Spring is Coming

It has been a long winter and I don't know about anyone else but I can't wait for the warm weather. Late Spring, early summer is not only time to shed your winter clothing but the perfect time to explore the many farmer's markets that will start appearing. I know in my area some of them set up at the local train station or in various parking lots on the east end of Long Island on the weekends but you may want to even make some of these markets as part of a road trip. Here are some "must visit" markets.

Union Square Greenmarket, New York

It is absolutely amazing that farm fresh produce can be found in the middle of New York City but it can at the Union Square Greenmarket. This is an outdoor oasis of freshly picked fruits and vegetables. The great thing about this market is that is open during the winter months. If you are travelling to New York City, this is definitely a place that you need to check out.

Pike Place Market, Seattle, Washington

This market is on my bucket list, In addition to being one of the oldest continually operated public farmers markets, this is where the first Starbucks store was opened. There is dining, a crafts market and shopping available as well.

Copley Square Market, Boston, Massachusetts

If you are going to be in the Boston area, you may want to check out this farmer's market. It is located in the historic and upscale Back Bay area. This is Boston's biggest and busiest farmers markets and offers a vibrant selection of produce from over two dozen Massachusetts farmers. This market is open from mid May through November.

Eastern Market, Washington DC

This farmers market is located in Capitol Hill and is one of the oldest and largest fresh produce markets. You can visit the market all year round with the exception of Mondays when they are closed. Weekends are especially exciting with more than 100 vendors selling fresh produce and arts and crafts that are handmade by local artists.

Sweet Auburn Market, Atlanta, Georgia

This is an indoor market located in the original Municipal Market building in downtown Atlanta. if you are in the area, it is worth stopping by since there are tons of vendors, stands and restaurants.

If you plan on visiting any of these markets, I would suggest you check out their Facebook page to ensure they are open. When we take our boat out east, I can't wait to go to one of my favorite farmers markets in the beautiful town of Westhampton and take you on a photo journey with me.

Although I love everything at the market, one of my favorite things is beets.  Many times at the market, people will ask them to pull off the greens and they will have a stack of them. I usually ask for some of the discarded greens since I enjoy them as much as the beets themselves. So in honor of one of my favorite vegetables today's recipe is...

Warm Beet Green Salad

Ingredients:

1 Bunch of beets with greens
1/2 onion
Olive oil
Cliantro
White balsamic Reduction (or use vinegar and a little sugar)
Salt and pepper

Slice onion and saute in a bit of olive oil, wash and chop beet greens and add to onions once they are translucent and cook until desired tenderness. Immediately plate.

Now it is time to cook the beets, although you can do them in the oven, for this recipe I am going to boil them. Be aware if you have never made fresh beets, they will stain your wooden cutting board so you may want to cut them on something else. I cut the top and bottom off of each beet, and since they were relatively small I decided not to peel them but to scrub the skin with a vegetable brush. I cut them into uniform sizes to ensure they cooked evenly. Once they were tender, I spooned them on top of the greens and onions. I found this amazing white balsamic vinegar reduction that has no preservatives (it is just a reduction of white balsamic vinegar and cane sugar). I drizzled the balsamic over the beets and greens, added some cilantro and salt and pepper. Delicious!! This was a perfect lunch for me. You can use this as a side dish, a salad or even a main course. Just add some romaine. This is also great if you add some sliced apples and celery for some texture and crunch.

Hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

Hope everyone has a fantastic week, I am counting the days to spring.

As always, please adopt and not shop for your next pet, there is a lot of love at shelters wanting to be shared. Since I have quite the menagerie of pets already, I decided to spread the love and sponsor a dog. If you are an animal lover, there are so many ways to help. If you can't help by adopting, or financially sponsor a pet then please share their photos on Facebook to help increase their chances of finding a forever home. Every little bit helps!

Your thoughts, ideas and comments are always welcome. If you haven't already, please like The Smoothie Vegetarians Facebook page to ensure you won't miss any of my future posts.

With Gratitude,

Trudy