By Seth Fera-Schanes

New York City farmers markets have some great produce, especially during the summer and fall.  If you go to the green market in Union Square on any given morning, you will see city chefs buying the first pick of items as vendors are setting up and then carting everything off to their respective restaurants.  If you go to a bar or restaurant that evening a  lot of times you will see a special “green market menu.”  What you are buying was hand picked at the local market that morning which is great.

If you want to make your own local (farm to table) meal I have a few suggestions for you.  Pick items you have never heard about before or have been wanting to try.  Feel free to ask the vendor about the produce and how they would prepare it (they will be happy to tell you.)  Keep your meals simple.  These are fresh ingredients and the flavors don’t need to be coaxed out; they stand on their own.

Here are a few dishes you can try featuring the freshest summer ingredients (click the picture for the full recipe.)

This sandwich has lemon cucumbers, heirloom tomatoes, fresh basil leaves and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Summer Vegetarian Sandwich On A Multigrain Roll

This salad features strawberries, Mexican sour gherkins (a personal favorite,) snow pea shoots and purslane.

Farmers Market Summer Salad