What are you favorite dishes to make with fresh veggies from the Farmer's Market?
Asked by
SamIAm (
8703
)
June 12th, 2011
Headed down to our local Sunday Farmer’s Market and was wondering what everyone’s staples are and how you use them!
Observing members:
0
Composing members:
0
33 Answers
Not really a “dish”, but I always recommend getting as much basil and garlic as possible. Make pesto and add it to everything.
I am making a pork and tomatillo stew for dinner tonight.
Corn.
That’s right,just corn XD
Huge salad, lightly sautéed with oil and garlic, roasted.
Lets start off with Corn Chowder with everything bought at the farm stand from the butter, the milk, the corn, potatoes, and onions…. and boy what a great flavor it had compared to when I bought the indredients from the regular store.
How about picking up some eggplant thinly slice length wise and marinating them with some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper then grill…..
I love just mixed vegetables in season that they have and cut them large and then marinate them with my favorite dressing then grill and then put them in the oven on low covered until they are fully cooked and soft. I use the grill to bring out the natural sugars in the vegetable then when they continue to cook in the oven it just bring out the remaining flavors and intermingles everything making them taste so good.
I have also picked up various cheeses at the farmers market and made some wonderful homemade mac and cheese for my girls.
It’s sacriledge not to eat all fresh corn quickly boiled. Use day-old cooked or raw corn for chowder.
Ditto for all other summer vegetables that can be eaten raw or with a light vinaigrette.
Plenty of time for fancy marinating.
Beyond salads, I love picking up a heavy coarse grain bread at the market, and then making a bacon, fresh lettuce and heirloom tomato sandwich as soon as I get home. mmmmmmmm!
Sometimes they have these wonderful veggies, that look like a cross between a radish and a turnip. They’re white and about the same size as an egg. Anyway, I take them and slice them very thin, lay them out on a paper towel and sprinkle salt over them, then put them if the fridge for a couple of hours. Then you rinse them in a colander, then make a marinade with a little bit of sugar (about 3 Tablespoons) and some rice vinegar (about ¼ cup) for 1 and ½ lbs of radishes. Mix well and let them sit overnight in an airtight container. Yummy!
Also, if they have any multi-colored heirloom tomatoes and basil, get those and slice them and stack them up with fairly thick slices of fresh mozzarella, then drizzle them with a really good fruity olive oil and a couple of twists of freshly ground pepper. Caprese salad!
Summer squash, zucchini, celery, carrots and onions all stirred together and fried in olive oil with dusting garlic powder, salt and pepper.
I did this last night, it’s one of my favorite vegetable dishes.
Zesty Root Vegetables with Pecorino
from A Thought for Food
serves 6 as a side, 4 as an entree
Ingredients:
5 carrots
3 sweet potatoes
3 beets
3 parsnips
1 large red onion
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup pecorino cheese (or parmesan), shaved
parsley, chopped coarsely (optional)
zest of 1 lemon (optional)
salt and pepper, to taste.
Directions:
1. Peel all of the root vegetables and cut into thick pieces. Place them in a large mixing bowl and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.
2. Spread the vegetables out on a baking sheet (or multiple baking sheets if needed) and bake until they are tender, about 25–30 minutes.
3. Cook under the broiler for 3–5 minutes, until crispy on top (keep your eye on this, because you don’t want them to burn).
4. Transfer a third of the vegetables to a serving bowl and top with some of the cheese, parsley, and lemon zest. Repeat until all of the ingredients have been added to the serving bowl.
This can be served as is or with couscous if you want to make it an entree.
I love beets! And I get beeturia which amuses me to no end.
Roasted Balsamic Beets
from Elena’s Pantry
Ingredients:
3–4 large beets
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon celti sea salt
Directions:
1. Wash beets, scrubbing well to remove any dirt .
2. Cut beets into 4 to 6 wedges.
3. Place beets in a 3-quart pyrex baking dish .
4. Drizzle vinegar, oil and salt on top of beets.
5. Cook at 375 for one hour (covered), then 15 minutes (uncovered), until almost fork tender.
I don’t know of any edible vegetables I don’t like. But setting aside the complex recipes, simple ones that are favorites include
Red or white chard
Beet greens
Beets (plain if real sweet, pickled if not)
Spinach
Asparagus (cook till just tender enough to bite into easily)
Potatoes; purple, Yukon Gold, new potatoes or sweet.potatoes
My wife just whipped up a medley of snow-peas, small carrot spears and diced onion in a sweet-lemon sauce. Cooked to just getting tender. Superb.
Green beans fried in a little olive oil and Hoisin Sauce till they just start to crumple up and are nicely tender.
@fundevogel: Shame on you.
Small white turnips roasted with potatoes and carrots and a EVOO (and a side of brisket if you need meat) are delicious.
@gailcalled Mneh. I’ve given them more chances than they deserve and they aren’t nearly as nutritious my favorite veggies either.
It’s probably been six months since I’ve had any red meat, my veggies don’t have the luxury of disguising their flavor with it. The little buggers got to stand on their own.
@fundevogel: Small white turnips roasted with a little oil and garlic are delicious as a side dish.
@gailcalled Hmm, I haven’t seen those before. I’ve only had the big purple ones. You’re sure they’re good?
I have to say I tried @fundevogel‘s veggie recipe and it was delicious.
@gailcalled If I find the babies I’ll give those a shot.
@fundevogel Turnips and okra are two I didn’t like as a child. But I later learned that the problem there was that nobody in my good old Southern family know how to prepare much of anything. They cooked the life out of all veggies and served them up as little but soup. Turnips can be a delightful vegetable if properly prepared. So can okra.
@ETpro Okra I’ve always liked. My dad’s family is Cajun.
@fundevogel Yeah, they know how to cook it. My granny and mom who learned under here just left the okra whole and boiled it into a disgusting, slug-like consistency. It wasn’t the taste that turned me off, but the slimy consistency of the way they prepared it. And they used no spices to kick it up a notch.
@ETpro Yeah that doesn’t sound so great. But slime isn’t a deal-breaker for me. I’ve got a recipe for okra vinaigrette that is viscous as all get-out but it’s delicious.
@fundevogel Oh? Share it if you will. The slime thing was my initial reaction as a kid. I’m over that now.
@fundevogel: I thought of you yesterday when I was a the food co-op. The bunches of baby turnips were snow white and each the size of a radish. Pretty enough to put in a vase with some greens for the centerpiece.
Okra Vinaigrette
from one of my mom’s cookbooks
Ingredients:
2 lb fresh okra
salt
½ c vegetable oil
⅓ c white vinegar
½ tsp dry mustard
½ tsp thyme
¼ tsp sugar
1/8 tsp pepper
1 lg garlic clove, minced
¼ c chopped pimento
Directions:
1. In a skillet over med heat, in 1 inch boiling water, heat okra and ½ tsp salt to boiling. Cover, cook 5 min or until tender.
2. In a bowl mix 1¼ tsp salt with vegetable oil and remaining ingredients except pimento.
3. Add the okra and pimento to bowl. Toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Toss occasionally if needed.
@gailcalled I think it’s safe to say I’ll be thinking of you as well whenever I stumble upon baby turnips.
@fundevogel Thanks so much. It does sound good. I’ll have to try it next time the Haymarket has fresh okra.
Response moderated (Spam)
Answer this question 
