Summer’s Bounty

Okay, it’s not my homegrown bounty, but it is summer’s bounty. Mostly. (I AM trying harder to buy locally grown food, but it’s tough sometimes!) Even though there is a garden in our backyard, I wanted to share about the kinds of food that can be found at a local farmer’s market or vegetable stand, especially for those of you who do not have a garden. This fruit was bought at a local stand about 10 minutes from my house. All except the peach peaking out from the edge (I really have to figure out this blog stuff better — it keeps cutting my pictures down to fit the text!). Anyway, the peaches were bought at our local farmer’s market.

Above: apples, oranges, mangoes, peaches

The vegetables below were all bought at the farmer’s market, with the exception of the sweet potatoes, which were bought at the veggie stand.

Above: onions, cucumbers (pickling), yellow squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes

I love fresh veggies! The yellow squash I stir-fried in a little bit of coconut oil. If you aren’t familiar with coconut oil, it has numerous health benefits and only a faint coconut taste, which we like. The white potatoes I mostly buy for my grandkids. (At least it’s a veggie!) I do make french fries sometimes (using a good oil, like Spectrum’s high heat organic sunflower oil), to satisfy their junk food cravings. The cucumbers, onions, and tomatoes made what my husband calls a “summer salad.” I dice the cukes and tomatoes in even amounts, then add about 1/2 that amount in finely diced onion (normally made with red onion, but any kind will work). I add equal amounts of flax seed oil and red wine vinegar and a few drops of liquid Stevia. Yum!
The sweet potatoes I usually bake then mash with butter. I’ve never had success making baked sweet potato fries. This time I decided to try something different, as my husband was wondering if I could fry them like potato chips. One thing I’ve found; when it comes to the internet, there are no original ideas! I found this recipe by Paula Deen, which I followed with the exception of using vegetable oil. I used a mandoline to slice the potatoes once they were peeled, to ensure they were all the same thinness. It was awesome! I only wish I’d taken a picture! They were a little tricky, you have to fry them till they just have the faintest hint of brown then take them out quickly. Not long enough and they aren’t crispy like a chip. Too long and they turn brown quickly and burn. I want to add, her recipe for House Seasoning was so simple, but so tasty. I find myself using it in lots of dishes! I used it on some buffalo (bison) t-bone steaks and it really gave them a great taste.

If you aren’t able to locate a farmer’s market or veggie stand nearby, there are still lots of good things found in many stores. I buy this spring mix from Sam’s Club.

Even though it says it’s triple washed, I still wash everything with GSE.

This can be found at stores like Whole Foods or ordered off the internet.
I wash the whole thing at once in my sink.

Whether you shop at a farmer’s market, vegetable stand, or supermarket (hopefully, one that sells organic produce), I hope you are enjoying some of summer’s bounty!

This post is part of Fight Back Fridays at Food Renegade.