Farmer's Market Supper

The farmer's markets are bursting with amazing produce right now. If you are trying to eat healthy there is no better place to help fill your fridge. After a recent trip to our local outdoor market, I decided to make a supper with as many fruits and veggies as possible. This was a fun challenge and I am looking forward to doing more of this. This is the dinner that we ate.

Grilled Portobello Mushroom Tacos
Steamed Artichokes
Corn on the Cob
Pinto Beans
Strawberry & Mint Soup

The kids actually gobbled this meal up entirely. They LOVED it. Because Milo is still a baby and tacos can be somewhat of a challenge for him, I made him a quesadilla from corn tortillas. If you are going to a farmer's market and want to collect items to make this meal, this is what you will need...

Portobello Mushrooms
Garlic
Tomatoes
Micro Greens, Lettuce, and/or sprouts
Green Onions
Avocado
Artichokes
Lemon
Corn Cobs
Strawberries
Mint
*If you are lucky to live near an outdoor market that offers salsa, guacamole, cheeses, or tortillas grab those, as well. I am all for supporting local vendors.

Here are the recipes (each is for 4 servings)...

Grilled Portobello Mushroom Tacos

4 large Portobello Mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T olive oil
Kosher Salt, to taste

For Tacos...

Washed Micro Greens, Lettuce and/or Sprouts
Tomatoes, chopped
Avocado, sliced
Salsa or hot sauce of your choice
Cojita Cheese (Feta, Sharp Cheddar or Soy Cheese can also be used)
Crema (Sour Cream or Nonfat Greek Yogurt can also be used)
Corn tortillas

Heat grill or grill pan. Clean the mushrooms with a dry cloth. Trim off the stem. Lay them on a plate, upside down. Pour oil and garlic all over them. Lay them, cap side up on the grill. When water starts to release from the mushrooms, flip them over. Cook until they begin to soften but are not soggy. Remove from heat. Slice and arrange on a plate.

As the mushrooms cook, create a topping station with the greens, tomatoes, avocado, salsa &/or hot sauce, cheese, and crema. Heat the tortillas in a lightly oiled fry pan. Cook for one minute on each side. My personal opinion is that this is best done "to order" but if you would like to do it in advance, I would suggest wrapping the cooked tortillas in a towel until they are served. Heating the tortillas should be the very last thing that you do.

Steamed Artichokes

4 artichokes
3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
2 T Olive Oil
4 teaspoons red wine vinegar
juice from 1/2 lemon

Prepare artichokes by cleaning, slicing ends of stems, and cutting a cross into the stem base. Place on it's stem. Push slices of garlic in between the choke leaves. Place in a steaming pan. Squeeze lemon juice over the 4 chokes. Pour 1 teaspoon of vinegar into each choke. Drizzle oil over all the chokes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Steam until the leaves can be removed easily, about 45 minutes to an hour.

Corn on the Cob

Boil the corn in salted water for approx. 5 minutes. Rotating the cobs, every so often. Remove with tongs and place in a glass bowl for serving. Add whatever seasonings you like. We like ours the way God intended it, plain!

Strawberry Mint Soup

1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
2 cups fresh strawberries
1 container of whole milk, vanilla yogurt (you can also use nonfat or soy)
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream (omit if avoiding dairy or trying to be "good")
2 strawberries, stemmed and sliced
4 sprigs of mint

I got this recipe from Tartelette, you can find it here. My change: While the soup chills, mix together the yogurt and whipping cream. Place in a clean, plastic condiment bottle. Pour the soup into 4 bowls, drizzle the yogurt mixture all over the top. Garnish with a few slices of strawberries and a sprig of mint.