More Ideas for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables:
Farmers Markets Offer Much More Than Produce
Find a Real Use for a Flea Market Find
Jazz up a Plant Stand From a Flea Market
Garden Letters Library: Plants: Fruits, Vegetables, and Herbs
How to Tell When Citrus Fruit Is Ripe
Fresh Vegetable Sides from the Farmer's Market
Spring Vegetables
Vertical Vegetables
Five Fast Dinners Begin With One Vegetable Mix
Editors' Best Flower and Vegetable Tips
Sides and Vegetables
Vegetable Storage Tips
Start With Frozen Vegetables
Bring Home the Farmers Market
Produce Lesson 101
From Our Kitchen • Wild About Blackberries
Summer-Fresh Produce
Fresh From the Farmers Market
Bring Home the Farmers Market
Screensaver: Market Fresh Fruits and Veggies
Five Easy Fruits to Grow in Your Backyard
The Southern Fruit
The Perfect Fruit for the Backyard Gardener
 
Vegetable Recipes:
Vegetable-Bacon Noodle Toss
Spicy Catfish with Vegetables and Basil Cream
Steak-and-Vegetable Kebabs
Vegetable Stuffing
Easy Grilled Vegetables
Herbed Salad With Grilled Balsamic Vegetables
 
Fruit Recipes:
Grilled Shrimp with Tropical Fruit Sauce
Fresh Fruit Salad with Celery-Poppy Seed Dressing
Skewered Fruit With Rum Drizzle
Fruitini
Fruit Sparkle
Fresh Fruit With Lemon-Mint Sauce
Fresh Fruit With Lime Syrup
Mixed Fruit Pilaf
Tropical Fruit Salad
Salad with Red Grapefruit-Lemon Vinaigrette
Layered Fruit Congealed Salad
Fruit Salad
Fruit Punch
Fruit Salad With Honey Dressing
Caribbean Fruit Salsa
Dried Fruit Mix
Fruitcake Loaf
Mixed Fruit Granola
 


Southern Accents

Sunday With the Stitts
Chef Frank Stitt and his wife, Pardis, invite friends to a memorable lunch featuring a French-accented menu

 
Farm-Fresh Produce from the Farmer's Market
Take a trip to the farmers market to harvest the best of summer's fresh flavors.
By Holley Johnson, M.S., R.D. / Photography Van Chaplin / Styling Katherine Eckert / Food Styling James Schend

Gather your family or a few good friends, and take a Saturday morning stroll around the local farmers market. In this community environment, you can savor summer's bounty of freshly picked fruits and vegetables in an array of colors and flavors. In addition to peak produce, many markets offer flowers by the bunch, handmade crafts, and live local entertainment. We've showcased the abundant produce in the recipes here. They're easy to make, and knowing you selected fresh ingredients from a local vendor will make them taste even better.

Pick the Best Produce
 Assistant Test Kitchens Director James Schend shares tips for shopping at the farmers market.

  • Go early: The best produce is often found right at the opening of the market.
  • Go often: Buy only as much produce as you will use within a few days, and store it in the refrigerator or a cool, dark area. Flavor, vitamins, and nutrients diminish over time.
  • Bright is best: Look for blemish-free, brightly colored fruits and vegetables. Any damaged areas will spoil quicker.
  • Don't wash right away: Wash your produce just before cooking or serving--not before storing.
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    Fresh Market Recipes:
  • Roasted Plums With Sour Cream
  • Blueberry-Lime Granita
  • Asian Cucumber Salad
  • Sugar Snap Peas With Ginger
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    *Download our Market Fresh Screensaver for more beautiful photography.


    "Celebrate the Season" is from the June 2006 issue of Southern Living.

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