School’s out, vacation plans are finally close enough to count down, and days are longer. Summer is here, and it’s the easiest time of year to cook. Warm weather invites the return of regular grilling, simple is celebrated and farmer’s markets are full of beautiful food that doesn’t need much to taste incredible. You don’t need a rigid meal plan or an arsenal of recipes to eat well in the summertime. All you need is a few essential pieces of high-performing cookware, a well-stocked pantry and access to great ingredients. So, as we welcome the season of more carefree living and cooking, we offer a handy guide to making the most of your farmer’s market finds this summer. Ready to get started?
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Follow Your Heart
First, things first: when you go to the farmer’s market this summer, buy what you want. Sounds simple, but it’s truly key to eating deliciously this summer. As the year moves through the season, different fruits and vegetables will reach their peak, automatically making it easy for you to choose a variety of tastes, textures and colors. Move through the market filling your basket with whatever looks beautiful and appealing. Round out your fruits and veggies with high-quality staples you can often find at the market, too: proteins, local dairy and cheeses, bread, pasta and so on. If you stock up on the ingredients you’re already excited to eat, cooking them a few days later becomes a much easier endeavor.
Stock Your Pantry
To make summer cooking quick and effortless, keep your pantry and refrigerator supplied with the basic ingredients you use in regular cooking. Every cook’s list is a bit different, but for most people, that includes things like salt, pepper, garlic, olive oil, butter, vinegar, condiments, lemons, milk, yogurt and basic canned vegetables, such as tomatoes or beans. When you have the staples on hand, you’re equipped to transform a bundle of fresh vegetables or a just-purchased protein into a simple, but satisfying dinner without much fuss. Be sure to keep a variety of pastas and grains in your cupboard, like farro, rice, polenta, couscous, quinoa and more. These non-perishable staples cook quickly and are extremely versatile, making a great foundation for whatever herbs or produce you pick up fresh.
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Plan Categories, Not Recipes
There’s a moment for strict meal planning that outlines specific recipes for specific dates, but in summer when schedules are a bit looser, it can be freeing to note a general category for each meal, rather than a certain recipe. For example, if you plan to have pasta, tacos, salad, a sheet pan meal and a night to grill, it doesn’t matter which ingredients you buy. You can buy whatever is in season or inspires you and then create an easy meal in that category. Maybe the market is overflowing with summer squash and peppers, so you grill a heap of vegetables and serve alongside classic Smashburgers with Caramelized Onions. Maybe the local seafood shop just brought in shrimp fresh from the coast, so you whip up a quick shrimp scampi. Planning categories rather than recipes creates helpful structure, while also offering the joy of spontaneity.
Get the Recipe: Shallot Shrimp Scampi
Prep Well, Eat Well
To ensure you get the most from your farmer’s market haul, wash, prep and store your purchases when you get home. Stand fresh herbs upright in a jar filled with a little water in the refrigerator. Wash, dry and wrap fresh greens or lettuces in tea towels, then store in a plastic bag in your crisper drawer. Cut fruit for easy snacking later. Take stock of what you purchased and plan to use the most perishable ingredients first. Come across a great deal at the market? Buy in bulk so you can freeze some of the summer goodness to enjoy months from now. Sometimes, farmers will mark down fruit or veggies close to their prime. These overripe finds can be turned into jam or slow-roasted with olive oil and herbs to make a simple summer ratatouille. Put a little time into prep right after your market trip and you will reap the rewards all week long.
Get the Recipe: Roasted Red Pepper Ratatouille with Goat Cheese
