In Season Items to Pick Up at Your Farmer's Market This Weekend
Hi all! Going to the farmer's market is my favorite part of the week, hands down. There are so many reasons to visit your farmer's market- supporting local farmers and community members and providing the most nutrient dense food you can get for your body are two GREAT reasons. August is a great time to visit the farmers market, I've noticed it tends to be the peak around us and there's so much to choose from!
First, there are items you can get all summer-fall at the farmer's market. Things like
homemade breads
cut flowers
local art
pastries
local meat cuts
salsa/jams/sauces
and so much more! Your community members pour their heart and soul into their handmade items and it's always worth grabbing items like these from the farmer's market rather than a grocery store. The flavor is always much better and personally I believe it to be a rewarding experience!
But, if you're considering taking a trip this weekend (which you definitely should), here are some of the things you should keep an eye out for that will be at their peak now in August, as well as simple recipes you can use them in the following week.
Tomatoes
There are sooo many types of tomatoes that will be at their peak deliciousness this weekend! These will also be abundant through the first frost, so keep coming back to the market for these until it's done for the year!
Tomato Mozzarella Salad (if you can find the mozzarella, this would be one of those recipes that could be made entirely of farmer's market ingredients, which is my FAVORITE thing to do! You won't believe the difference in taste.)
Marinated Cherry Tomatoes (perfect for avocado toast or on top of a crostini)
Zucchini/Squash
August is the end of zucchini season so take advantage of their last few weeks- buy them fresh! I love making classic pasta dishes but switching out the noodles for spiralized zucchini. Zucchini is also really great halved and loaded up like a potato- think cheeses, beans, meat, etc.
Parmesan Zucchini Chips (My mom used to make a similar appetizer with a creamy dip, 10/10 recommend trying this!!)
Summer Squash Sauté (Again, all of these ingredients can be sourced at your local farmer's market. There's nothing better! This is a perfect meal for weekly meal planning OR freezing)
Blueberries/Blackberries
Blueberry season is from April to September, but I start to notice them show up at Manhattan farmer's markets late July into August. You have to show up early in Manhattan if you want to snag berries, though! I'm sure it's similar elsewhere! Fresh fruit might be the best part of a farmer's market! Side note: A little local coffee shop serves a seasonal fruit plate and we ordered it for Theodore two weekends ago and it was LOADED with blueberries which it doesn't usually have. Theodore commonly picks around for the strawberries but this time he only ate blueberries! Since I've realized how much he loves them I've made sure to pick up blueberries from the farmer's market for him 😊 Halved blueberries are such a perfect little snack for our little ones!
Blueberry Muffins (Sure to be a crowd pleaser)
Blueberry Sauce (How amazing would a blueberry sauce be on waffles??)
Crème Brûlée with Blackberry Coulis (I made this not too long ago and it's truly a simple recipe! It just takes quite a while- but you'll be proud of yourself!)
Peaches
Peak for peaches is July and August. They come and go quickly, and like blueberries, if you want to snatch the best of the best you need to arrive at the farmer's market very close to open time! At our last farmer's market a kind little lady selling peaches sliced a piece off for Theodore for him to enjoy as we browsed 😍 It was the sweetest gesture and Teddy loved it!...and we left that day pretty sticky.
Peach Sorbet (My dad is on a homemade ice cream kick, so I'm going to have to send some peaches and this recipe his way. Sounds delicious!)
Crockpot Blueberry Peach Cobbler (Combine those blueberries and peaches for this one! Also, a crock pot dessert? Always a win.)
Peppers
Farmer's market peppers are always a good idea. You can add chopped pepper to just about any meal and improve the taste by a million. I've noticed recently TONS of peppers showing up at our market and lots of different types, too! So many colors, shapes, sizes, and smells. You can really tell the difference between a locally grown pepper and an imported grocery store pepper. The spicy peppers are more intense and the sweet peppers are sweeter; whatever the pepper, a locally grown one will be more flavorful and delicious.
Quinoa Bell Pepper Pilaf (Did you know quinoa is a superfood? It's PACKED with goodies that your body will thank you for. This side dish is a favorite in our household.)
Stuffed Poblano Peppers (Another recipe very familiar to me! My grandparents love to make stuffed peppers when they're entertaining all of us. They usually opt for a cream cheese recipe, but this one is amazing, too.)
A few more things to keep your eye out for:
Beets
Sweet Corn
Green Beans
Kale
Potatoes (sweet potato, red, russet)
Onions
I hope this list gives you some inspiration to visit your local farmer's market this weekend! It's so exciting to mingle with your community and support them as well. Not to mention the delicious food you'll be able to whip up the following week!
Thank you for reading, I hope you love your farmer's market finds!
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