5 Ways to Eat Farmer's Market Veggies
Take advantage of summer's vibrant bounty from farmer's markets, local farm stands, or even your own backyard with these delicious recipes.
Heirloom Tomatoes
Heirloom Tomato Salad with Fresh Lady Peas
Ingredients
1 cup fresh lady peas
Lemon-Herb Dressing with Basil, divided
2 pounds assorted heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
4 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
1 (4-oz.) package soft goat cheese, crumbled
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Lemon-Herb Dressing with Basil
Whisk together 1/3 cup canola oil, 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil, 1 Tbsp. honey mustard, 1 tsp. lemon zest, 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, and salt to taste.
Preparation
Cook peas in boiling salted water to cover in a large saucepan 8 to 10 minutes or just until tender. drain and rinse until completely cool. Drizzle 1/4 cup Lemon-Herb Dressing with Basil over peas, and toss to coat.
Arrange tomato slices on a platter or individual serving plates. Spoon peas over tomatoes; sprinkle with basil, goat cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with remaining dressing.
Heirloom Tomatoes
Heirloom Tomato Salad with Fresh Lady Peas
Ingredients
1 cup fresh lady peas
Lemon-Herb Dressing with Basil, divided
2 pounds assorted heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
4 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
1 (4-oz.) package soft goat cheese, crumbled
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Lemon-Herb Dressing with Basil
Whisk together 1/3 cup canola oil, 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil, 1 Tbsp. honey mustard, 1 tsp. lemon zest, 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, and salt to taste.
Preparation
Cook peas in boiling salted water to cover in a large saucepan 8 to 10 minutes or just until tender. drain and rinse until completely cool. Drizzle 1/4 cup Lemon-Herb Dressing with Basil over peas, and toss to coat.
Arrange tomato slices on a platter or individual serving plates. Spoon peas over tomatoes; sprinkle with basil, goat cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with remaining dressing.
Peaches
Grilled Peach-and-Mozzarella Salad
Ingredients
5 peaches (not white)
3 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. lime zest
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
3/4 tsp. ground cumin
3/4 tsp. chili powder
1 1/2 Tbsp. tequila (optional)
1/3 cup olive oil
Vegetable cooking spray
1 (6-oz.) package watercress or baby arugula, thoroughly washed
3/4 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 16 (1/4-inch) slices
Garnish: fresh cilantro sprigs
Preparation
Peel and chop 1 peach. Cut remaining 4 peaches into 28 (1/4-inch-thick) rounds, cutting through stem and bottom ends. (Cut peaches inwards from sides, cutting each side just until you reach the pit. Discard pits.)
Process chopped peach, green onions, next 7 ingredients, and, if desired, tequila in a food processor 10 to 15 seconds or until smooth. Add oil, and pulse 3 to 4 times or until thoroughly combined.
Coat cold cooking grate of grill with cooking spray, and place on grill. Preheat grill to 350° to 400° (medium-high). Brush both sides of peach rounds with 1/3 cup peach dressing.
Grill peach rounds, covered with grill lid, 3 to 4 minutes on each sides or until grill marks appear.
Arrange watercress evenly on 4 plates. Alternately layer 4 grilled peach rounds and 4 cheese slices over watercress on each plate. Top each with 3 more peach rounds. Drizzle with remaining peach dressing. Garnish, if desired.
Corn
Corn-and-Crab Chowder
Ingredients
6 bacon slices
2 celery ribs, diced
1 medium-size green bell pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
1 (32-oz.) container chicken broth
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
3 cups fresh corn kernels (6 ears)
1 pound fresh lump crabmeat, drained and picked
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Oyster crackers
Garnish: chopped fresh cilantro
Preparation
Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp; remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving 2 Tbsp. drippings in Dutch oven. Crumble bacon.
Sauté celery and next 3 ingredients in hot drippings 5 to 6 minutes or until tender.
