The Seasonal Gourmet

I visited a local farmer’s market this morning for the first time this season.  Of course, where I live (Southern Ontario), the growing season is just getting under way so the options were still fairly limited.  The weather has been unseasonably cool this year so some fruits and vegetables may be a bit behind.  However, I was pleased to see lots of strawberries and asparagus as well as radishes, green onions, spinach, baby cucumbers, peas, fresh herbs and rhubarb.  The fun thing about visiting the market on a regular basis is that the offerings change from week to week and get better as the summer progresses.  I like to select what looks good and then decide what to do with them when I get home.  Some ideas I had for this week’s purchases include:

• Penne pasta tossed with basil pesto and fresh peas
• Smoked Salmon and Cucumber Salad
• A savoury spinach tart – substitute spinach for the swiss chard
• Strawberry-Rhubarb Cocktails
• Quick Strawberry Jam on toast
• Roasted Asparagus Lasagna
• Pickled Radishes

For more ideas, check out the list of fruits and vegetables listed under ‘Categories’ on the right side of the screen.  Clicking on ‘Rhubarb’, for example, will give you all the rhubarb recipes on the site.

Enjoy!

Trish