With the Spring Equinox only a month away, and the tease of warmer weather over the past few weeks, we find ourselves yearning for winter to be over! While we still have several weeks left of freezing morning temperatures and potential cold snaps, winter farmers markets have a variety of colorful and nutritious veggies to help us get out of the seasonal rut that naturally comes with this time of year.
Winter produce at markets is perfect for a nourishing, local, and seasonal take on a poke bowl! A popular Hawaiian recipe, poke bowls typically feature raw tuna served over rice with vegetables. This dish is easy to assemble and an excellent candidate for your weekly meal prep. Plus, the ingredients are conveniently interchangeable as a way to utilize more of this season’s produce!
This super simple recipe makes about four servings. Cook one cup of brown or white rice according to the instructions. Mix the cooked rice with with two tablespoons of rice vinegar, half a teaspoon of salt and a quarter teaspoon of black pepper. Evenly divide the rice among four bowls. Add winter greens (spinach, kale, or any salad mix will do!), julienned carrots, and shredded green or red cabbage to each bowl. We also recommend adding roasted watermelon or colorful daikon radishes to your dish! The bright pink or purple insides and mild flavor of these radishes make for a perfect vegetarian substitute for the signature tuna feature in this dish. Top it off with a delicious peanut sauce. Mix together two tablespoons of soy sauce, one tablespoon each of rice vinegar, water, and peanut butter, half a teaspoon of hot sauce, and then a teaspoon of freshly grated ginger in a small bowl. Drizzle the sauce evenly over your bowls and enjoy!
You can find watermelon radishes to showcase in your poke bowls this week from Ten Mile Farm at Asheville City Market. Look for other toppings like carrots, cabbages, and winter greens, from vendors like Seven Seeds Farm (Asheville City Market), Smallholding Farm (Weaverville Tailgate Market), Highgate Farm (Asheville City and River Arts District markets), Gaining Ground Farm, and Thatchmore Farm (North Asheville Tailgate Market).
At winter markets now you’ll also find beets, turnips, broccoli, cabbage, fennel, kohlrabi, kale, swiss chard, spinach, salad greens, winter squash, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. Markets are also stocked with a variety of cheeses, rice, pasta, pastries, drinks, and prepared foods. Find more details about farms and markets throughout the region, including winter hours, in ASAP’s online Local Food Guide at appalachiangrown.org.