budget friendly tips for the farmers market (week of 4.21)
mama earth is finally in bloom 🌸
NOTE: this post is kindly sponsored by my friends at SIMPLi!
Spring has officially sprung in New York City, and with it comes a plethora of flowers, birdsong, and new produce. In one of my recent sunny and 65 degree visits to the farmers market, I was thrilled to see so much color!
From the vibrant purple kohlrabi and cabbage, to the gorgeous greens of mutsu apples and tenderstem broccoli, my mind immediately started thinking through the delicious meals I could make this week.
what I bought
bunch of broccoli - $5
potatoes - $4
shallots - $2
cabbage - $3.50
apples - $7
and as a little treat with the rest of my money, a vegan chocolate spelt loaf - $3.50
Total cost: $25
Quick tip: Cabbage is almost always going to be your best bet for a cheap staple. In cooler weather, it’s great roasted and cooked down into a stew; in warm weather, I love whipping up a simple cabbage salad. You really can’t go wrong!
a few recipes I made with it
brothy beans + greens
This has been an absolute staple of mine whenever I have beans on hand. With just takes a handful of ingredients and offers restaurant quality flavor. Plus it’s suuuuuper customizable: try it out with other white beans, use kale or chard in place of the broccolini, and in just a few minutes it comes together beautifully. Check out the full recipe through the LINK HERE.
apple chia pudding
Instead of relying on toast for breakfast this week, I opted to make a batch of chia pudding which I topped with stewed apples cooked down with molasses, cinnamon, cardamom, and sugar. I cooked them just enough so that they were soft but still kept their shape. I even topped it with some granola (gifted from purely elizabeth).
grandma’s potato salad
Oh how this simple salad brings me back to me childhood! My grandmother always had a batch of this potato salad whenever I came to visit… and it’s probably why I shy away from mayo-based potato salads to this day.
The flavor is all in the dressing: I combine apple cider vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and ideally some chopped shallot but I had already used all of mine up before I got to this recipe! Simply boil the potatoes until cooked, strain, and add them to a big bowl with your dressing. This recipe is an ideal picnic food and perfect for midweek lunches. Sometimes grandma will even throw in a cooked beet, endives, or parsley and it works perfectly.
For a more satiating meal, enjoy it with Gigante Beans, haricots verts, or even edamame.
