The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the views of Spoon University.
I love the farmer’s market. Who doesn’t? Seasonal fruits and vegetables fill the tables, flowers line the walkway, and I am headed full speed to the empanadas.
As a frequent farmer’s market shopper, I want to show you how I shop on my weekly runs.
Walk With Me!
The first thing I always do at the farmer’s market is make sure I bring at least one tote bag or reusable produce bag. Sometimes they provide paper bags!
The Highland Park Farmer’s Market on Fridays is my favorite market near Rutgers. It runs from February to December.
I frequent the Denville Farmer’s Market on Sundays, an hour north of Rutgers. I have family near there and we love the Empanada Lady.
There is also an empanada truck at the Highland Park market! If you couldn’t tell, I like empanadas.
I have my farmer’s market staples: peppers (spicy and not), eggplant, mushrooms, and baked goods. The baked goods I get usually depend on the season.
In the fall, I get apple cider donuts; in the summer, I get blueberry muffins.
Before I purchase anything, I take a lap around the entire farmer’s market- even the ones I go to all the time.
After grabbing two green and one red pepper, I usually get one eggplant and three zucchini.
I love air-frying eggplant and zucchini. It’s such an easy way to add vegetables to every meal.
The vegetables are savory, and I ultimately prefer something sweet, like a peach or strawberry.
Peach season runs from May to late September. I picked peaches at Battlefield Orchards, located in Freehold, in late July. They were amazing.
After picking them myself, peaches quickly became one of my new farmer’s market staples.
On my way out of the farmer’s market, I get empanadas.
Cook With Me
The best part is walking around the farmer’s market in your flowy skirt with your fresh produce. The second best part is cooking or baking with what you bought.
I wouldn’t say I meal prep, but I do prepare things for meals.
With the green and red peppers, I like to sauté half with fajita seasoning and half without.
Fajita bowls are the easiest thing to make during the week. I heat rice (sometimes from a bag… in the microwave), chicken, and fajita peppers for a simple dinner. Finish it off with sour cream, lettuce, cheese, and the rest of your favorite taco toppings- yum!
The rest of the peppers I will put on salad or in a wrap. I also recently started adding sautéed peppers to my eggs for breakfast.
Sounds weird, but it works- just add cheese and hot sauce.
In-season peaches are the best. This year I made peach jam, peach cobbler, and peach syrup for ice cream. All of which were delicious. I used a peach cobbler recipe from the New York Times.
Whether I’m picking up veggies or indulging in empanadas, every trip leaves me excited to cook and enjoy what I’ve found.
This is your sign to go to your local farmer’s market!