This pasta recipe has everything I look for in a summer dish: local, seasonal produce, few ingredients, and the option to serve it chilled. Not only are there only 6 ingredients in this recipe (besides salt and pepper), but all the ingredients are on sale from 7/19-7/26. 

While any zucchini, chicken breast, and pesto will work in this recipe, I recommend you support our local food system and choose our local zucchini (grown by Ruhlig Farms in Carleton, MI), Miller chicken (raised by Amish families in Orland, IN), and Gotham Greens pesto (made with basil grown in greenhouses on the southside of Chicago). 

You can make zucchini ribbons with a regular vegetable peeler. Zucchini ribbons have a similar shape and texture as fettuccini. They can help cut your carb intake by replacing some of the starchy pasta with a veggie. They also add a nice pop of color to the plate. 

Click here to download a printable recipe card. 

Bruschetta doesn’t have to be all about tomatoes. We swapped them out for sweet Northwest cherries, our favorite seasonal fruit right now. 

Serve this Cherry Bruschetta as an elegant appetizer for a summer get-together. Or, serve it as a fresh, summery take on weekday breakfast. Remember, you don’t need to slice the entire baguette. Just a few slices make a perfect personal snack or mini-meal.

Download a printable recipe here.

Adding fresh cherries to your plate adds a pop of color and disease-fighting power. A growing body of science links cherries’ red color (provided by pigments that act as powerful antioxidants) to heart-health benefits related to reducing inflammation. Cherries also contain important nutrients like beta carotene, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, iron, fiber, and folate.

While there’s no established guidelines on how many cherries it takes to reap their benefits, experts suggest 1-2 servings of cherries a day can have some anti-inflammatory effects.

Cherry season is short. Get your servings of fresh ones while you can, then switch to frozen or dried.