Where has the summer gone? Don’t let it pass you by without taking advantage of the fresh vegetables and fruits your local farmers market can provide! I feel like I’ve only been able to visit the farmers market a few times, certainly not as often as I have wanted to. When I have been able to visit, it’s always been in a rush. I always get there just before the close of the market or when I am trying to beat the rain. This past Saturday, however, I finally got to have a have slow stroll through the Farmers Market of the Ozarks.
I arrived with a list and a plan. Not only did I need veggies for our normal weekly meals, I also wanted to get fresh fruit and veggies for a Sunday picnic with visiting family. I wanted to show them that the summer produce of Springfield was just as good (or better!) than Central Valley California.
While I had time to stroll, I was late to the party. I believe the best time to go to the farmers market is right when it opens. You get the best selection and you can get in and out before the crowds hit. I was lucky to get some peaches before they were all gone. The Red Haven peaches made the perfect compliment to our simple Sunday indoor picnic of quinoa salad, hummus, veggies and crackers. I had hoped for raspberries but I guess I was too late because none were to be found. I did find the other ingredients I needed to create a simple but satisfying picnic.
The quinoa salad was the main event. Grain based salads are perfect for picnics because they can be made ahead and almost always taste better the second day. They can be eaten warm or cold, making them easy to pack and go. The recipe I made was one from a holiday cooking class I attended last November. It was a big hit with the family at Thanksgiving so why wait a whole year to make it again? The recipe is from Glow Nutrition but unfortunately it is not on her web site. This spring quinoa salad is very similar, swapping out the asparagus and berries for dried cranberries and chickpeas.
Holy Moly Hummus is my absolute favorite recipe from How it All Vegan. Nothing says summer to me like just-picked crisp cucumbers and hummus. If you love hummus as much as I do just remember to measure out your portion. Hummus has a lot of great things in it but you can sabotage your fat loss be eating too much.
Notice I didn’t prep dessert for the picnic? Fresh fruits like peaches are a perfect summer dessert. You can also do fruit salads or Greek yogurt parfaits instead of cookies or cake.
Besides the picnic ingredients I also brought home onions, kale, mushrooms and basil for other recipes I wanted make for dinners. I have a recipe from Oxygen Magazine for white bean burgers that tasted extra amazing with fresh Portobello mushrooms. The kale, along with zucchini Brian brought home from work, are for a modified version of the Veggie Frittata from Great Gluten Free Vegan Eats from Around the World cookbook that I plan to make this coming weekend. Fresh basil is perfect for almost any pasta including the baked ziti I’ll be cooking up this week.
I make my meal plans two weeks at a time but I won’t let that stop me from going to the market again if I have time this Saturday. There’s a block party this weekend and I am sure they would love some fresh cucumbers to go with their hummus.
What’s your favorite picnic dish?
What is plentiful at your local farmers market right now?