Whisk together brother and flour until smooth. Add to celery mixture. Stir in corn. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Gently stir in crabmeat and next 4 ingredients; cook 4 to 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve warm with crumbled bacon and oyster crackers. Garnish, if desired.
Note: 1 pound peeled cooked shrimp or chopped cooked chicken may be substituted for crabmeat.
Corn-and-Crab Chowder
Ingredients
6 bacon slices
2 celery ribs, diced
1 medium-size green bell pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
1 (32-oz.) container chicken broth
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
3 cups fresh corn kernels (6 ears)
1 pound fresh lump crabmeat, drained and picked
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Oyster crackers
Garnish: chopped fresh cilantro
Preparation
Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp; remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving 2 Tbsp. drippings in Dutch oven. Crumble bacon.
Sauté celery and next 3 ingredients in hot drippings 5 to 6 minutes or until tender.
Whisk together brother and flour until smooth. Add to celery mixture. Stir in corn. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Gently stir in crabmeat and next 4 ingredients; cook 4 to 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve warm with crumbled bacon and oyster crackers. Garnish, if desired.
Note: 1 pound peeled cooked shrimp or chopped cooked chicken may be substituted for crabmeat.
Squash
Summer Squash Casserole
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds yellow squash
1 pound zucchini
1 small sweet onion, chopped
2 1/2 tsp. salt, divided
1 cup grated carrots
1 (10 3/4-oz.) can cream of chicken soup
1 (8-oz.) container sour cream
1 (8-oz.) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1 (8-oz.) package herb-seasoned stuffing
1/2 cup butter, melted
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°. Cut squash and zucchini into 1/4-inch-thick slices; place in a Dutch oven. Add chopped onion, 2 tsp. salt, and water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook 5 minutes; drain well.
Stir together 1 cup grated carrots, next 3 ingredients, and remaining 1/2 tsp. salt in a large bowl; fold in squash mixture. Stir together stuffing and 1/2 cup melted butter, and spoon half of stuffing mixture in bottom of a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Spoon squash mixture over stuffing mixture, and top with remaining stuffing mixture.
Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown, shielding with aluminum foil after 20 to 25 minutes to prevent excessive browning, if necessary. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Peas
Peppery Peas O' Plenty
Ingredients
4 hickory-smoked bacon slices
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup black-eyed peas
1 cup purple hull peas
1 cup crowder peas
1 cup butter peas
1 cup field peas with snaps
1 (32-oz.) container chicken broth
1 Tbsp. Asian garlic-chili sauce
3/4 to 1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. freshly ground pepper
Preparation
Cook bacon in Dutch oven until crisp; remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving dripping in pan. Crumble bacon.
Sauté onion in hot drippings in Dutch oven over medium-high heat 8 minutes or until translucent. Add black-eyed peas and next 8 ingredients, and cook 20 to 25 minutes, uncovered. Top with crumbled bacon.
Peppery Peas O' Plenty
Ingredients
4 hickory-smoked bacon slices
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup black-eyed peas
1 cup purple hull peas
1 cup crowder peas
1 cup butter peas
1 cup field peas with snaps
1 (32-oz.) container chicken broth
1 Tbsp. Asian garlic-chili sauce
3/4 to 1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. freshly ground pepper
Preparation
Cook bacon in Dutch oven until crisp; remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving dripping in pan. Crumble bacon.
Sauté onion in hot drippings in Dutch oven over medium-high heat 8 minutes or until translucent. Add black-eyed peas and next 8 ingredients, and cook 20 to 25 minutes, uncovered. Top with crumbled bacon.
10 Tips for Making Perfect Iced Tea
When it's scorching outside and all you want is a nice, refreshing glass of iced tea to quench your thirst, there's no bigger bummer than taking a sip and realizing you've made a bad batch.
And for a recipe that's as basic as it is, there's still quite a bit of room for error. Steep for too long and the drink will become tannic and bitter. Only add sugar when the tea is still hot otherwise it won't dissolve as quickly and evenly. Make sure to use filtered water.
