Farmer's Market Tomatoes

cooking
Written By Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Farmer's markets are stocked with late-spring, early-summer produce. Most of the vendors keep the public cordoned away from the food and they select items for you. It might feel a little strange not being able to pick your own food, but chances are that each item is very fresh. And now you have food that is minimally handled. Most places require social distancing with masks and a 6-foot spacing around other people.Here is an outing that I just made to a market in Napa, California. The tomatoes were perfectly ripe and very plentiful so I made them my "vegetable of the week".The farmers were grateful to be outside selling their food. And it was very easy to navigate the market, find great seasonal items, and stay safe. I opted to wear a mask and to carry small bills so I could pay quickly and easily.The dish that I made was bruschetta. This dish is simply chopped tomatoes, herbs, garlic, and vinegar served with French bread slices. You can do so much more with it like putting it over grilled fish or chicken, vegetarian bean and rice dishes, salads, and pasta.Here is a little stop motion to show how the items all go into a bowl and mix together. Keep it refrigerated and use it within 2-3 days.[video width="2374" height="1942" mp4="https://foodandhealth.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Bruschetta-animation-recipe.mp4"][/video]More ways to use the fresh tomatoes:

  • sliced as a side dish
  • on sandwiches
  • in salads
  • roast and puree into a pasta sauce
  • make pico de gallo or fresh salsa
  • chutney

I realized that each tomato is so beautiful and ripe that I could not go wrong by allowing the farmer to choose them for me. I simply declared I would love to try a few of each!Enjoy![shopify embed_type="collection" shop="nutrition-education-store.myshopify.com" product_handle="2020-hot-topics"]

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Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Judy’s passion for cooking began with helping her grandmother make raisin oatmeal for breakfast. From there, she earned her first food service job at 15, was accepted to the world-famous Culinary Institute of America at 18 (where she graduated second in her class), and went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland, where she focused on pastry arts and baking. After a decade in food service for Hyatt Hotels, Judy launched Food and Health Communications to focus on flavor and health. She graduated with Summa Cum Laude distinction from Johnson and Wales University with a BS in Culinary Arts, holds a master’s degree in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, two art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and runs a food photography & motion studio where her love is creating fun recipes and content.

Judy received The Culinary Institute of America’s Pro Chef II certification, the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year. Her enthusiasm for eating nutritiously and deliciously leads her to constantly innovate and use the latest nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to guide her creativity, from putting new twists on fajitas to adapting Italian brownies to include ingredients like toasted nuts and cooked honey. Judy’s publishing company, Food and Health Communications, is dedicated to her vision that everyone can make food that tastes as good as it is for you.

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