One of my favorite things about summer is the Greenmarket (NY’s farmer’s markets). Luckily we have one just a mile away from our apartment, and I love walking there on Saturday mornings to buy as many fresh fruits and veggies as I can carry. I also love the fact that buying from the Greenmarket means I am buying locally, supporting local farms and businesses. My new favorite discoveries include kohlrabi, garlic scapes, and okra. Can’t wait for all the tomatoes to hit the markets! Mmmm, summer…
On this particular Saturday, I came home with all of these treasures! (And I only spent $21!!)
Devil’s Tongue and Purple beans - how pretty! (too bad they don’t retain their majestic color when cooked)
Another shopper at the market told me to choose the small okra, as they tend to be very tender. She also said to cook them whole to avoid the slime factor. Excellent advice!
Sugar-sweet little cherry tomatoes
Pea shoots (dou miu in Cantonese)
Kohlrabi tastes a little like the stalk of broccoli, but very mild. Great for summer salads!
Garlic scapes are one of my new favorite discoveries from the Greenmarket. These are the shoots that grow out of the bulb, which grows underground. They have a very mild, light garlic scent and flavor. Delicious!
Fresh corn, Japanese eggplant, lemon cucumbers (no, they do not taste like lemons, they just look a little like them), and yellow zucchini.
And here’s what I made with all these veggies!
Kohlrabi salad: julienned kohrabi and lemon cucumbers, split cherry tomatoes, and a little basil, dressed with rice wine vinegar, lime juice, olive oil, and a bit of salt and pepper. An excellent salad for hot summer days!
Quinoa salad: quinoa cooked in chicken broth, sauteed fresh corn, Devil’s Tongue beans (lost their purple spots when cooked) and Purple beans (turned green when cooked), and garlic, with split cherry tomatoes, dressed with red wine vinegar, a splash of yuzu juice, and salt and pepper. This made enough for dinner, plus three lunches at work.
Oven roasted okra, with oregano, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt and pepper. Very tasty!
Szechuan eggplant, with garlic, onion, chili paste, sugar white wine. This recipe was better than some of the others I’ve tried, but still not like what I get in Chinese restaurants. I’ll have to keep searching.
I love ordering pea shoots (dou miu) in Chinese Restaurants, and making it at home is even better (and cheaper!). I simply sauteed these in a tiny bit of oil with chopped garlic and a bit of salt and pepper.
Garlic scapes have the texture of Chinese long beans and a lovely bright green color when sauteed in a little oil. I’ve found many recipes for garlic scape pesto, but I’m in love with this method of cooking and eating them, so I haven’t gotten as far as the pesto yet.
Zucchini sticks are tasty when breaded in Italian bread crumbs and pan fried in just a spritz of olive oil. Try these instead of French fries! I added extra dried basil and oregano, plus a pinch of red pepper flakes to the bread crumbs.
Summer Greenmarket provides some good, healthy eats!