Pesto Made With Spring Garden Greens

We live in a medium to small sized town, and while we've certainly come a long way with the variety of what types of food are available, we are still limited in many ways. I try to buy in season, which poses a challenge in itself. Luckily, there is one booth at the Farmers' Market that operates out of geothermally heated greenhouses, so we get a jump start on rainbow colored bell peppers, heirloom tomatoes, basil, cucumbers, and a few other things. I went in search of some arugula this morning, but found some bright green spinach instead.

I have learned to be flexible when it comes to meal planning and recipe inspiration. I had visions of grilled chicken breast chunks and pasta tossed with Garlic Scape Pesto and cherry tomatoes, but the grocery store was out of organic chicken. All organic chicken...even broilers. How does that happen? Who is planning the purchasing/stocking for that store?! Anyway, I had to change gears. They had some yummy looking wild scallops, so I snagged those instead. I thought the Garlic Scape Pesto might over power the delicateness of the scallops, so I opted to make some spinach pesto out of my purchase from the Farmer's Market. My kids gobbled this dish up, and even my son, who has told me he doesn't like scallops in the past, thought this was tasty. He did remember to complain on his last bite, though, saying (as he stuffed it in his mouth), "Mom, I don't really care for scallops." Yeah, right. But that's a six-year-old for you!

Grilled Scallops with Fusilli, Spinach Pesto, and Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes

4 cups loosely packed spinach leaves (or try arugula instead)

4-6 fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for sprinkling

1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

1 garlic scape, chopped (or 1 garlic clove, minced)

olive oil, 1/3-1/2 cup or to taste

1/2 pint mixed cherry tomatoes (yellow, orange, red, etc.), quartered

10 oz Fusilli pasta*

1- 1 1/2 lbs wild scallops (the large ones)

salt and freshly ground pepper

Place the spinach, basil, parmesan, nuts, and garlic in a food processor. Drizzle with olive oil. Puree, adding more oil if needed. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions.

While the water is boiling, preheat a grill to high. Place the scallops in a single layer on paper towels (to absorb any moisture). Blot with another layer of towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill over high heat 1-2 minutes per side, being careful not to overcook.

Drain the pasta and toss with the pesto. Place some pasta on a plate, top with quartered tomato pieces and scallops. Grate parmesan cheese over the top and serve.

*I used Tinkyada brown rice fusilli pasta, found in the natural foods section. Whole wheat pasta might overpower the mildness of the scallops, but the brown rice flavor is very subtle. I like to use whole grain pastas because they fill you up quickly, using half as much as you might with regular white/semolina flour varieties. It keeps you lean because you eat less and it's healthier for you nutrition-wise!