We're Back, Fresh from our Farms to You

Our Harvest Home Farmers’ Markets are open and overflowing with FRESH fruits and veggies that make you hungry just thinking about them: juicy, red strawberries, crunchy sugar snap peas, crisp radishes, plump asparagus, lots of greens like velvety spinach, crisp Swiss Chard, Kale, and different kinds of lettuce. Ripened in the field, freshly picked, our produce comes straight from a nearby farm directly to our markets. Our fruits and veggies are bursting with the FRESH taste we‘ve been waiting for. In our Harvest Home Farmers’ Markets, the hardest part is choosing what to buy this week.  

Snack on raw veggies; toss together in salads, cook them into soups and stews for added flavor, and serve them with a few herbs and a dash of olive oil.  (See suggestions below) 

Cook veggies lightly.   Please don’t boil them!  Boiling reduces the delicious taste and the nutritional value. 

  • Steaming: In a pot or microwave

    • In a pot with a steamer & lid: Add between ¼ to ½ inch of water. Place cut-up pieces of veggies in the steamer. Cover. Let water come to a boil.  Steam for 3-5 minutes. Test with a fork for the right tenderness.

    • Microwave Steaming: Add 1-2 tablespoons of water to a microwavable dish with a cover. Add veggies, and cut into equal-sized pieces. Cook time varies with the firmness of the veggie: Firm like potatoes or turnips: 5 minutes; softer & moist like broccoli: 4 minutes; leafy greens take 3 minutes. 

  • Pan-roast: Heat the oven to 400 degrees.  Grab a rimmed cookie sheet, drop 1-2 inch-sized pieces of veggies on it.  Sprinkle on a little olive oil, salt & pepper. Mix with your hands. Cook for 15-20 minutes, turning once. 

At our markets, you can meet & talk to the farmers who grew your food!  You can make sure it’s FRESH, has the TASTE you want, and is full of the nutrition you need.  Plus, our farmers accept S.N.A.P., WIC, OTC, EBT, and offer NYC HealthBucks.  Now that’s getting value for your money! 

Don’t be fooled by appearances. Sometimes our straight-out-of-the-field produce doesn’t look as perfect as those wrapped-in-plastic veggies. Mother Nature is much more concerned with taste than looks. Think of the farmer’s stall as your garden and use your good sense. Any questions?  Ask your farmer!  

Simply Primavera

RECIPE: Pasta En Primavera

Ingredients: In one pot

  • 12 ounces of fusilli or other corkscrew pasta

  • 1/2 pound sugar snap peas, cut in half, or broccoli florets (or a combination)

  • 2 carrots cut into small strips

  • 1 yellow or orange bell pepper, cut into thin strips

  • 3 ounces of cheese: feta, ricotta, goat cheese, or cotija

To Make: To a large pot of water of  boiling water, add pasta and cook for the time given on the label

  • Add veggies (peas and/or broccoli, carrots, and bell pepper) to the boiling water during the last 3 minutes of cooking.

  • Save ½ cup of pasta water to add if your sauce is too thick. Rinse pasta & veggies under cool water 

  • Make the sauce for warm pasta

  • Sprinkle with ½ cup cheese

Sauce for warm pasta. See last week for cold pasta dressings

Ingredients

  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

  • 3 ounces feta or goat cheese, crumbled, or creamy ricotta cheese thinned, or cotija cheese

  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice

To Make

  • Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the garlic & cook about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes & 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook until the tomatoes begin to wilt, about 2 minutes.

  • Stir in 1/4 cup of the saved cooking water. Pour the tomato mixture over the pasta & veggies. 

  • Add parmesan  (or any cheese you like).  Toss to mix. 

Want Dessert: Grab some starwberries while they last.

TIPS AND TRICKS: TASTIER VEGGIES

Cook your veggies, add a dash of olive oil, and some herbs.

It’s best to add one herb at a time and Taste

  • For Broccoli: lemon juice, oregano, or coriander

  • For Carrots: dill, chervil, marjoram, oregano, thyme, cilantro....almost anything you like

  • For Asparagus: Chervil, tarragon, cilantro 

  • For Peas: Mint, thyme, rosemary, or curry

  • For green beans: Tarragon, basil, oregano 

  • For cabbage: Cilantro, cumin

Adding a bit of finely chopped onion works well

Simple Combos: Different textures and flavors 

  • Carrots, broccoli & cauliflower, a few slices of red pepper

  • Raw spinach and avocado or strawberries; cooked spinach & mushrooms 

  • Kale & Pineapple: Cook the Kale.  Adding pineapple cuts the bitterness

  • Raw cucumber & celery: very refreshing

How to Add Veggies to One-Pot Pasta

  • Make a timetable for adding veggies. Take the cooking time for the pasta, subtract the time you want to cook a veggie, and you’ll know exactly when to add them 

  • For crispier veggies decrease the time; for softer ones add another minute. Cook them the way you like them. Some veggies, like carrots (5 minutes), take longer to cook than broccoli or sugar snap peas, or asparagus. (3 minutes) Chopped greens take 2 minutes or less. 

  • Any pasta will work. Small Corkscrew pasta works best because it holds the light sauce better for more flavor in every bite