A Michigan Farmers Market Visit & Easy Recipes!

Farmers Market Bounty

This is just a small sampling of my bounty I brought home from the Allen Farmer’s Market. It’s been a while since I’ve visited this farmer’s market and I forgot how wonderful they are. The highlight of my visit was meeting Mark with Hillcrest Farms. I scooped up a pint of blueberries, a salsa kit including all the veggies I’d need for a hot, spicy salsa and baby kale from his booth and he was incredibly helpful. He gave me some tips with preparing the salsa and reminded me to wash the veggies (guilty of skipping that part in the past!)

It’s truly a no-brainer to scoop up fresh veggies and fruits from local farmers–you get them fresh, learn where your food is coming from and meet some great people along the way.

Easy Meals and Snacks

I intentionally picked items I could easily use as I’m not a complicated cook. Simple recipes for meals and snacks is what works best for my lifestyle. Keep reading for how I prepared the vegetables and fruits I bought at the market!

Frozen Yogurt Treat

This is super easy–grab a muffin pan and insert with liners. First, add a layer of granola to the bottom of each  muffin liner. Then grab your favorite yogurt (I like greek yogurt mixed with lots of honey) and pour over. Pop a few blueberries on top and then store in the freezer for a couple hours.

Sautéed Kale, Sausage and Sweet Potato

I thought I hated kale until I sautéed it and kale became tasty, spicy crisps perfectly complementing the dish I prepared with sweet potatoes and shredded chicken. First, Cole rinsed off the kale in the colander just with water and then I chopped it off. Next, I tossed in the diced up sweet potatoes and the kale with olive oil. Once the sweet potatoes and kale have cooked, I added in the shredded chicken. I also tossed in salt, pepper and plenty of red pepper flakes.

Hot Salsa Kit

I love that the vendor Hillcrest Farms created salsa kits making it even easier for shoppers to grab exactly what they need for a tasty salsa. He added cilantro as a bonus for any shopper who likes it and I snagged some. You just blend up in a food processor and as recommended, I tried to hold off on eating it immediately to let the flavors marinate in there together overnight.

Interested in visiting local farmers markets in Michigan? Check the MIFMA farmers market guide!

And sign up for the MIFMA e-newsletter to receive information of seasonal recipes, shopping guides and upcoming events at farmers markets.

This post was sponsored by Michigan Farmers Market Association (MIFMA)