Simple Recipes to Use Up That Farmers Market Produce

Is there anything better than heading to your local farmers market on a weekend morning? It’s easy to get carried away when everything is so fresh and colorful, so if you get home with more produce than you know what to do with, here are some ways not to waste a single thing.

New Potato Chicken Soup

Soups and salads are excellent ways to use up farmers market produce. This hearty new potato chicken soup recipe from Better Homes and Gardens pairs brilliantly with warm, homemade bread and a glass of wine.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 pound tiny new yellow or red potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
• ¾ cup sliced spring onions, ramps, or green onions (white parts)
• 1 carrot, sliced ¼-inch thick
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup half-and-half
• 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 cup English peas, shelled
• 1 oz crumbled goat cheese (optional)
• 1 tsp snipped thyme

Instructions:

1. Place chicken in a slow cooker. Add broth, potatoes, onions, carrots, garlic, and salt.
2. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 3.5-4 hours.
3. If using low, turn cooker to high. In a small bowl, whisk together half-and-half and flour; add to cooker. Stir in peas, goat cheese, and thyme. Cover and cook 15 minutes more or until thickened. If desired, top with additional goat cheese.

Farmers Market Pasta Salad

You should always have a go-to pasta salad recipe for BBQ season, and this one from Taste of the South Magazine incorporates a ton of summer flavors.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz farfalle pasta
• 2 cups summer squash, sliced
• 1 cup green beans, chopped
• 1 cup mini bell pepper, sliced
• 2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1½ cups mozzarella pearls
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp shallots, minced
• 1 cup fresh parsley
• 1 cup fresh basil
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1½ tsp sugar
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp roasted salted sunflower seeds
• Garnish: fresh basil and parsley

Instructions:

1. In a large stockpot, bring salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook for 10 minutes. Add squash, green beans, and bell pepper; cook for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in tomatoes and mozzarella.
2. In a small bowl, combine lemon juice and shallots. Let stand for 10 minutes.
3. In the work bowl of a food processor, place parsley, basil, and oil; pulse until well-blended. Pour parsley mixture over pasta mixture. Stir in shallot mixture, sugar, zest, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle with sunflower seeds. Garnish with basil and parsley, if desired.

Vegetable Fried Rice

This Feasting at Home recipe is healthy and delicious and can quickly be whipped up on a weeknight.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz tofu (or two eggs, whisked) or meat
• 4–5 Tbsp coconut oil (or peanut oil, olive oil, butter, or ghee), divided
• 2 leeks, chopped and rinsed (or 1 onion, diced)
• 3 garlic cloves, rough chopped (or try garlic scapes)
• 4 cups chopped veggies: carrots, mushrooms, cabbage, bok choy, asparagus, kale, bell peppers, broccoli, broccolini, zucchini, snow peas, green beans, baby spinach, or kale.
• 1 cup shelled edamame or peas
• 3 cups cooked, cold, dry rice (or brown rice)
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ¼ cup scallions
• 1–2 tsp furikake or toasted sesame seeds

Instructions:

1. In an extra-large non-stick skillet, heat 2 Tbsp oil over medium heat and scramble eggs or tofu. If using tofu, blot it dry first, and break apart into little bits with a spatula in the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside on a large plate.
2. In the same pan, heat oil over medium, then sauté leeks or onion. Once tender, add garlic; sauté 1-2 minutes. Lower heat to medium, and add longer-cooking veggies, like carrots and mushrooms, then add the other veggies, leaving the greens, kale or cabbage to the end. Toss in edamame, stir, and set the veggies aside next to the tofu.
3. Add enough oil to lightly coat the pan. Add rice, spreading it out. Turn up heat to medium-high, and let it get a little crispy, resisting the urge to constantly stir. Using a spatula, flip the rice in big sections and crisp the other side. Add tofu and veggies. Stir to combine.
4. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, and pepper. Adjust soy sauce and sesame oil, adding more if you like.
5. Divide among bowls and top with fresh scallions and furikake or toasted sesame seeds.

Quick Pickled Vegetables

Canning vegetables is a fun, simple way to enjoy farmers market produce throughout the year. Check out this recipe from Feasting at Home.

Ingredients:

• Enough fresh raw veggies to fill two quart-size Mason jars (5-6 cups), such as cucumbers, beets, carrots, radishes, turnips, okra, green beans, asparagus, red onion, zucchini or summer squash, cauliflower florets, bell peppers, garlic scapes, fennel bulbs, or rainbow chard stems
• 1 Tbsp coriander seeds
• 2 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 6-10 cloves garlic, sliced thickly
• ½ onion, sliced (optional)
• Few sprigs of fresh dill (optional) or other herbs
• Other optional additions: whole cloves, dill seeds, whole allspice, fresh ginger slices, fresh chilies or chili flakes, celery seeds, peppercorns, cumin seeds, star anise, or other fresh herbs

For the Pickling Liquid:

• 2 cups vinegar
• 2 cups water
• 2 Tbsp kosher salt
• 4–6 Tbsp sugar or sugar alternative (the sugar is added to balance the vinegar flavor; you won’t actually be consuming this)

Instructions:

1. Prep your veggies. Wash and slice, quarter, cut into spears, or leave whole.
2. In a small pot, bring the water, vinegar, salt, and sugar to a. In the meantime, pack the jars with the prepped veggies.
3. In two quart-size Mason jars, divide the garlic and whole spices.
4. Begin adding the veggies. If you are including the onion, layer a few slices in with the veggies along with any fresh herbs (you can layer the garlic this way, too), leaving about 1 inch at the top of the jar.
5. Using a funnel, carefully pour the hot liquid into the jars, submerging all the veggies by pressing down with the end of a wooden spoon. You may be able to add more veggies at this point; just make sure the liquid completely covers the veggies and that you leave at least ½ inch of room between the liquid and lid.
6. Let cool. After 1-2 hours, cover and place in the fridge. These will taste good after 8-12 hours but much better after a few days.

Tomato and Red Onion Salad

Check out this recipe from Better Homes and Gardens – it’s our favorite way to use up every last tomato.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium red onion, sliced ¼-inch thick
• ½ cup cider vinegar
• ¼ cup sugar
• 8 cups tomatoes, cut (about 3 pounds)

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine 4 cups ice-cold water and 2 tsp salt; stir to dissolve salt. Add onion slices; stir to separate rings. Let stand 20 minutes; drain.
2. Meanwhile, for the dressing, in a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, sugar, and ¾ tsp each salt and pepper.
3. In an extra-large bowl, combine tomatoes and drained onions. Add dressing; gently toss to coat. Let stand 5 minutes.