One of the best things about the local food movement is that it has brought to light so many underused vegetables and fruits. If it weren’t for farmers markets I wouldn’t know about or have gotten a chance to eat fennel, celeriac, or romanesco. Before the proliferation of farmers markets I bet many of you had never seen or eaten a heirloom tomato. Whether you get them now from a farmers market or your local grocery store, the demand for these special, and dare I say better tomatoes, stems from the growth and ubiquity of farmers markets.
It isn’t just brand new foods that markets introduce us to; markets provide a retail space for farmers to try out different versions of some tried and true favorites without the worry that a grocery store will reject them because they aren’t the right shape or color. That’s how I encountered these beautiful carrots seen below. While shopping at my local Greenmarket I stumbled upon a big bunch of carrots in shades of orange, yellow and purple. They were majestic and I had to have them! So, get a little adventurous and try a new vegetable or fruit this week. We are so lucky to live in an age when hard, pink tomatoes are no longer acceptable.
Meal #1: Pork Tenderloin with Maple Glaze + Roasted Roots
Meal #2: Penne alla Vodka + Green Salad
Meal #3: Pan-Seared Scallops with Apple Cider Brown Butter and Brussels Sprouts Apple Slaw
Meal #4: Lemon and Olive Chicken + Red Roasted Carrots
Your grocery list, excluding the usual pantry items:
Honeycrisp apple – 1
Brussels sprouts – 7 large
lemon – 2
onion – 1
beets – 4 medium to large
carrots – 1 large bunch (8 or so)
potatoes -1/2 lb.
crumbled dried sage leaves – 2 ts.
sage – 1 bundle
green olives – 1/2 cup
chicken stock – 1 cup
large (28 oz) and small (14 oz) can Italian plum tomatoes – 1 each
penne – 1 box
heavy cream – 1/2 cup
Parmesan cheese – (if don’t already have it)
dried thyme – (if don’t already have it)
crushed red pepper – (if don’t already have it)
maple syrup – (if don’t already have it)
apple cider vinegar – (if don’t already have it)
apple cider – (if don’t already have it)
Dijon mustard – (if don’t already have it)
cinnamon – (if don’t already have it)
paprika – (if don’t already have it)
chili powder – (if don’t already have it)
garlic powder – (if don’t already have it)
pork tenderloins – 2, 12- to 14-ounce
bone-in chicken breast halves – 4
scallops – 16 large
vodka – 1/4 cup