Farmers Market Faves?

[Deleted]

I am going to make myself go to the farmers market today!

What is your favorite foodie thing to pick up at the market?  How do you prepare or cook it?

I LOVE yellow squash frizzled in butter with onions . . . but no one else in my family approves of yellow squash because in their words "Its all GMO".  

If it is 'organic' can the seeds still be GMO?  I don't like that one of my faves has been tinkered with.  I guess I will have to get by with a big bag of Rainier Cherries instead!!

I'm going to buy a big bag of veg & fruit, so tell me what to do with it!!!  My granddaughter is big into making veggie soup, but I don't think I have the stock or spices right.  Our last one was good, but a little bland.  We had 20 or so different things in it!

[Deleted]

Arugula.  I love arugula, although it's getting a little late in the season.  (This time of year the hot weather makes it "bolt"- it produces blossoms and goes to seed and the leaves get tough). I mostly use it in salads, but also put it in soups and stews.

[Deleted]

PNW - not even close to hot yet.  Yesterday the news was that we are colder than Alaska!?!?

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I like everything but things are running late due to the weather we've had.  I've noticed the prices are climbing, which is understandable but I'm going to have to weigh certain prices against the supermarket.

The first crop of broccoli I bought last weekend was delish, I normally can't stand broccoli.  I took Thyme's suggestion and roasted it just like I do aparagus.

[tloonya]

Chop onion and brown it a bit.
Chop all your veggies and throw them in a pot or skilllet with onions.
Cover with lid.
Stir-fry. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder and V8 spicy HOT juice at the end.
Chop fresh dilll, cilantro, parsley...either or all and drop handfull on the top.

You can have it hot, warm, cold...with meats or without...with good crispy breads.
If you add more liquid - dip bread in it. YUMM!

Among other spices - rosemary. If you like it. And bay leaf (don't eat it though...)

If you add young potatoe to a mix - it is going to be more fullfeeling.

So...just do it dammit!

[Apple]

I do more home-garden than farmer's market--my parents grow a ton of stuff at their place, so I just get stuff from the farmer's market that I can't get there.  Last year I bought figs and made some chocolate bars with them--those were really good.

Snow peas should be available now, and maybe asparagus still.

Tell us what you buy and we can help come up with ways to cook them

I roast asparagus in the oven, and use snow peas in stirfry or pasta.

[moneymaven]

Asparagus and peaches are my favorite from the farmers market.

I roast the asparagus in olive oil with salt, lemon pepper and garlic powder. As soon as I pull them out of the oven, I spray them with fresh lemon.

I use peaches for lots of things: by themselves, cut up in Greek yogurt, peach cobbler, in salads.

Occasionally, a person with homemade pasta comes to the market. To die for.

[Deleted]

Tomatoes.  I LOVE locally-grown tomatoes this time of year and refuse to buy those round, pinkish things that taste like wood pulp that they sell in the grocery stores during the winter and claim are tomatoes.  Just slice 'em and sprinkle on a little salt.  No need to mess with perfection.

[moneymaven]

Jun 22, 2013 14:18:32 GMT -5 @athena53 said:

Tomatoes.  I LOVE locally-grown tomatoes this time of year and refuse to buy those round, pinkish things that taste like wood pulp that they sell in the grocery stores during the winter and claim are tomatoes.  Just slice 'em and sprinkle on a little salt.  No need to mess with perfection.

Yum. Or with fresh mozzarella and fresh basil topped with olive oil and balsamic.

[Apple]

Jun 22, 2013 14:22:01 GMT -5 moneymaven said:

Jun 22, 2013 14:18:32 GMT -5 @athena53 said:

Tomatoes.  I LOVE locally-grown tomatoes this time of year and refuse to buy those round, pinkish things that taste like wood pulp that they sell in the grocery stores during the winter and claim are tomatoes.  Just slice 'em and sprinkle on a little salt.  No need to mess with perfection.

Yum. Or with fresh mozzarella and fresh basil topped with olive oil and balsamic.

As a topping for fresh rustic bread, mmm.... (and I don't care for tomatoes that much)

[sapphire12]

Fresh-squeezed strawberry lemonade. I also like the tomatoes and cucumbers.

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

Mmmm.... Armenian Cucumbers.

[quince]

Garlic scapes.  I make a pesto with them and spread on french bread and broil.

[Apple]

Tomatoes and cucumbers...  I make a grilled sandwich with them.  Marinate the tomatoes and cucumbers in a Greek Vinaigrette or other Vinaigrette (a balsalmic one would work well, maybe Italian).  Then, make a sandwich with the marinated tomatoes and cucumbers, add a "white" cheese (provolone, swiss...), and a slice of turkey.  Lightly butter the outsides of the sandwich and grill on a skillet or broil in the oven.  Makes a great lunch or dinner.

