4 Farm Market Dinners - Early Summer 2025

I appreciate being able to get a wide variety of foods at my local grocery store, but there is nothing better than stocking up on fresh, in-season produce at the local farmers' market. Today, I'm meal planning based on some of my favorite farm market finds.

Watch Me Cooking Up a Storm

The Produce and The Recipes

Zucchini:

Every farm market and home gardener is overrun with zucchini and summer squash. Take advantage and make these delicious meals. Both recipes are highly flexible, allowing you to adjust them in various ways.

Zucchini Boats

4 small to medium zucchini, halved lengthwise

olive oil

2-3 TBSP diced onion

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup rice

1/2 cup water

optional - 1/2 cup protein (beans, cooked ground beef, chopped chicken, tofu, shrimp, sausage, etc)

1/4 cup tomato sauce

1/4 cup grated cheese (plus extra for topping)

fresh herbs, chopped

salt, pepper, and spices of your choice

1. Wash and slice your zucchini lengthwise. Use a spoon to gently scoop out the center to make the boats. Add just a little olive oil to the cut side of the squash and grill the squash until it begins to soften and gets some good grill marks.

2. In the meantime, prepare the stuffing by mixing the remaining ingredients.

3. Divide the stuffing to fill each boat and bake them at 350F until the squash is tender. You can add more cheese to the top for the last few minutes of baking.

Variations - obviously, you can add whatever protein you want, or if you are serving this as a side to a main protein, you can skip it. You can use canned tomato sauce, leftover pasta sauce, or even some diluted tomato paste. Use whatever cheese you like and have on hand. When it comes to herbs and spices, get creative.

Italian - use Italian sausage, Parmesan cheese, fresh basil, and dried Italian seasoning.

Mexican - use black beans or leftover taco meat, taco cheese, fresh cilantro, and cumin.

Mediterranean - use shrimp, replace tomato sauce with hummus and a squeeze of lemon juice, and use parsley and cilantro.

Indian - use tofu, skip the cheese, and use curry powder or garam masala.

You can even skip the rice and just use beans or ground meat. You can jazz up leftover mashed potatoes with cheese and herbs. The options are endless. It's a great way to use up leftovers.

Zucchini Casserole

2-3 small zucchini, chopped, salted, drained, and patted dry

1/4 cup finely diced onion

1 egg

salt and pepper

1 tsp dried oregano

red pepper flakes to taste (optional)

1/4 cup fresh herbs, chopped (I used parsley, basil and thyme)

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1-2 TBSP grated parmesan cheese

Panko topping:

1 cup panko (whole wheat if you can get it)

1-2 TBSP grated parmesan cheese

pepper to taste

1/2 tsp italian seasoning

1 TBSP olive oil

1. Drain zucchini by sprinkling with a little salt, letting it sit in a tea towel-lined colander for about 20 minutes, then pat dry.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine onion, egg, spices, herbs, zucchini, and cheeses. Stir until well blended.

3. Press mixture into a well-greased 9x9-inch baking dish, cover with foil and bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes while you create the panko topping.

4. In a small bowl, combine panko, parmesan cheese, pepper, seasoning, and olive oil. Stir to combine.

5. Pull the casserole out of the oven, remove foil, and add panko topping. Replace foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes.

6. Remove the foil and use the broiler for a minute or two to brown the panko. Watch it closely, it goes from browned to burned in seconds.

Variations - you can use zucchini, summer squash, or both. Change up the cheese. Use whatever herbs sound good to you. You can also add other vegetables, such as finely chopped bell peppers, broccoli, asparagus, or mushrooms. If you'd like to add some leftover protein or a can of beans, feel free.

Kale:

A large bag of kale can be quickly transformed into a pot of greens and beans. I know traditionally, Greens & Beans is made with escarole. So what?...any green works!

Greens and Beans

3 cups chopped kale

1/4 cup diced onion

olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 cans of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 box (32 oz) veggie broth

salt and pepper

1. In a soup pot, add a drizzle of olive oil, then sauté the onions until they become tender.

2. Add garlic and a little salt and pepper. Stir around for 1 minute, then deglaze the pan with a splash of veggie broth or a splash of white wine.

3. Add the kale and stir around. Add another splash of the broth and allow the kale to begin to wilt.

4. Take some of the beans (1/3c) and some of the broth and blend them. Add to the pot.

5. Add the remaining broth and a little more salt and pepper to taste.

6. Add the rest of the beans and allow them to heat through.

Variations - don't have kale? Use spinach, Swiss chard, or a combination of all three.

Cucumber and Snap Peas:

Cucumber, Snap Peas, and Shrimp Salad

~16 cooked shrimp

2 cucumbers, lightly peeled and halved lengthwise

1-2 big handfuls of snap peas, cleaned and membrane removed

2 TBSP diced red onion (or scallions)

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 TBSP olive oil

1-2 minced garlic cloves

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 tsp dried oregano

salt and pepper

red pepper flakes (optional)

1. Marinate the shrimp in some vinegar and olive oil.

2. After peeling and slicing the cucumber lengthwise, use a spoon to scoop out the seedy middle. Dice the cucumber into small chunks and place it in a large bowl.

3. Clean and dice up the snap peas and onion. Add them to the bowl along with the chickpeas.

4. Cook the shrimp, chill them, and add them to the salad. If the shrimp are large, cut them into smaller pieces.

5. You can mix the dressing right on the salad or make it in a separate bowl. To make the dressing, combine the remaining ingredients.

6. Dress the salad and allow it to sit for 30 minutes before serving. Finish with some chopped fresh herbs.

Variations - don't have shrimp? Use leftover chicken or chunks of marinated tofu. Add freshness by finishing with fresh herbs of your choice. I added fresh chives, parsley, and dill. Have other veggies on hand? Throw them in too! Why not?

I hope you are inspired to eat seasonally and eat locally. Visit a farm market near you. In NYS you can use THIS WEBSITE to find farm markets in your county!

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