This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media GroupĀ® and Cooking Light and Real Simple, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #FreshandFab http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV
My family loves to go to the farmers’ market together during the growing season. We rarely miss a week, we know all the farmers, our favorite vendors even know my kids by name.
After this brutal winter, I’ve been dying to get back to the market. And last Saturday, Silas, Lucy, and I finally got to do just that.
I adore spring produce, especially after a long winter: carrots, spring mix, asparagus, radishes. So much good stuff I haven’t seen in months.
When the kids and I headed to the market it was 46 degrees–not exactly spring-like–and we weren’t sure what the farmers would have this early in the season. I knew we’d find salad greens, and I was hoping for radishes and carrots, so I could make the radish salad with orange vinaigrette that I’d clipped out of the April issue of Cooking Light.
I picked up the new issues of Real Simple and Cooking Light at Target last week. When you purchase both April issues at the same time, you get a $5 Target gift card (while supplies last). The food sections are full of fresh spring foods–a welcome change from the braises and stews we’ve been eating for months.
All of the produce looked fresh and crisp, so I let Silas and Lucy pick whatever they wanted. (In our experience, if they choose it, they’re much more likely to eat it.)
Our farmers’ market haul was glorious. Our favorite farmer had radishes. We bought a beautiful bag of baby greens (see how the roots are even still attached?). I thought hard about buying the edible nasturtiums–but saved those for another day. And the carrot farmer had purple and white carrots along with the usual orange. (If you’ve never tried purple carrots, please promise me you will.)
When we got back home, I pulled out the ingredients for our salad.
Sarah helped me put it together.
We made the radish salad with orange vinaigrette, plus Sarah wanted to try the sesame-honey vinaigrette variation.
Both variations were fresh and delicious and tasted like spring.
Radish salad with orange vinaigretteĀ
from the April 2014 issue of Cooking Light
ā¢ 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
ā¢ 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
ā¢ 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
ā¢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
ā¢ 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
ā¢ 1 cup thinly sliced radishes
ā¢ 1/2 cup shredded carrot
ā¢ 1 5 ounce package mixed baby greens
Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; stirring with a whisk. Add radishes, carrot, and mixed baby greens just before serving; toss.
Serves 6.
Sesame-honey vinaigrette
Combine 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil, 1 tablespoon lower-sodium soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon honey in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add 1 cup thinly sliced radishes, 1/2 cup thinly sliced yellow bell pepper, and 5 ounces mixed greens; toss. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons chopped toasted cashews.
Serves 6.
What favorite spring recipes are you itching to make?
P.S. 11 pro tips for shopping the spring farmers’ market.
8 comments
Is this Beargrass? I didn’t know the Farmer’s Market was open yet. Samuel and I love to go there, too. I like to get local eggs, too and don’t know where to find them in the winter.
This was Douglass Loop. Beargrass opens May 10. Can’t wait! (They did have local eggs at Douglass Loop. Too bad you can’t get them from Grasshoppers anymore!)
Oh this makes me want to go check our Farmer’s Market start date! It’s 20 here today, so I can’t imagine it will be anytime soon, but just thinking of it gets me excited :).
Looks lovely! It’s a little cold here for me to venture out to the Farmer’s Market quite yet, but I’m excited to do it soon!
Oh Anne, I am so jealous / hopeful! We woke up to fresh snow this morning in Chicago! But in spite of what the weather says, spring IS around the corner and this salad will be miiinneeeee!!
I’m so jealous! My in-laws live in St. Matthews, and I try to visit the farmers’ market when I’m there. We visit our local farmers’ market, but in West Texas, the selection is pretty limited. Enjoy your fresh veggies!
Thanks! And maybe I’ll bump into you at the St Matthews market when you come to visit. š
I love radishes. This salad is definitely appetizing and light on the pallet. Great idea for midday snack. Love to find more recipes of yours. I’ve just about pinned every type of salad there is in free America!