Welcome back to the Fancy Fork – your seasonal produce insight and farm-style recipes that are made to satisfy. 

The local farmer’s markets have been flourishing with all things crisp vegetables, juicy tomatoes, sweet watermelons and more to create those effortlessly delicious summer meals. Throughout the month of July, you’ll continue to find zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, radishes, leafy greens, corn, beets and asparagus in great abundance. It’s also the perfect time to scout out your favorite fruits like cherries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, figs, grapes, plums, apples and, of course, watermelons. 

This month’s recipe features a homemade arugula pesto, even though you can use store-bought pesto or a basil pesto. Arugula is one of those small but mighty leafy greens that has incredible health benefits from its high concentration of vitamin A, vitamin C and phenolic compounds such as lutein and zeaxanthin. These anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties are great for improving eye health, controlling blood sugar levels and preventing development of cardiovascular diseases. 

Cheesy Chicken Pesto Pita Pockets (Sourdough)

Servings: 6

Prep time: 20 minutes

Rest time: 1 hour

Cook time: 10 minutes

Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients:

3 cups All Purpose Flour

¾ cup Warm Water

¼ cup Warm Whole Milk

¼ cup Olive Oil

1 T Honey

1 ½ tsp. Active Dry Yeast

1 tsp. Salt

2-3 cups Shredded Chicken, or rotisserie chicken

1/3 cup Arugula or Basil Pesto, store bought or homemade

¼ cup Sundried Tomatoes, chopped

1 bag Shredded Mozzarella

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the warm water and warm milk. Stir in the honey and yeast. Set aside to bloom for 10 minutes. 
2. Add the flour, olive oil and salt. Mix until a shaggy dough, then turn out onto a clean surface to knead 4-5 minutes, until a smooth dough ball. Place in a clean bowl, cover with plastic or a damp cloth to rise in a warm environment for 1-2 hours, until doubled in size. 
3. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Roll into tight balls, then set aside while you prepare the filling. 
4. In a separate bowl, combine the shredded chicken, pesto, sundried tomatoes and half of the Italian herb mozzarella. Mix well. 
5. Roll out each dough ball to ¼” thick, add 1/6th of the pesto chicken and 1-2 tablespoons of the remaining shredded cheese. 
6. Pinch the ends together to seal and place seam-side down onto a plate. Repeat with remaining dough pieces, then cover with a damp cloth to rise for 30 minutes. 
7. Heat up a skillet over medium high heat. 
8. Roll out the stuffed pitas to ½” thick, then place onto a heated skillet. Cook for 30-45 seconds, then flip to cook an additional 1 minute. Cook for a total of 5-6 minutes, flipping every minute to keep from burning. 
9. Brush with a melted butter and herb mixture to enjoy warm!