As we get ready for the Farmer’s Market Challenge, which kicks off this Thursday, July 1st (want details? Click the button at the end or go here 👉🏻 Farmers Market Challenge), I wanted to share some insights I have learned along my plant journey. Plants can be really confusing - buying, storing, and using them - can be a difficult transition when you’re not used to handling them. No judgment here! I just don’t want that to be holding you back from loving fresh, local, whole foods! Hopefully, you can learn from my mistakes!

I grew up on canned fruits and veggies. Sure, we would have apples and carrots to munch on and lettuce and tomatoes on tacos, but eating a meal of all plants was just not a thing back then. But now, holy kale! Times have changed! There are so many fresh fruits and veggies around every corner, it’s hard to keep up! But that’s a good thing! 

There’s a downside to that. Unless we’re taught what to do with all these goodies, we just don’t know. And no matter how many veggies you buy at the farmers market with your best intentions, if you don’t know what to do with them, they will go to waste - or to the pigs! (Which Wally and Winston may argue is actually the BEST way to use fruits and veggies!)

Throughout the month we’re going to be going through a lot more about how to cook some of these ingredients and what to do with them. But today, I wanted to start with the basics. What to do with them once you get home. 

“If you have to do some extra work when you get home from the market, you’re doing it right.”

When I first switched over to a whole-foods way of eating, meaning minimal packaged stuff and more food in its natural state, I read something that really stuck with me. “If you have to do some extra work when you get home from the market, you’re doing it right.” What that means is those whole foods require a little extra work, whether it is trimming leaves off of produce or putting grains and pasta from the bulk bins into their own containers. You can’t simply unpack your grocery bags directly into the pantry. 

Know that going in. There is some extra work involved. If you want to stop reading right now, please don’t! These tips I have found over the years help to make that “extra” time very minimal and eventually, it will become a habit and you won’t notice it. Here are a few tips to get you started!

Greens - This could be kale, lettuce, swiss chard, spinach, ect. Wash it, de-stem it (kale), remove any rotten or damaged pieces and cut or tear it up into the sized pieces you want, then store it in a produce bag with a little moisture still on the leaves. If you wait too long to use them, greens will wilt. No fear! Don’t feed them to the pigs just yet! Soak them in a big bowl of cold water for a few minutes and they should perk right back up.

Carrots, radishes, kohlrabi, turnips, and anything else with green tops attached - Remove the tops before storing them in the refrigerator. They will wilt and cause the produce to go bad more quickly. If the greens are in good shape with no rot, yellowing, or wilting, wash them and use them in a salad, smoothie, or any other way you use salad greens. They are edible! Carrot tops are a great substitute for parsley!

Herbs - Most herbs can be stored in a glass of water on your countertop, just like you would store cut flowers. Change the water daily until you’re ready to use it.

Asparagus - Store stalks upright in a glass of water on the countertop, just like you would store cut flowers. Change the water daily until you’re ready to use it. 

Berries - I like to wash them right away and then keep them in a bowl, uncovered, in the fridge. That way, they are ready for easy snacking!

Tomatoes and Basil - They do NOT go in the fridge! Tomatoes change drastically when chilled, and not in a pleasant way! Store them on the countertop. Basil also doesn’t love the cold. You can store her in a glass of water on the countertop, just as you would store cut flowers. 

Access anything - If given the chance and it makes sense, it can be a great idea to buy extras and then freeze them for later. This works really well with things like berries, tomatoes, zucchini, and green beans. However, you have to freeze them right away, when they’re at their peak ripeness, to maintain the best quality and flavor. I have a bad habit of deciding to freeze berries on their last day because I had good intentions of using them. But that has come back to bite in the 🍑 one too many times! 

If you have specific questions about what to do with fruit or veggies from the market, just ask the farmer! He or she should have lots of ideas and suggestions for you. After all, the farmers are the experts in this area and they really know their stuff! When all else fails, just do a simple Internet search, and tons of ideas will come up. 

Let me know how you’re feeling about the Farmers Market Challenge! I would love to hear it! Are you excited? A little nervous? Or have no idea what I’m talking about?! 🤣 Send me a message and I’d be more than happy to answer any questions you may have!

Peace, love & kale!

Lindsay