summer at the farmers market (week of 7.6)
budgeting has gone out the window this season
After a few weeks of traveling, being off of work, and being thrown out of my routine, I’m finally back to regularly scheduled programming. And while I haven’t been as much as usual, I’m excited to get back into the kitchen with new inspiration from the market which has been absolutely bursting with color lately.
From juicy, umami tomatoes to punnets of plump blueberries, I’ve been buying produce with reckless abandon. So while my ‘budget’ series may be on pause for the next few months, I am excited to show you what I’ve been cooking up with it all. Some things that have been inspiring my meals lately:
corn everything
cold soups
raw tomato dishes
chia puddings
all of the berries
what I bought
collard greens - $5
scallions - $3
tomatoes - $14.56
blueberries - $6
flat beans - $5
corn - $5 for five ears
Total cost: $38.56
Quick tip: if you’re into greens but hate the dino kale shrinkflation (why does it only come with 5 stems??), go for the collard greens. There’s significantly more, and it works well as a hearty base for salads or added into pasta dishes!
a few recipes I made with it
farro, white bean, and tomato salad
If I’m gonna spend $14 on two hunky tomatoes, you bet your ass I’m going to savor every bite. This week, one of the recipes I made was a hearty ‘salad’ made with a base of cooked farro, white beans, heirloom tomato, and scallions (unfortunately there were no shallots at the market this week). This recipe also works well with homemade croutons in lieu of farro, as a panzanella. The dressing I use is almost always the same, made ‘grandma style’—aka, no measurements, just love:
mix dijon mustard, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, some lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a jar or the bottom of your bowl before tossing everything together (optional additions: dried thyme or red chili flakes).
christina soteriou’s silken tofu with tahini and tomato
I’m sad to say it’s taken me this long to discover the beauty and versatility of silken tofu, but now that I know better I’ll do better.
When I came across this quick recipe from @christinasots, I knew I had to try it out. Whatever you do, don’t underestimate its simplicity: made with just a few flavorful pantry staples, it comes together nice and quick and serves as the perfect lunch for a hot summer day when you don’t feel like turning the stove on. Be sure to try it out for yourself HERE.
cheesy corn pasta with flat beans
I had a lot of leftover pasta to work through this week and for some reason I couldn’t get cheesy corn out of my mind. I started by sautéing garlic and chopped flat beans until cooked through, adding the corn, and topping with some Violife cheese. The most important ingredient was arguably the miso paste (I made the same recipe the previous night without miso, and it just wasn’t as good). To add it, I combined white bean broth that I had in my fridge with a spoonful of miso to break up the paste.
All in all, a perfect meal to enjoy while watching the newest Love Island episode.
chocolate chia pudding with blueberries
I want to use this opportunity to plug my absolute favorite chia pudding recipe, courtesy of Minimalist Baker, which I’ve been using for years and is on my regular breakfast rotation. Try it out for yourself!