To help you avoid the pitfalls, we rounded up 10 favorite iced tea tips, including some advice from chef Steve Petusevsky who has shared his recipe for Basic (But Perfect) Iced Tea.
1. Tea type. While the tea you choose to use depends on your personal preference, be aware that darker teas will yield a stronger flavor.
2. No loose ends. Chef Steve recommends tying the tea bags together with a long piece of string so that you don't have to do any fishing to remove them.
3. Pay attention to water quality. Be sure to use clean, filtered water to make your batch. "The final product will always be better because of what you put in," says Chef Steve. And on that note, don't overlook the ice you're using to serve the tea with — poor quality ice can make a good brew go bad in no time.
4. Don't just use any old container. For best results, make and store the tea in a glass container such as a pitcher or mason jar. Plastics absorb and release flavors, and metal will (not surprisingly) give the drink a metallic taste.
5. The baking soda theory. According to Chef Steve, many Southern cooks insist that adding a pinch of baking soda to the hot water as the tea bags are added will result in a superior tea.
6. Keep the brewing time short. Only steep the tea bags for 10 to 12 minutes, any longer and it risks becoming bitter, advises Chef Steve.
7. The sweet spot. Chef Steve recommends always adding the sugar or sweetener when the tea is warm so that it dissolves easily and evenly.
8. Cool it. Some people advise waiting until the tea has cooled down to room temperature before refrigerating in order to get the best clarity (cloudy iced tea is not preferable).
9. Don't forget to seal. For the same reasons you don't want to store your tea in plastic or metal containers, it's important to keep the container sealed so that it doesn't risk taking on the flavor of other items in your fridge.
10. Shelf life. It's always good to make a little extra than you think you'll need, but don't plan on keeping your iced tea in the fridge for too long. Most recommend drinking the tea within 24 to 48 hours.
And for a recipe that's as basic as it is, there's still quite a bit of room for error. Steep for too long and the drink will become tannic and bitter. Only add sugar when the tea is still hot otherwise it won't dissolve as quickly and evenly. Make sure to use filtered water.
To help you avoid the pitfalls, we rounded up 10 favorite iced tea tips, including some advice from chef Steve Petusevsky who has shared his recipe for Basic (But Perfect) Iced Tea.
1. Tea type. While the tea you choose to use depends on your personal preference, be aware that darker teas will yield a stronger flavor.
2. No loose ends. Chef Steve recommends tying the tea bags together with a long piece of string so that you don't have to do any fishing to remove them.
3. Pay attention to water quality. Be sure to use clean, filtered water to make your batch. "The final product will always be better because of what you put in," says Chef Steve. And on that note, don't overlook the ice you're using to serve the tea with — poor quality ice can make a good brew go bad in no time.
4. Don't just use any old container. For best results, make and store the tea in a glass container such as a pitcher or mason jar. Plastics absorb and release flavors, and metal will (not surprisingly) give the drink a metallic taste.
5. The baking soda theory. According to Chef Steve, many Southern cooks insist that adding a pinch of baking soda to the hot water as the tea bags are added will result in a superior tea.
6. Keep the brewing time short. Only steep the tea bags for 10 to 12 minutes, any longer and it risks becoming bitter, advises Chef Steve.
7. The sweet spot. Chef Steve recommends always adding the sugar or sweetener when the tea is warm so that it dissolves easily and evenly.
8. Cool it. Some people advise waiting until the tea has cooled down to room temperature before refrigerating in order to get the best clarity (cloudy iced tea is not preferable).
9. Don't forget to seal. For the same reasons you don't want to store your tea in plastic or metal containers, it's important to keep the container sealed so that it doesn't risk taking on the flavor of other items in your fridge.
10. Shelf life. It's always good to make a little extra than you think you'll need, but don't plan on keeping your iced tea in the fridge for too long. Most recommend drinking the tea within 24 to 48 hours.
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