A Market-Fresh BBQ, Part 2: Pasta Salad and Corn and Black Bean Salsa

Editor's Note: Four food-loving writers have accepted a challenge: To cook a complete summer BBQ using ingredients from Whistle Stop, the local Tuesday farmers market. Yesterday we served up your recommended allowance of greens; today we bring your bright, lovely sides. In the next days, we'll unveil a buffalo burger and a bounty of grilled peach dishes, as well. 

Summery Pasta Salad

This pasta salad was inspired by the copious amounts of colorful and flavorful veggies available at the market. Made with beautiful cherry tomatoes, fresh zucchini and artisanal Pappardelle’s Pasta, it is a light and easy side dish for a summer meal.

1 lb Pappardelle’s Italian Pesto Pasta Blend (or other type of fusilli or bowtie pasta)

1 red bell pepper

5 small to medium zucchini from Hayden Grove Farms

½ Vidalia onion

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes from Hayden Grove Farms

1 Tbsp olive oil

Dressing

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

3 heaping Tbsp diced fresh parsley

½ tsp red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Cook the pasta according to instructions. While the pasta is cooking, slice the zucchini into thin, halved rounds and sauté in tablespoon of olive oil with sliced onion until just tender. Cut the red bell pepper into thin, one-inch strips and mix in a large bowl with pasta, zucchini, onion and halved cherry tomatoes.

In a small bowl using a whisk, combine olive oil, red wine vinegar, parsley and red pepper flakes. Pour over pasta and veggie mixture and stir to coat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate. 

Zesty Corn and Black Bean Salsa

This fresh salsa is perfect for using up delicious summer corn and packs tons of flavor with a little bit of heat. We made ours with ingredients from El Brito market, and corn and tomatoes from Hayden Grove Farms. It is perfect as a dip with corn chips or as a topping on burgers or tacos.

6 ears of corn, shucked

1 16 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes from Hayden Grove Farms

½ red onion, diced

1 jalapeño, diced

¼ cup diced cilantro, chopped

Juice of 2 limes

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Break the corn cobs in half and cook in a large pot of boiling water for about eight minutes or until tender. Remove corn from the boiling water and let cool. Cut the kernels of corn off the cob and place in a large bowl. Mix in the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.