Farmer’s Market Recipes
Fresh from the Farmer’s Market
Summer Cooking from the Farmer’s Market
There is nothing I like better than to get up early-ish on a Saturday morning and head over to the Farmer’s Market. I am fortunate to live in an area that has so many to choose from on Saturdays and throughout the week. My ultimate, ultimate favorite is the farmer’s market at Findlay Market, and if I am not doing a tasting or at a festival or market with In the Curious Kitchen, you will find me perusing the booths at a farmer’s market.
Of course, farmer’s markets are appealing to the foodie in me but there is also something about how all the fresh fruits and vegetables are arranged. The colors are so vibrant and the hustle and bustle throughout the market is just so fun. I love talking to each of the vendors about their fare and I cannot tell you how many ideas and recipe inspirations come from just a simple chat. In fact, our Bourbon Blueberry Jam is a great example of this. I was walking through the Findlay Farmer’s Market early one Saturday morning and the blueberries were just in peak season. They were the bluest blue and just so captivating that I had to buy some and then some more. I went home and straight away started experimenting until voila a new product was born!
Veggies and fruits in that are in season in June include:
Rhubarb
Lettuce
Blueberries
Cherries
Strawberries
Melons
Asparagus
Peas
Five Recipes to Make from your Farmer’s Market Haul
I do get a lot of inspiration from a visit to the Farmer’s Market and have developed so many new recipes from the wonderful fruits and vegetables I find on my visits. Here are my top five favorite recipes inspired by a trip to the Farmer’s Market:
Somehow I was on a rhubarb kick a few years back and that year everything that spring had a little rhubarb in it–even my cocktails. With the addition of a little of Kentucky’s finest bourbon and a couple of simple ingredients, this rhubarb-y cocktail is sure to become one of your springtime favorites. It’s light and refreshing and perfect for these fabulous spring evenings on the patio.
This special recipe combines two of my favorite fruit combinations–strawberries and rhubarb. Both are very plentiful in the springtime and there is just something about that sweet and tart flavor together that is simly wonderful. A crostata isn’t nearly as hard to make as it sounds…trust me on this!
Peaches and peppers are plentiful around these parts all summer. I do go on the hunt for the perfect peaches each year and buy bushels of them. I learned a lot about canning thanks to my grandmother. I spent a few weeks with her every summer and she knew all there was to know about canning. I watched her very carefully and was fascinated with her handiwork. Not long after she started, there would be perfect rows of jars full of all sorts of goodies. She canned just about anything you could think of! This Peach and Pepper Jelly is inspired from her kitchen and it’s just delicious.
I love anything pickled. There’s just something about the flavor profile that just makes my tastebuds tingle. Okra is very plentiful during the late spring, early summer months so why not give these delicious Okra Pickles a try. This is a very simple recipe to make. Serve them up with your favorite cheese and crackers or eat them straight out of jar.
This is one of my favorite Farmers Market stories. Something bright and vibrant caught my eye one Saturday at the farmer’s market and I had to know more. The pattypan squash is not only uniquely shaped but equally tasty and colorful. I had never used a pattypan squash before so this became my challenge for the afternoon. I, of course, talked to the vendor about this peculiar-looking squash and got some fabulous ideas. I went home, thought about it for a while, pulled out a couple of my favorite cookbooks, and went about to create something spectacular with this new ingredient. Mixing the new ingredient with some of my familiar pizza flavors, I came up with the most delicious spin on a grilled pizza using the pattypan squash. It was a big hit!
So hit up your local Farmers Market this weekend and see what you can find for inspiration. Send me your story and a photo! I would love to hear from you.
Cheers!
MK