Right now in the in the Northeast US we are at the peak for tomatoes, corn, squashes and more. Here are a couple tips for shopping at the farmers' market, and some ways to keep the seasonal vegetables on hand for months to come. Learn how to shop for it, cook it and keep it.
Corn
Shop for it - Sweet corn is never better or more plentiful than late summer. Look for firm, heavy ears with silks that look fresh, not dried out. Varieties here include Silver Queen and Butter & Sugar or Tuxedo which are some favorites.
Cook it - Keep it - Did you know you can eat it raw? It's best eaten, however you choose to prepare it, within a day or two of purchase. To preserve: can it in relishes, or on its own, blanch and freeze it whole on the cob or cut from the cob in kernels (it will keep longer on the cob.)
- Check for canning parties popping up all over the country as part of the "Canvolution" home preservation craze. (Link includes recipes, tips and guides.)
- Here's a great recipe for a quick one-dish meal based on corn (scroll down). Great for brunch or dinner, this recipe can be modified and dressed up or down depending on your budget.
- Also try sweet corn risotto or corn and bean salad.
- To zip corn kernels off the cob, you don't need that silly tool people try to sell every summer. All you need is a knife and a big bowl makes it easier to collect the kernels. Clean off the husks and silks. Hold the ear at a 90 degree angle to the bowl (steady it by snapping off or cutting the stem end.) Run your knife blade straight down the cob and the kernels will fall into the bowl.
- Save those cobs! Place in a pot of water and make stock which you can use for soups, for chowders, for making polenta. You can run the backside of your knife along the cobs to release all the bits of juice.
Tomatoes
Shop - Heirlooms or hybrids, there are plenty of delicious tomatoes available now. Tomatoes at your farmers' market will be more ripe and therefore, more delicate than what you're accustomed to finding at the supermarket. Look for many delicious heirloom varieties to enjoy. Supporting farmers growing heirloom varietals helps preserve biodiversity which is essential to our food safety but also diminishing at alarming rates.
- For more info on heirloom tomatoes, read: Apples of Love - the Sensual Pleasures of Heirloom Tomatoes.
- Choose Roma, plum or "paste" tomatoes for sauces and canning.
- Dehydrate tomatoes you'd use for canning in a very low oven (200 degrees) overnight, cut in half skin side down.
- Tomatoes are rich in vitamins and phtyochemicals like Lycopene that helps reduce the incidence of heart disease, cancer, and muscular degeneration.
Cook it - Keep - Tomatoes this fresh are best enjoyed simply. Slice and enjoy with a little salt and a drizzle of good olive oil and or balsamic vinegar. Eat in a BLT, one of the simplest and best "recipes" ever. Cut chunks and enjoy with cucumbers and red pepper in a summery chopped salad. Your chopped salad can include feta cheese or olives or sweet onions. Red bell peppers are nice, too.
- Try this Tomato Pesto with Toasted Almonds for a great, healthy pasta dish.
Jacqueline Church - Award-winning writer, speaker, teacher on topics at the intersection of gourmet and sustainable food issues.
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