As summer begins to wind down and schedules begin to fill up, quick and healthy meals become more important than ever. Farmers markets are the perfect place to keep those habits strong. Markets continue to offer fresh, seasonal produce into the fall season that make it easy to pack kid-friendly snacks, simple lunches, and energizing breakfasts. By continuing to visit the market each week, families can bring a variety of flavor and color to their school eating routines, while also supporting local farms in our area.
Whether it’s in your routine during the summertime or not, making weekly trips to the farmer’s market can teach healthy habits and build a sense of place. Showing kids where their food comes from can make eating what’s in season more exciting and enjoyable at home. With the changing seasons approaching and the different produce options available at market every week, it can be easier to keep meal ideas fresh and interesting.
A great start to any school day begins with a nutrient-packed breakfast to give anyone the energy to start the day strong. Fresh foods from the farmers market make it easy to build quick, healthy breakfasts that fit busy school mornings. Trying to use up spinach from the market? Blend together spinach, apple, milk, egg, honey, and vanilla until smooth, with flour, baking soda, and salt, and cook fresh fall-inspired pancakes for breakfast. Looking for a quick on-the-go breakfast? Top a bowl of yogurt with fresh sliced peaches and honey, adding your favorite granola of choice to build a fresh parfait. Find fresh sheep milk yogurt from Grassroots Farm & Dairy (North Asheville, West Asheville, River Arts District, and Black Mountain markets). Lee’s One Fortune Farm, Creasman Farms, and McConnell farms still have peaches for a little longer.
Sandwiches are the ultimate lunch food. Bakers at markets have delicious breads from wholesome, traditional sourdoughs, to gluten-free and paleo breads. Find sandwich loaves from vendors like Simple Bread (Asheville City and West Asheville markets) and Hominy Farm (North Asheville and River Arts District markets). Bakers like Dolci di Maria (North Asheville Tailgate Market) and Urban Pheasants (River Arts District Farmers Market) have delicious gluten free bread options. Some easy snacks to pack along with your sandwich for lunch can be sliced apples and nut butters for dipping–the first early apples from Creasman Farms are here at Asheville City, North Asheville, and West Asheville markets. Another option is serving sliced up fresh veggies like carrots, peppers and tomatoes with cheese. Blue Ridge Mountain Creamery (Asheville City and North Asheville), Round Mountain Creamery (Black Mountain and East Asheville), and Ali Rae Foods (North Asheville, River Arts District, and East Asheville markets) have you covered with a variety of cheeses like aged cheddar, spreadable pimentos, and soft goat cheese.
If you are prepping ahead of time, mason jar salads can be a great way to have a meal already prepared and stored in the fridge for when you’re ready to eat it. By layering your salad ingredients, starting with dressing on the bottom, crunchy vegetables, any protein or nuts, then greens on the top, you can avoid the sogginess and overpacking of simple salads. For a southwest-style mason jar salad, first add your dressing of choice to the bottom, followed by chopped tomato, cucumber, corn, beans, bell pepper, cooked chicken, and greens to top it off. When it’s ready to be eaten, simply pour it onto a plate or bowl to enjoy.
At markets now you’ll also find cabbages, collards, beets, carrots, berries, stone fruits like peaches and plums, mushrooms, potatoes, tomatoes,okra, peppers, eggplant, garlic, onions, microgreens, many types of fresh herbs, and more. Markets offer an abundance of farm-fresh eggs and meats, including chicken, pork, beef, and lamb. You can also get bread, cheese, pastries, fermented products, drinks, and prepared foods. During springtime, find annual and perennial plant starts for your gardens along with fresh flowers. As always, you can find information about farms, tailgate markets, and farm stands, including locations and hours, by visiting ASAP’s online Local Food Guide at appalachiangrown.org