Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Healthy, Quick & Cheap Supper Dish: Farmer's Market Fare

Our local farmer's market is twice a week: Tuesdays and Saturdays. It's only a few blocks from my office, so I pick up seasonal produce on Tuesdays for the week at lunch time and stash it in the shared kitchen area until I leave. Supper last night was a simple one-pan dish that was healthy and tasty while still being easy and inexpensive to prepare---see the recipe below.

Coincidentally, over at Personal Financial Advice today's tip is about shopping the local farmer's market with some good points to get the most value from the market. I would add that it pays to be knowledgeable about seasonal "peak" produce to get the best buys. Some produce is grown in greenhouses (like basil) and still expensive because it's not at peak season. In our market now, red new potatoes, broccoli, onions, asparagus, spinach, lettuce and other greens are hitting stride and are good buys.

One-Pan Farmer's Market Supper

1 lb. red new potatoes, scrubbed, trimmed and halved
1 large broccoli crown, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 lb. asparagus, spears snapped into 2-inch lengths
1 red onion, peeled and cut into wedges
1 bunch Swiss chard, with stems removed cut into strips
Optional: 1/2 lb. Linguica, chorizo, or other spicy sausage cut into rounds
Olive Oil
Salt, Pepper, Oregano
Balsamic Vinegar

Combine veggies and sausage (optional) in roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and oregano. Stir to mix. Bake at 350-degree oven for one hour, stirring every twenty minutes. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and continue roasting for ten minutes to finish. Remove and enjoy!

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