cucumbers

Smashed Cucumber Salad

smashed cucumber salad

Cucumbers are in season starting in late May and typically are available throughout the summer and early fall. Cucumbers are great for staying hydrated and cool. Pai huang gua—or smashed cucumber salad—is a traditional Chinese recipe for a hot day. It can be served on its own or alongside chilled rice or noodles. Smashing and … Read more

Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week

snap peas

We’re coming into the height of spring produce—and even getting the first glimpse of summer—at farmers markets now. Cucumbers, sugar snap peas, and spring onions are all available now. Plus, farms continue to offer the best of spring strawberries, spinach, chard, tender lettuces, arugula, radishes, beets, salad turnips, mushrooms and more.  Look for sugar snap … Read more

Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week

cucumbers

Nothing is quite as refreshing as biting into a fresh cucumber on a warm day! While cucumbers are often enjoyed raw or in a salad, this veggie is a little more versatile than its given credit for. You can find cucumbers this week from Thatchmore Farm (North and West Asheville markets), Ivy Creek Family Farm … Read more

Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week

a variety of eggplant at farmers markets

There’s so much new summer produce flooding farmers markets this week, we can hardly keep up! The latest summer delicacy is eggplants!  With several farms selling different varieties of the versatile plant, the opportunities for cooking in the weeks to come are endless.  Look for an assortment of globe, Asian and fairy tale eggplant varieties … Read more

Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week

cucumbers at farmers markets

As summer gets closer, we are starting to see more exciting arrivals at area farmers markets!  Cucumbers made their seasonal debut at farmers markets this week, with Thatchmore Farm (West and North Asheville markets), Velvet Morning Farms (Asheville City Market), and Ivy Creek Family Farm (Weaverville and North Asheville markets) offering an early harvest of … Read more

Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week

bread from Hominy Farm

Stale bread—it happens to the best of us. We buy loaf or two from our favorite farmers tailgate market bread vendors with visions of endless tomato sandwiches, but then life happens and the loaf goes stale before we’ve had a chance to finish it. Enter panzanella, a fantastic vehicle for reviving stale bread—that also happens to celebrate summer produce available at markets now. 

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Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week

As eggplant joins the march of summer produce available at farmers tailgate markets, our thoughts are turning to Middle Eastern meze. You can easily fill several platters with a colorful combination of tomatoes, cucumbers, roasted squash and beets, babaganoush, hummus, tzatziki, eggs, olives, pickles, and pita for a feast. Or you could toss everything into a single pita for thoroughly satisfying sabich sandwich.

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Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week

Sure, the image is a little trite: Dad in his battleworn apron, presiding over the Weber. But since Sunday is both Father’s Day and the first day of summer, we’re going to lean into the stereotype and devote this column to grilling. Grillable veggies like summer squash, spring onions, and mushrooms are plentiful at farmers tailgate markets right now, in addition to a wide assortment of steaks, sausages, chops, and birds.

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Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week

popsicles

Is there a more quintessential summer experience than eating a popsicle in the sun, with sweet fruit juices dribbling down your chin? Farmers tailgate markets offer a wealth of popsicle ingredients, including some options for thinking outside the tried and true mold. 

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