I Love To Cook, And Here's What I’m Making With My Farmers' Market Finds

When I'm not away for the weekend, my favorite Saturday morning routine when I’m at home in Birmingham, Alabama, is heading to The Farmers’ Market at Pepper Place. There are a few go-to ingredients I always gravitate towards each season, but my favorite part about any market is seeing all the seasonal produce, heading home with a medley of ingredients to play with, and dreaming up new ways to use them.

While you can whip up some of these dishes anytime of year, they’re even better when made with fresh, in-season ingredients. Here are a few of the fresh fruits and veggies I always pick up at the spring farmers’ market and some of my favorite ways to use them.

Strawberries

I can’t get enough of this juicy, red fruit. During the spring months, I always leave the market with a heaping basket full of berries…which means finding fun and inventive ways to enjoy them before they go bad.

Strawberry-Mint Shrub

I love a refreshing cocktail, especially one that’s not too sweet and made with fresh ingredients, so when I saw someone making a fruity shrub, I knew I had to do the same with all my berries. You can mix a bit into sparking water (or Lemon Spindrift, like me) like this this Strawberry Spritzer recipe for a mocktail, or turn it into a delicious strawberry shrub spritz cocktail. For a cocktail—fill a glass with ice, pour in about 2 oz. of the shrub, and top with sparkling wine then garnish with a sprig of mint and a lemon slice.

Here's How To Make My Shrub:

1. Add 2-3 cups of fresh cut berries to a medium pot with 1/2 a cup of sugar, 1/4 cup of water, and 1/2 cup fresh mint roughly chopped.
2. Cook on medium-high heat until bubbling and foamy (approx. 6 minutes).
3. Remove from heat and let cool before adding in about 3/4 a cup of vinegar (more vinegar means more tart, less for sweeter). I like to use half apple cider and half white wine or champagne vinegar, but you can use type you have in your pantry.
4. Puree with an immersion blender or pour into a blender and process until smooth.
5. Strain into a clean jar and refrigerate for up to two weeks.

Strawberry Top Vinegar 

I hated wasting my strawberry tops, so I decided to make a fruity vinegar perfect for making vinaigrettes and even extra strawberry-infused shrubs. Simply place the cut ends in a mason jar and add enough vinegar to cover the fruit (I used a mix of apple cider and white wine vinegar) and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Simple Salads

My favorite way to enjoy these ripe berries with greens is on a bed of arugula with fresh feta, toasted pine nuts, and a simple lemony-vinaigrette, but these recipes are equally delicious!

• Spring Salad With Berries And Bacon
• Strawberry-Spinach Salad
• Crispy Prosciutto, Strawberry, And Burrata Salad With Maple-Balsamic Vinaigrette
  

A Galette

I love this Strawberry Galette because is so easy to make and highlights the fresh fruit without overpowering it with other ingredients.

Spring Onions

Anytime I take a trip to the grocery store, it’s practically guaranteed I’m coming home with an onion or two. But this time of year, spring onions found at the market and they're a delicacy. My favorite way to cook them is simply roasted in the oven or grilled until soft and served as simple side with a meat.

Ramps

A novelty if you can find them, these wild onions are native to the Appalachian mountains and fall somewhere between being like garlic, scallions, and leeks. Each Saturday from late March through May I make sure to head to the market a little earlier than normal to score a few precious bundles. My go-to ways to use ramps are sautéing them whole or making pesto and ramp butter.

Sautéed Ramps

Here's how I like to cook them:

1. Heat a cast iron skillet or grill pan, lightly coated with olive oil, to medium-high heat and laying the ramps across.
2. Top ramps with one to two slices of prosciutto.
3. Cook for about 3 minutes and flip until the meat is crispy.
4. Serve over rice or grits with crumbled bits of prosciutto.

Ramp Pesto 

I cannot get enough of this stuff. Once I make a big batch, I use it on everything from sourdough toast topped with fresh Burrata to pasta for a creamy sauce.

1. Simply blanch the leaves of 1-2 bundles of ramps, then wring out extra water and place in a blender or food processor.
2. Add about 6 ramp bulbs roughly chopped, 1/2 a cup of toasted pine nuts, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and blend until combine slowly drizzling in 1/2 a cup of olive oil.
3. Add more oil as needed until smooth.
4. Then add 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste.
5. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or freeze to enjoy later.

Ramp Butter 

Spoon over a steak, lamb chops, or simply spread on toasted sourdough—this stuff is gold.

1. Finely chop the bulbs of 1 bundle of ramps and and cook a in skillet on medium heat until lightly golden.
2. Add to softened butter, plus a handful of finely chopped ramp leaves, sea salt, and a little lemon zest and mix until combined—then enjoy!

Fresh Herbs

In a perfect world, I would have fresh herbs growing abundantly in the raised garden bed in my backyard; howev, the squirrels and chipmunks that run rampant back there had other plans for my love of herbs. So, alas I look for them around every corner at the market—especially mint and dill this time of year! I love to toss mint in any salad, use for the aforementioned shrub, and of course to garnish my Derby Day Mint Juleps. And I can't get enough of dill, whether in my new favorite dip or dressing up this easy orzo salad.

Green Peas

Though you can find these in the freezer section year-round, I can’t resist a baggie of green peas or snap peas when I see them at the market. I love whipping up a creamy Carbonara With Peas (sub pancetta or bacon for ham) or keeping it simple and mixing the green veg with chopped herbs, like mint, and simple vinaigrette for an easy side dish. They're also perfect for tossing in a springy orzo dish or on top of parmesan risotto,