So if you saw my post yesterday, I came home with an ABUNDANCE of fresh produce yesterday morning.  Since I just moved to Peoria, I don't know a lot of people here yet and so I've been occupying my free time doing one of my favorite things- cooking (eating is a close second--both hobbies are related).  So, see below for an update on some new recipes, and some quick tips on how to make the most out of your farmers market finds.  Most importantly, happy eating! 
 

So i got some awesome fresh herbs at the farmers market and I really want to make them last.  Here's a storage tip.  Take your herbs out of the packaging they came in, wrap in a paper towel, place in ziploc bag, and store in the fridge!  I like to label and date my bag to keep on top of how fresh my herbs are.

So why purple potatoes, you might ask?  Well there isn't necessarily a specific reason, however they did look amazing at the farmers market, and who doesn't love the fun color?  One thing to keep in mind with these potatoes, or any produce, is that the deeper and richer the color, the more nutrients and health benefits that produce will have!  Compared to white potatoes, purple potatoes happen to be very rich in antioxidant phytochemicals--similar to those found in other powerhouse foods such as blueberries.  These antioxidants are most known for their immunity boosting and cancer fighting properties.  The best part about the potatoes is that they taste remarkably similar to their white fleshed counterpart, so sub them into any recipe you would normally use regular potatoes for a fun variation that adds a pop of color.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb purple potatoes (or you could use red or yukon gold if you don't have purple)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh oregano, finely chopped
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lb of multicolored string beans (or regular green beans)
1/4 red onion, sliced thin
2 tsp brown mustard
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp chives, minced
1 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
1 tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 400 F and get a pot of water boiling.

Scrub the potatoes to remove any dirt and cut into quarters, lengthwise.  Mince the garlic and chop the oregano.  Toss the potatoes in the olive oil, garlic, and oregano.  Season with salt and pepper.  Spread out on a baking sheet and place in the oven for about 25 to 30 minutes.  Potatoes are done when they are fork tender.  

While the potatoes roast, trim your green beans.  Grab a steamer insert for your pot and put the green beans in that, then place over boiling water and steam for 3 minutes.  You don't want mushy green beans so do not steam any longer than 3 minutes.  Immediately after steaming the beans, shock them in a bowl of ice water to retain the bright color and nutrients of the beans.

Slice the red onion into very thin slices.  Feel free to use a mandolin if you'd like.  Chop up the fresh chive, cilantro, and flat leaf parsley.

To make the dressing, whisk mustard, lemon, and olive oil in a bowl.  Season with salt and pepper.  
Combine 1/2 the dressing with the green beans and onions and allow the flavor to absorb.

When potatoes are done, combine everything together in a bowl and add a little more dressing.  The potatoes will absorb the most flavor while they are still warm.  Feel free to add all the dressing or just a little bit more.  This can be done completely to taste!  The last step is to toss in all those fresh herbs you chopped.  

Enjoy a big bowl as a meal, or serve as a summer side dish with some grilled chicken or shrimp.

NUTRITION:
231 calories, 13.5 g fat, 27.5 g carbohydrate, 4.1 g fiber, 4.6 g protein

Hands down, one of my absolute favorite things about exploring new cities (big or small) is to check out the local Farmers Market.  From the Hyde Park market on Sunday mornings in Cincinnati, to the tiny little market in Oxford, OH and even big 'ole Findlay Market in Over The Rhine, I've seen my fair share of absolutely incredible produce from people with even more interesting stories.  I think the biggest thing I've noticed is that the the cities that happen to be more in the middle of nowhere have the most amazing produce, for the best prices.  Think about it... middle of nowhere, that means the surrounding areas are likely farms.  Since the farms are so close and you're buying directly from the source, getting fresh and delicious produce becomes quite a bargain.  The Peoria market did not disappoint.  Located right along the Illinois River in downtown Peoria, there are dozens of vendors sharing their summer's harvest.  Not only is the view great (and if it wasn't raining, I would have snapped some photos), but the produce was great too!  I only brought 10 dollars with me and spent all of it on the most incredible variety of veggies.  (See pic below)

So the loot:  I left with a pint of colorful cherry tomatoes, 1/3 lb of multi-colored string beans, 2 beautiful eggplant, a lb of purple potatoes, 2 beautiful heirloom tomatoes and 1/2 lb of roma tomatoes.  I also got some fresh tarragon, oregano and thyme!  The biggest steal I got however was that zucchini.  It's hard to tell, but it's probably 8-10 lbs and was only $1.  I've been joking around, calling it my new baby.  Can you believe it?! 

Now I want to share a bit of farmers market advice.  This isn't the first giant zucchini I've purchased.  I got one about half this size at a farm stand last summer.  It's easy to get distracted by what an INCREDIBLE deal this is.  When was the last time you got 8 lbs of food for $1?  The thing with these large zucchinis is that they are not anywhere near as flavorful as their smaller, brighter colored younger siblings.  When a zucchini grows this large, it's better to utilize it in ways that are not necessarily dependent on an incredibly flavorful zucchini, or to cook it in a way that imparts a lot of flavor into the dish.  Some of the ways I plan on using this are to make zucchini parmesan or zucchini steaks, use my Vegetti to turn it into "spaghetti" and to bake zucchini bread!  The opportunities are definitely endless.

Now, my favorite part about summer markets is definitely the fresh tomatoes.  My aunt grows her own tomatoes and I can tell you that literally nothing beats picking a tomato right off the vine, and popping it into your mouth.  It's tart, sweet and full of flavor.  I promise you've never tried a good tomato, until you've eaten one fresh off the vine.  Absolutely incredible.  Since I don't have a tomato garden of my own, beautiful summer tomatoes from the market are the next best thing.  The beautiful thing about summer harvest is the extensive variety of tomatoes available.  There's big and lumpy heirloom tomatoes, which are sweet and full of flavor, a wide variety of sizes and colors of grape and cherry tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, and even more varieties I have yet to taste!  A tomato tip:  after slicing into your tomatoes, sprinkle with some kosher salt.  The salt draws out the natural juices in the tomato, and enhances the sweetness and flavor of the tomato, making the absolute perfect bite.  Now if you're like me, you can drizzle olive oil on some sliced tomato and sprinkle salt and call it a day, but sometimes, you want to be creative.  I know in my future, there is some fresh pico, a tomato sauce or broth, and I already enjoyed one of my favorite sandwiches.  See below for the recipe!  

So, what are you waiting for?  Check out your local farmers market, and let me know how it goes!

-Rose

INGREDIENTS:
1 ciabatta roll, toasted
1 heirloom tomato
2 thick slices fresh mozzarella
2 tbsp basil walnut pesto (check out my recipe)
Coarse salt and fresh ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:
Toast the ciabatta roll in a toaster or in your oven set to the broil setting.  Spread pesto on bread, top each half with a slice of cheese.  On a cutting board, slice tomato into 1/2 to 1 inch slices.  Season with salt and pepper and top on bread. 

I don't know about you, but Sunday mornings are one of my favorite parts of each week mid-summer through late-fall because of one thing-- the farmer's market!  I love chatting with the vendors, sampling local breads, local produce and everything else in between.  There is so much to be discovered at the farmer's market I highly suggest checking when the local market in your town is.  This past Sunday, I went down with my dad.  Together, we picked out items to include in our Father's Day dinner that I agreed to cook later that evening.  We left with some great produce and even some ground bison.  Keep reading to see how I prepared everything!

Next time you are looking for a low-fat meat to prepare for dinner, consider bison for your next stir fry, pasta sauce, or even hamburger.  This nutritious meat is lower in fat than beef (making it a great alternative red meat), and lower in cholesterol than chicken.  Remember though, the lower fat content makes it very easy to overcook bison.  One cooking tip would be to cook your bison "low and slow."  This means set your oven or grill to a lower temperature and cook for a little bit longer.  This will help to avoid cooking tough bison meat, and instead wowing everybody with your perfectly tender bison meal.    

High Protein, Low Fat:
A 3-ounce serving of bison meat contains 122 calories, 24.2 grams of protein and 2.1 grams of fat, including just 0.8 gram of saturated fat.  This is less fat than even grass-fed beef, according to a 2012 article published in "Mother Earth News."


B Vitamin Benefits?
That's right!  Consuming bison will boost your intake of B vitamins.  A serving of bison contains riboflavin, niacin, B-6, and a whopping 41% of the DV for B-12!  B Vitamins are essential for hair, skin, and eye health, in addition to ensuring a healthy liver and healthy nervous function.  So what are you waiting for, eat up!

 Keep Your Heart Healthy:
Next time you make a recipe that calls for beef, try subbing in bison.  You'll be less likely to develop clogged arteries according to a study published in April 2013 from "Nutrition Research."  This study reported that while eating beef increased both triglyceride levels and markers of inflammation in study participants, eating bison demonstrated smaller increases in triglyceride levels and little to no increase in the markers of inflammation.


High In Minerals:
A 3 oz serving of bison will give you 56% of the DV for iron, in addition to providing significant amounts of phosphorus, zinc and selenium.  Iron is especially important for forming red blood cells, which bring oxygen to where it is needed in the body.  


Nutritional Comparisons For Bison and Other Proteins:

BISON BURGERS

Ingredients:
2 pound ground bison
1/2 cup yellow onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or 2 tsp dried parsley)
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Kosher salt, optional/to taste

Instructions:
In a large bowl mix the bison with all of the ingredients listed. 
Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat and cook a small portion of the meat. Taste the burger to see if you need to add salt. Add salt to the meat mixture to taste. Divide the meat into 8 evenly portioned round patties and set aside (.25 lb burgers).  
Preheat the grill to a medium-high heat.  Place a piece of foil coated with cooking spray on the grill.  Cook patties on the grill, about 3 minutes per side.  Bison should be cooked to a medium rare to rare temperature.  There should still be some pink in the meat.  
Serve burgers on an onion bun with garlic spread and sauteed onions!  Enjoy.

Nutrition:  (for one .25 lb burger)
Calories:  164, Fat:  4 g, Saturated fat:  .9 g, Potassium:  345.8 mg, Carbohydrates:  6.1 g, Fiber:  .6 g, Protein:  24.8 g protein