ve written extensively about my memories on my blog, but last fall I wrote about a recent trip to an apple orchard, and how as a child, we’d visit Ojai, California, to pick apples. Today that area is so different than it was then, but my memories shape who I am, and where I put my money, today, even though I live in a different state. You can read about it here.

Visit the original post to read the other stories. Thanks everyone!

This Presto Pasta Night dish meets two of my healthier cooking goals — whole grains added by using buckwheat soba rather than a standard white pasta, and added greens by incorporating fresh chard. The sauce was inspired by a Coconut Shrimp Soup recipe from Martha’s Everyday Food.

Recipe: Coconut Shrimp Soba
adapted from Everyday Food

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. shrimp, peeled (thawed, if frozen)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 garlic scape*, chopped (optional)
• 1 T fresh ginger, grated
• 1 small bunch chard*
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk
• 1 t corn starch
• 2 green onions*, sliced
• 4-5 leaves basil*
• juice of 1 lime
• red pepper flakes or chili garlic sauce
• soba noodles

Instructions: Cook soba according to package instructions. While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, scape and ginger and cook 1 minute. Add chard, saute 2 minutes. Add coconut milk and bring to a boil. Add shrimp and cook 1 minute (if pre-cooked, 4 minutes if uncooked). Stir in lime juice, basil and green onions and remove from heat. Add red pepper/chili sauce to taste and toss with cooked soba noodles. (I dish up the toddler’s first, then add the peppers.)

Notes: Pre-cooked and peeled frozen shrimp is a handy freezer staple for quick weeknight meals. I bought Florida Key West Pink Shrimp this time, which prompted a mock complaint from the husband that it wasn’t local enough. Well, local is relative when buying seafood at Whole Foods … or most grocery stores. Buying seafood sustainably is a difficult endeavor, so when in doubt I often settle for buying American.

* Local ingredients from our Potomac Vegetable Farms CSA.

Submitted to Presto Pasta Nights, created by Once Upon A Feast and hosted this week by Scientist in the Kitchen.

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