[lynnerself]

It was all about berries today.
I bought blueberries, strawberries, red raspberries and some yellow raspberries.
I also saw marionberries, logan berries, blackberries and 2 kinds of cherries and even gooseberries.

It's too early here for tomatoes or squash.  But I got some beautiful chard.

[NancysSummerSip]

I stopped at a farmer's market and found fresh Amish-made butter. I could eat it with a spoon.

But I let some of it soften and mixed it with honey and cinnamon to use on baked sweet potatoes tonight.

I have a freelance assignment at a new greenmarket tomorrow. You guys are giving me a lot of ideas!

[Deleted]

New potatoes! I'm low carbing it now but I might make an exception for some new potatoes with butter. Just once!

[Tiny]

First few Markets and then again in the fall - Kohlrabi.   Green or red.

Pick out ones the size of your fist (a woman's fist)  Bigger is not better - the bigger ones can be 'woody' and tough.

To prepare:   For the uninitiated first time newbie:      Wash, cut off the stem and root end, peel and slice I make 1/2 moons about a 1/4 inch thick.  Put 1 or 2 sliced kohlrabis in a covered microwave safe dish with a 1/4 cup of water.  Microwave just until tender - ie if it take your microwave 1 minute to boil 8 ounces of water - the kohlrabi in a covered container need about 1 minute 30 seconds.  Check them for tenderness - I like mine Al Dente, some people like them mushy, some people like them with a bit of crunch.    When they are done add a dab of butter and a shake or two of salt.   Enjoy a bit of Sunshine. 

I also make a bunch of them as a casserole in the oven:   I layer kohlrabi with onion (or patty pan squash  

Season kohlrabi (any way you cook it) with any of the following:  basil, chives, dill, fennel seeds, parsley, coriander, parsley.   I like them with a bit of yellow curry powder too. 

Kohlrabi tastes like a mellow sweetish 'turnip'  and I've heard it compared to the stalk part of broccoli - both YUCKY things for most people cause they eat the icky tasteless stuff from the grocery.  If you like CSA or Farmer's market 'white salad turnips' or fresh broccoli - you'll most likely like Kohlrabi

[Tiny]

I also like the fresh garlic bulbs (not green garlic - the actual bulbs).   I'll roast 4 or 5 of them at a time.  You can google for instructions it's not hard.  I've also heard (but haven't tried) 'roasted' garlic in the microwave..


I like the small 'baby' Chard and kale leaves too - they are nice in salad.   Washing but no cooking required.

[Tiny]

Jun 22, 2013 14:53:51 GMT -5 quince said:

Garlic scapes.  I make a pesto with them and spread on french bread and broil.

 
 
 
 

Oh My Goodness YES!!


 
 
 

I'm still waiting (vulturing) for the garlic scapes to appear - I'm thinking next week or the week after.

[Deleted]

Turned out to be a very timely plan.  GD#1 appears to have a sensitivity to gluten (more like an allergy than the stomach troubles).
So, I picked up gluten free breads & lots of veggies (and my rainier cherries).  

No garlic scapes that I saw, but I will watch out for them in the future. I didn't realize you could buy them.  I used to use them when i grew garlic & just thought it was a frugal hack 

[econstudent]

Last year my favorite was the spring garlic. Delicious. I haven't been to the farmer's market since we moved here because the farmer's markets are all during the week. I want to go on Saturday!

[milee]

Seafood, especially shrimp.

Oh, and the Amish doughnuts.

Unfortunately, our growing season is just about over (too hot and humid now) and most of the fruits and veggies at the farmer's market are brought in from other places.  It's still fun to go, but the veggies/fruits aren't all that local and the few that are local - mangoes, herbs, avocados - I have growing in my yard.  I gave up on the papayas, though.  They grew really well, but the darn squirrels would always get them before I could.

[gooddecisions]

Jun 22, 2013 11:18:21 GMT -5 @rockit said:

If it is 'organic' can the seeds still be GMO?  I don't like that one of my faves has been tinkered with.  I guess I will have to get by with a big bag of Rainier Cherries instead!!

No, the use of genetic engineering is prohibited in organic products (source- USDA). What disturbs me most about GMO crops is the fact that when insects bite into them and digest the food, their stomachs turn inside out and they die. I have a hard time believing that it won't have some affect on our bodies. It's great that scientists have engineered crops to be resistant to weed killing chemicals and pests, but they don't need to turn our food into a pesticide. I'd rather take my chances with a vegetable saturated in round-up because then at least I can wash the poison off. The vegetable IS the poison when it has the GMO proteins. I don't necessarily need it to grow in fields void of round-up and pesticides, but I'd rather it not be bio-engineered. I wish there were a label specific to GMOs.

[Deleted]

Hybrid is not GMO... 


Eta... GMOs are even more saturated in Roundup... In addition to everything else.