Bacon! I was so excited to find out that we were getting bacon! We also had a ton of pea shoots, and I wasn't completely sure what to do with that many, so I figured why not make a pesto!
I was in the mood for homemade gnocchi, so I decided to make a pea shoot mint jalapeño pesto topped with bacon-wrapped maple-glazed shrimp and scallops paired with a mixed green salad with radishes and blueberries.
It was once again a let's go all out and try something you've never done before. I was really pleased with it and couldn't believe how good pea shoot pesto is! It's got this fantastic fresh spring green flavor that really balanced the sweet and salty of bacon-wrapped shrimp and scallops! I would do this again any day of the week, and yes, making the gnocchi at home too!
The flowers were amazing! We even got a pink columbine which reminded me of how much I love them! I do miss seeing them every summer in CO, it was a really special treat!
One fantastic thing about the gnocchi is that it uses flower from Finnriver Grainery. I also get a CSA from them monthly. It's called Resilience Rising, and I couldn't be happier with it!
Gnocchi
This is just a basic recipe from Allrecipes. Only difference is I use Finneriver Red Bread Flour.
INGREDIENTS
2 Potatoes
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour - Again I used Finneriver Flour!
1 Egg
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Peel potatoes and add to pot. Cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool and mash with a fork or potato masher.
Combine 1 cup mashed potato, flour and egg in a large bowl. Knead until dough forms a ball. Shape small portions of the dough into long "snakes". On a floured surface, cut snakes into half-inch pieces.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Drop in gnocchi and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until gnocchi have risen to the top; drain and serve.
Pea Shoot Mint Jalapeño Pesto
Pesto usually has some kind of nut in it, however for this one I didn't put a nut in. You could easily add a variety of different nuts depending on what you're going for. I made a batch later that I used hazelnuts and it was fantastic!
INGREDIENTS
1.5 Cup Pea Shoots
1/2 Cup Mint
1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
2 Jalapeños Chopped
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste!
Combine everything but the oil in a blender or mixer, turn it on and slowly add the olive oil until it is at a constancy that you like. Add more salt/pepper to your taste.
Bacon Wrapped Maple Glazed Shrimp & Scallops
INGREDIENTS
12 Shrimp
6 Scallops (note - you could do more, this just happened to be what I had)
9 Strips of back cut in half
2T Maple Syrup
2t Ground Cayenne
18 tooth picks
Turn on the grill. You can also cook these in a pan if your prefer.
Mix the maple syrup and cayenne together.
Wrap raw cleaned shrimp and scallops with a piece of bacon, use toothpick to hold it together.
Brush each wrapped piece with maple syrup.
Grill until done, brush a little more maple mixture while cooking.
Combining it All!
INGREDIENTS
Cooked Gnocchi
Pea Shoot Pesto.
Cooked Bacon Wrapped. Shrimp/Scallop
In a walk or cast iron add a little cooking oil, toss the cooked gnocchi in to brown it (this is optional - I happen to like slightly crispy gnocchi), add the pesto and toss.
Place the gnocchi on a plate and the shrimp/scallops on top!
Serve with a tasty salad! I used a raspberry vinaigrette.
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