Home / Food Bites & Articles / Janet's Notebook

Easy Recipes for Your Farmer’s Market Finds

Fresh Fruit Pie

I’ve never met a farmer’s market I haven’t liked or been able to pass one by. In fact, I keep a canvas bag in my car so I’m always ready to do some shopping.

I love wandering, talking with the farmers, and seeing what’s fresh. My haul this week was one for the books.

There were tons of tomatoes and cucumbers and I immediately thought of Jenny Powers’ (Franklin, TN) Mediterranean Salad. It’s one of those salads I could eat the whole bowl and not feel guilty.

“I make this often,” explains Jenny. “It is so refreshing.” The veggies add tons of color and a nice crunch. The Greek vinaigrette dressing adds some tang that balances out the saltiness of the Kalamata olives and Feta cheese. It would be a great side or make a lovely, light summertime dinner.

Another recipe for cucumbers is Sheri Mullins’ (Midland, TX) Watermelon Summer Salad. Watermelon just screams summer to me. Combining it with the cucumbers makes this salad very refreshing.

“Our summers here in Texas go over 100 degrees,” says Sheri. “The last thing I wanted was to heat my kitchen so I came up with this dish by combining a few different recipes.” The watermelon and cucumbers are a cooling combination and great on a hot summer day.

There’s nothing better than fresh berries in the summertime. My market was bursting with them so I picked up a few pints.

I love Bonnie O.’s (St. George, UT) Dutch Baby with Fresh Fruit because you can really customize it based on what you find. “This dish is so easy and has been a favorite in my family for as long as I can remember,” shares Bonnie.

This is great if you’re having weekend company. It comes together very quickly and looks very impressive. No one needs to know how easy it is to make!

The fruit combinations in Betsy Wolfe’s (Marengo, IL) Fresh Fruit Pie are limitless. In the Test Kitchen, we opted for strawberries, mango, blackberries, peaches and bananas – it was perfect! But use a combination of fruits that are freshest or your family loves.

“[This] tastes like you’re eating summer,” jokes Betsy. “I have used regular pie crust and ready-made, but the cookie crust works best.” The crust is fabulous. And, I liked the extra zing the orange juice adds. Summertime in a pie plate!

Zucchini and squash start to take over the tables at the market this time of year. One of the best ways to use zucchini is zucchini bread. And one great recipe is Karina Alcala’s (Macks Creek, MO) Good For You Zucchini and Apple Bread.

“I love zucchini bread, but hate all the oil and sugar you have to put in,” Karina explains. “I developed this recipe so it is good for you and still sweet and moist.”

This has become a favorite of Karina’s kids, and, after one bite, will become a favorite of yours I suspect. The apple and zucchini are a flavor match made in heaven. It’s so moist and very tasty.

After you head to the market this week, let us know what you find and the recipes you come up with. I’m always looking for inspiration. Happy Pinching!