It’s a special time of year for me — when my fridge is full to the brim with fruits and veggies from farmer’s markets, veggie stands and sales at the grocery store. It’s the time of year when my Twitter feed is full of stores sharing their amazing one-day sales for cherries or strawberries. The time of year when I get texts from my husband to the effect of, “There’s a produce station here, want me to grab anything?”
Otherwise, the best time of the year for a veggie-lover like me.
I’m constantly on the lookout for new ways to eat veggies. Last year, I ate an obsessive amount of grilled zucchini and corn salad. (Add some olive oil and grated parmesan — delicious! And you can use up a good amount of the 50 pounds of zucchini your coworkers will give you.) The year before, it was celery and portobella mushroom salads. Just today, I have cucumber slices to eat with my lunch. Add a little salt — delicious!
Here’s a list of farmer’s markets in Michigan to get you started, if you don’t have a favorite yet. If you have a bunch of a veggie, say, kale, that you picked up because it looked interesting, don’t be afraid to ask the farmer for a few ideas on how to eat it. (I like my kale baked until crispy, blended into a smoothie, or raw with olive oil, pine nuts, avocado and salt.) And don’t be afraid to ask what the veggie is! I would never have tried sunflower sprouts had I not asked what the heck they were — and then been given a free sample. They’re heaven on a sandwich, is what they are.
This time of year is when the melons start coming ripe (I already had some for a snack earlier this week) and berries start showing up. (Who doesn’t like snacking on some summer berries?) And you have to act fast for the cherries — they’re only cheap for a few weeks.
That’s one of the benefits to eating in season — taking advantage of good prices as retailers try to move lots of stock. There are plenty others, including better-tasting produce and variety of foods in season.
Tell me what your favorite summer veggie is — and how you like to eat it. I love berries, but tomatoes are at the top of my list, too.
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