Who says minestrone needs to be red? This bright green alternative is the perfect way to celebrate the beginning of summer and make use of seasonal produce. This is the season for garlic scapes, which are the curled tops of growing garlic and are removed to jolt the bulbs into increasing in size. I used raw scapes to make the pesto: They're good grilled, too, but blanch them first, otherwise they are stringy.
Low-carb eaters know cauliflower can mimic rice or mashed potatoes and is even good in smoothies. Served as a background to sizzling spiced shrimp, it becomes a low-carb, low-calorie main. And the dessert is my favourite way of serving the sweetest strawberries, as they are the star of the plate.
Soup: Green minestrone soup with garlic scape pesto