Three Easy Farm-to-Table Summer Recipes

By: Sara Visser

I love visiting our local farmers market here in Grand Rapids and thought it would be great to make some farm-to-table summer recipes. These creations feature my favorite summer produce and are lovely for a backyard picnic. Get some picnic packing tips and delicious recipes below!

Farmers Market Shopping List

I really enjoy visiting our local farmers market on Saturday morning. We  live very close to the market so it’s fun to walk there with our dog Wrigley. During the summer tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and seasonal fruit are my favorites. Blueberries are in season here in Michigan so those are must haves! My husband, Cory, and I have shifted our priorities to meal plan, and then pick up local produce at the market that we need for our meals. Here’s what we got from the farmers market to make our picnic recipes:

• Cherry tomatoes
• Heirloom cherry tomatoes
• Cucumber
• Green pepper
• Basil
• Fresh bread
• Blueberries

Want to make a Michigan farmers market trip of your own? Find one near you with this handy map.

Tips for Packing a Picnic

Cory and I enjoy having picnics in our backyard or at a local beach in the summer. Since we do picnics often, I’ve learned a few helpful tricks along the way. We use an outdoor blanket as a picnic blanket. This blanket can easily get wet and is machine washable. Whether you have a picnic basket or just a cooler make sure you pack a few ice packs to keep necessary food items cool. I’ve learned to pack a few ice packs for the food and drinks especially on a warm summer day.

Mason jars or glass containers with a sealed lid are so helpful when packing food for a picnic. I used mason jars to pack the pasta salad, and some glass containers for our appetizer and dessert. Also, don’t forget to pack a trash bag, and all the necessary plates, drinkware and utensils.

The Perfect Recipes

Tomato Basil Bruschetta

You can make this delicious tomato basil bruschetta using fresh cherry tomatoes, basil and the Italian bread from the farmers market. I love this recipe because it’s easy to make and only requires a few main ingredients. This recipe is also convenient for a picnic because everything is easy to pack in your picnic basket or cooler.

Ingredients:

• Italian bread (or baguette, ciabatta or sourdough)
• 2 cups of cherry tomatoes
• 6 basil leaves
• Salt
• Pepper
• Olive oil
• Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 garlic clove
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Start by cutting your bread in thin slices and place the slices on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with olive oil and place in the oven for 5-8 minutes or until the bread is toasted. Remove the bread from the baking sheet and place on a cooling rack. Use the clove of garlic and rub the clove on the bread. This gives the bread a hint of garlic flavor. Set the bread aside.
2. Cut the cherry tomatoes in quarters and place them in a small mixing bowl. If your cherry tomatoes are larger just make sure to cut them in smaller pieces. Chop the basil leaves and add it to the tomatoes. Season with a pinch of salt, pepper, drizzle of olive oil and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Allow the flavors to come together by letting the tomatoes marinate for at least an hour in the refrigerator.
3. Serve the tomato basil bruschetta with some freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Italian Pasta Salad

I’ve been making this Italian pasta salad on repeat this summer. My friends and family continue to ask me to make this, so it’s becoming my signature summer dish. The best part about pasta salad is you can use whatever veggies you love. For this recipe I used fresh heirloom cherry tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper and basil from the farmers market. Since I’m a vegetarian I didn’t add any meat to this pasta salad, but Cory enjoys adding salami or pepperoni. You can also use your favorite type of noodle for this pasta salad. I used bow tie pasta for this recipe, but I also love using penne or rotini pasta.

• 1 box of bow tie pasta
• 2 cups of heirloom cherry tomatoes
• 1 cucumber
• ½ a green pepper
• ¼ cup green olives
• 8 oz package of fresh mozzarella pearls
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese
• 1/8 cup pine nuts
• 16 oz bottle Italian dressing
• 2-3 leaves of fresh basil
• Optional – diced salami or pepperoni

Instructions:

1. Cook your pasta according to the box directions for al dente pasta. You want to make sure the pasta still has a little crunch because it will be marinating in the salad dressing. Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water. Set the pasta aside.
2. Cut the heirloom cherry tomatoes in half or quarters and place in a large bowl. Cut the cucumber in quarters and dice the green pepper. Add these veggies to the tomatoes. Add the olives to the veggie mixture.
3. Once the pasta has cooled add the noodles to the veggie mixture and toss to combine. Add half of the Italian dressing to the pasta and veggies. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
4. In a small saucepan add the pine nuts. Cook on medium heat until they turn slightly brown and smell toasted. Remove from the saucepan and set aside.
5. Remove the pasta salad from the refrigerator and add the mozzarella pearls, parmesan cheese, chopped basil, and additional dressing if needed. Pack your mason jars or a glass container with the pasta salad and sprinkle the toasted pine nuts on top.

Lemon & Blueberry Pie Bars

When I think of summer, I think of my mom’s blueberry pie. She makes her famous blueberry pie throughout the summer months and it’s my favorite dessert. With blueberries in season at the farmers market I decided to make a twist on her recipe. These lemon and blueberry pie bars are perfect for a summer picnic dessert. The vinegar in the crust tastes just like my mom’s recipe, and the hint of lemon adds a bright note to the blueberries.

Ingredients:

Crust and Topping:

• 3 cups of all-purpose flour
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 tsp white vinegar
• 1 cup cold salted butter

Filling:

• 1 quart of fresh blueberries (about 4 cups)
• 2/3 cup sugar
• Lemon zest from 1 small/medium sized lemon
• Lemon juice from 1 small/medium sized lemon
• 1 tbsp cornstarch

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a baking dish (9×13) by greasing it with butter. Set the dish aside.
2. In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, brown sugar and baking powder. Add the egg, vanilla extract and white vinegar. Then cut your butter into small cubes and add to the flour and egg mixture. You can use a pastry cutter or your hands to combine the ingredients. I prefer to use my hands to combine the mixture until the butter is left in pea sized pieces.
3. Use half of this mixture to press into the bottom of your baking dish. Make sure you evenly distribute the crust into the baking dish and press with your hands.
4. In a medium bowl combine the blueberries, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and cornstarch. Stir these ingredients together and pour on top of the crust.
5. Use the remaining crust mixture as the topping and sprinkle over top of the blueberries.
6. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the topping is slightly brown and the blueberries start to bubble. Allow to cool before cutting into squares.

I hope you enjoy these farm-to-table recipes at your next summer picnic! I’ve truly been enjoying this Savor the Summer series with Priority Health, and look forward to more memorable moments this season. Looking for more healthy recipe ideas? Find more here.

About the Author: Sara Visser is the founder of The GR Guide in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The GR Guide features a mix of all Sara’s favorite things which include shopping local, trying new restaurants, traveling, and creating new recipes in the kitchen.