Food and Recipes Quick and Easy Dinners Fast, Fresh, 5-Ingredient Recipes By Southern Living Editors Updated on April 4, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Cat Steele The most delicious recipes begin with the ripest ingredients. Buying at-peak fruits and vegetables is the next best thing to growing your own. Celebrate summer's vibrant flavors with these dishes, made with just five ingredients and a few pantry staples. The first stop at your local farmer's market should always be the tomatoes. From novelty to heirlooms, the juiciest go quick. While tomatoes at their peak are good with just salt, you can also enjoy them in simple recipes that really enhance their flavor. If you're not growing squash out back, trust us the farmers' market has loads. Your summer squash and zucchini are perfect for grilling and sautéing. Don't jump on the first watermelon you see at the grocery store. Pick one up at the farmers' market for the ripest option. Check for a green stem and well-defined-stripes for the best pick. Good as a slice or made into juice, we'll take watermelon all summer long. Eggplant is another summer vegetable that is pretty and delicious. It actually doesn't take master cooking skills to cook. We've pulled together a few five-ingredient recipes that are easy to make. Be sure to visit your farmers' market as soon as the figs are ripe. They have a short season and perish quickly, so enjoy them while you can. The sweet flavor is perfect for a quick jam or sweet-savory flatbread. Field peas are in season and perfect to grab up. While you can enjoy them fresh, don't forget to freeze a few bags to dig into later. A few things you might not immediately think to grab at the farmers' market but definitely should: farm fresh eggs and honey. While you can find brown and white eggs at the grocery store, the shades of blue, green, and yellow are beautiful and just as tasty. Once you've shopped the produce, be sure to look for jars of golden honey. From wildflower to clover, these flavors are much more interesting than the bear at the grocery store. Have your shopping list ready? Time to head to the farmers' market and really enjoy the flavors summer has to offer. 01 of 12 Tomato Tea Sandwiches Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Cat Steele Recipe: Tomato Tea Sandwiches 02 of 12 Tomato, Peach, and Corn Salad Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Cat Steele Recipe: Tomato, Peach, and Corn Salad 03 of 12 Summer Sauce Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Cat Steele Recipe: Summer Sauce 04 of 12 Watermelon Gazpacho Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Cat Steele Recipe: Watermelon Gazpacho 05 of 12 Eggplant Rollups Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Cat Steele Recipe: Eggplant Rollups 06 of 12 Fig and Lemon Refrigerator Jam Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Cat Steele Recipe: Fig and Lemon Refrigerator Jam 07 of 12 Fig Flatbread Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Cat Steele Recipe: Fig Flatbread 08 of 12 Field Pea, Corn, and Bacon Salad Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Cat Steele Recipe: Field Pea, Corn, and Bacon Salad 09 of 12 Picnic Egg Salad Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Cat Steele Recipe: Picnic Egg Salad 10 of 12 Honey Vinaigrette Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Cat Steele Recipe: Honey Vinaigrette 11 of 12 Honey Barbecue Sauce Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Cat Steele Recipe: Honey Barbecue Sauce 12 of 12 Bee's Knees Honey Cocktail Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Cat Steele Recipe: Bee's Knees Honey Cocktail Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit