Seasonal Vegetables

Chef Shea Gallante talks about his favorite seasonal vegetables for summer and supporting your local farmers market.

Talk to us about seasonal vegetables and things that you like to cook with in the summertime. We're getting into the warm weather months of the year. You specialize in Italian cooking, so talk to us a little bit about some of the vegetables that you love to work with. You know I love peas, fava beans, ramps, ramps is a short season. But any kinds of beans, tomatoes, anything that's light, represents summer that's bright, colorful, flavorful. Visual has a lot to do with it. We tend to go with vegetables that are intensified in the season and represent a little bit of lightness -- herbs, fresh herbs. So many times I think our home cooks don't always reach for the freshest ingredients, what would you say about exploring your farmers markets in your local area? I would say support them. You'd be surprised, break down the intimidation barrier, and then you know just go for it, get a few things, bring them home and experiment. You'd be surprised how easy it is.