The most nutritious AND delicious fruits and vegetables come straight from the farm to your table. Foods that come straight from the source have much more of their nutrients and flavors as those elements are not lost due to processing, freezing, or shipping preparations. This is why eating local foods when they are in season is so important.
However, most of us don’t have an abundant garden in our house. Fortunately, despite our city’s urban landscape, we also have some great local farms here in the area. New Earth Farm (https://www.facebook.com/NewEarthFarm/) offers ability to sign up for boxes of fresh local veggies (and sometimes eggs) each week throughout the spring and summer. Cullipher Farms (https://www.facebook.com/CullipherFarm/) has a similar program in addition to a U-Pick strawberry patch, baked goods, jar goods, and more!
From May to September, one of the veggies that is abundantly in season here in our state is Zucchini! That, paired with our proximity to the water, makes Zucchini Shrimp Scampi a beautifully fresh dish for the Spring and Summer months!
Zucchini Shrimp Scampi
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more, to taste
- 1/4 cup chicken stock
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 1/2 pounds (4 medium-sized) zucchini, spiralized
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
DIRECTIONS:
- Use a Spiralizer to spiral out the zucchini into noodle shapes.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add shrimp, garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until pink, about 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in chicken stock and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a simmer; stir in zucchini noodles until well combined, about 1-2 minutes.
- Serve immediately, garnished with Parmesan and parsley, if desired.