Feature Friday: How to Make the Most out of your Local Farmers Market with Cook and Sprout
My name is Emily Johnson and I'm a culinary arts and gardening teacher, a certified chef, and a homesteader. My passion is food and all that word encompasses: growing it, cooking it, eating it, preserving it, teaching it. I live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in an old farm house on 15 acres with my handy husband and our two young kids. You can find us outside biking, hiking, or foraging but most likely weeding the garden. Follow me on Instagram @cookandsprout
The trees are full and green, the fields scattered with wild flowers, and the air smells sweet and light. The signs of summer offer a welcome reprieve from a long winter and spring. Summer brings warmth, hope, and lots of garden fresh, flavorful food. Truly nothing compares to the taste of a warm tomato off the vine or a spicy radish plucked from the earth. Buying fresh, local foods promises better flavor and higher nutrient content. It's also easier on your budget and the environment. So it seems that we should all be working toward buying food that's been grown close to home as much as possible.
One great way to browse what your local farmers are selling is to visit a farmer's market. This allows you to buy your food right from the person who grew it. It's an opportunity to ask farmers questions about where they are located, how they grow their crops, and maybe even ask, "What is that?" about the pile of vegetables on the table that you've never seen before. As wonderful as it can be to shop at the farmers market, it can be intimidating! There are countless varieties of vegetables and fruits and most of us are not able to identify every one. And guess what? That's okay! I once bought what I thought were huge radishes but they turned out to be turnips. I figured it out and they were delicious roasted with white miso, but, my point is that if I had just asked the farmer what the massive radish looking thing was, I could have avoided feeling so silly about my surprise vegetable purchase. Simply ask the farmer what the vegetable or fruit is if you're unsure. They also have great tips on how to prepare their produce to harness their flavor and may even offer you a taste before you buy.
Now that you have a pile of colorful produce on your counter and you're feeling great about supporting your local farms, it's time to get cooking. Here are 5 tips to make the most out of your farmers market haul:
1. Spread everything out, take inventory of what you bought and reflect on why you decided to buy it. Were you inspired by the fresh tomatoes to make salsa? Did you buy curly kale you intend to use in a salad?
2. Make the time to devise a plan for all your produce to ensure it all gets used. Write it all down and stick to it the best you can. If you find you have far too much zucchini left and you're out of ideas, try different preservation methods.
3. Preserving food you are unable to eat within the time it stays fresh is a vital skill to learn. Pickling, fermenting, and drying are just a few methods you can dabble with.
4. When in doubt, roast 'em. Preheat your oven to 400°, lightly coat assorted chopped veggies in olive oil and kosher salt on a sheet pan and roast in your hot oven for 10-20 minutes tossing halfway through. Simple, quick, delicious every time.
5. Be bold! Try new recipes, make a whole bunch of mistakes, share the process with friends and family (and social media!), and be proud of yourself for choosing local!
We just want to thank Emily for sharing these amazing tips about making the most out of buying from a local farmers market! If you guys aren’t already following Emily on Instagram (@cookandsprout), we encourage you to do so! We promise you will learn a lot, because her mission is to inspire confident cooking!
What’s one take-away you got from this blog post? Or do you have a questions for Emily? You can share those with us in the comments below!