As a girl who enjoys eating out entirely too much, I made a commitment during New York City’s warmer weather months to frequent the farmers’ markets to see what this whole eat fresh, eat local mumbo-jumbo is all about.
Starting simple, I chose to make an abbreviated version of this Quinoa Salad, picking up practically everything I needed at the Union Square Market. And what wasn’t there, well, didn’t make it into the salad because I didn’t have the patience to stand in line at Whole Foods.
The online recipe deems this a “side dish”, but I found it perfect as a light post-yoga dinner, with plenty to pack for lunch the next day. My favorite part was by far the dressing; the zesty lemon mixture takes only a second to make, and makes a world of difference in the yum factor.
Verdict? While I don’t think homemade cooking will ever replace the love of eating out for me (as I hang my head in shame), I was pleasantly surprised by the freshness of the dish, and pleased with myself for 1. eating healthy, and 2. attempting to be domestic…with a zesty NYC twist.
What are your go-to meals made from farmer’s market foods?
Jessica Tiare Bowen lives in the juicy Big Apple with her adorable pink-nosed chihuahua, Gillman. He’s the inspiration for her first published children’s book, “Park Avenue Pound Puppy.” The book is the combined result of her two greatest passions: pooches and penning stories.
Her passions include art, urban hikes through Manhattan, drinking coffee with 3 creams and 6 sugars, making extremely detailed itineraries and traveling to far away places, singing along to Broadway shows, Netflix movie nights, discovering incredible treasures at Goodwill and thrift stores, and listening to stories from little people under 7 and big people over 70.
She started her career as New York City Teaching Fellow, teaching elementary school and theater arts at a special education school in the South Bronx for 6 years. She is now a Special Education School Improvement Specialist working in public schools throughout New York City. She is the Editor-In-Chief of the online New York City travel magazine, Used York City. The magazine focuses on finding the best of New York…as used by New Yorkers. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and an ASPCA Ambassador.
