Spring Shopping Guide

SPRING HAS SPRING AT THE CARRBORO FARMERS’ MARKET!

The season of renewal is upon us, and the Carrboro Farmers' Market is bursting with fresh Spring produce to celebrate. This guide is your key to navigating the array of offerings and incorporating them into your meals this season. Don’t forget about the wide variety of plant starts from our farmers for your Spring garden, from greens to herbs to pansies. To get inspired, keep scrolling to look at some recipes from community members featuring spring items you can find at the market!

IN-SEASON PRODUCE

Golden Beets & Kale from Faithfull Farms

Herb Plant Starts from George Jones Plant Farm

Tatsoi from Nourishing Acres

• Potatoes

• Radishes (Diakon, Watermelon, Easter Egg, etc)

• Spring & Green Onions

• Tatsoi

• Lettuce & Baby Lettuce Greens (Kale, Romaine, etc)

• Beets

• Bok Choy

• Broccoli & Cauliflower

PLANT STARTS

• Broccoli

• Snap Peas

• Artichoke

• Pansies

• Kale

• Spinach

• Herbs

• Lettuce

… and more!

Keep an eye out for asparagus, strawberries, and snap peas at the market soon!

SPRING RECIPES

Here are 4 delicious recipes with spring produce you can recreate in your kitchen this season.

• 1. SPRING GREEN PESTO

  by Emily Geizer

  
  Servings: 4 - 6

  
  Ingredients:

  3 cloves garlic, chopped

  ½ cup raw nuts, soaked for 4 hours or overnight (walnuts, pine nuts, or almonds)

  3 cups spring greens (use any combination of wild or seasonal greens, such as chickweed, arugula, dandelion leaves, radish greens, etc)

  ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

  1 tablespoon lemon juice

  1/2 tsp sea salt

  1. Add garlic and nuts to a food processor and blend until coarsely chopped.

  2. Add spring greens, olive oil, and lemon juice to a food processor and blend until smooth. Add salt to taste. 

  3. Enjoy! Add it on fish, roasted vegetables, pasta, eggs, sandwiches, or pizza. Store pesto covered in a glass container; the pesto will keep for one week. 

• 2. ROASTED BEET AND CILANTRO HUMMUS

  by Erin Jobe, former Market Manager

  
  Servings: 12

  
  Ingredients:

  2 large beets (or 3 medium beets), washed and peeled

  2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled

  1 tbsp of tahini

  Juice from ½ lemon

  1 (25-ounce) can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

  3-4 tbsp olive oil

  1 tsp salt

  ½ bunch of cilantro, chopped

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the beets into quarters, then roast for 30-45 minutes. They should still be a bit crunchy. Set beets aside to cool.

  2. Once cooled, add beets, garlic, tahini, and lemon juice to a food processor and blend until everything is finely diced. 

  3. Add chickpeas and olive oil to the food processor and blend on medium until smooth. Stir in salt to taste. 

  4. Mix the cilantro into the hummus with a spoon so it does not get pulverized by the food processor. 

  5. Serve! Enjoy the hummus with cucumber slices, tortilla chips, pita, or crackers. It also goes great with goat cheese. 

• 3. FARMERS MARKET FRITTATA

  Servings: 8 to 12

  Ingredients:

  2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

  1 1/2 pounds thin asparagus spears, tough ends removed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

  8 eggs, beaten

  1/4 cup whole milk or half-and-half

  1 tbsp all-purpose flour 

  6 to 8 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated

  Pinch of nutmeg, grated

  Salt and black pepper (to taste)

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Oil a 7x11x2-inch or a 2-quart round baking dish.

  2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook until tender (3 to 4 minutes). Drain well, refresh in cold water, and drain again.

  3. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, flour, cheese, nutmeg, 2 teaspoons salt, and several grinds of pepper.

  4. Heat olive oil over low heat. Add asparagus and sauté for a few minutes to soften. Remove from heat and stir into the egg mixture. Pour the egg mixture into the prepared baking dish.

  5. Bake 20-25 minutes or until the top is set and lightly colored. Cool for 8-10 minutes. 

  6. Once cool, cut into squares or wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature and enjoy!

• 4. SWEET POTATO TACOS WITH RADISH SLAW

  Servings: 4 - 6

  Ingredients:

  2 medium-sized sweet potatoes, washed

  2 cloves garlic, minced

  1 bunch green onions, chopped

  2 tbsp olive oil

  1 bunch of radishes, washed and sliced

  1 tbsp  rice vinegar

  Juice from ½ lime

  1 bunch Cilantro

  1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

  Salt and pepper to taste

  Corn or flour tortillas, toasted

  1. Cut sweet potatoes into ¾ inch cubes. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a pan and sauté sweet potatoes and garlic until potatoes have softened. Add in the white part of the onions and cook for a few seconds longer. Add salt and pepper to taste and cover.

  2. Toss radishes with one tablespoon of olive oil and rice vinegar (enough to lightly coat them). Squeeze in two wedges of lime juice and add a small handful of chopped cilantro. Mix ingredients and add salt and pepper to taste. The longer this sits, the more pickled it will taste.

  3. Build your tacos, placing the sweet potato and black beans on the tortilla of your choice. Top with the radish slaw, green onions, extra lime, and cilantro. Enjoy with your favorite hot sauce! 

Many thanks to our Market community for these recipes! If you have a Market recipe you’d like to share, please send it to assistant@carrborofarmersmarket.com.

We hope you enjoy the bounty of Spring produce at the Market and make some of these recipes to celebrate!