Local Watermelon

As I pass by a truck stand on the side of the road in Southeast Minnesota on an early August day, I notice watermelon, cantaloupe, sweet corn and other local vegetables. They’re not hard to miss. The next time I’m heading in that direction, I make a point to stop and take advantage of the local crops. The watermelon are large, dark green and particularly heavy. The vendor said they were the darkest watermelons of the season, meaning they are incredibly sweet.

When we cut into the watermelon, the dark red color stands out. After taking a bite, we deem it the best watermelon we’ve ever had. It’s dark deep red flesh is delicious and satisfying. In addition to keeping you hydrated, watermelon is high in vitamins and lycopene, which is known to lower the risk of cancer, lower cholesterol and blood pressure and help with inflammation. All this from a fruit that is 92% water? We were surprised too until we read more about it.

Watermelon can satisfy your sweet tooth as an after dinner treat. It can quench your thirst after a hard workout or a long day outside in the sun.

So next time you see a roadside stand, stop and take advantage of the local produce your area has to offer. And if there’s watermelon, don’t pass it up.

Fall Apple Pancake

This pancake is perfect for a lazy weekend morning. Although it is a pancake, there is very little flour in the recipe and it seems more like an egg bake. Apples and eggs together? Trust us. It works.

Ingredients
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 eggs
1/2 c. almond milk
2 tbsp whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp earth balance
2 apples, sliced
Powdered sugar

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 375°.

2. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Mix in the flour and baking powder and stir until combined.

4. In a 10 inch ovenproof skillet, heat earth balance. Add apple slices and 1 tbsp of the brown sugar mixture. Cook until apples are soft, about 5 minutes.

5. Pour the egg mixture in the skillet and sprinkle the remaining brown sugar on top.

6. Bake until beginning to brown on top, 18-20 minutes.

7. Dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately.

Chickpea Tostadas

I hadn’t made tostadas before, until last night. I decided to try it, because experimenting in the kitchen is fun. The filling with the toppings makes these tostadas taste so fresh, something that is often lost these days. I used homemade corn tortillas but you can use store-bought ones too. If you do, this meal comes together quickly for a healthy weeknight option.

Chickpea “Meat”balls

We picked up a spaghetti squash at the farmers market and wanting to use this delicious local purchase, I decided to make a “meat”ball using chickpeas. The result? They were so tasty. They won’t taste like meat, but the flavors are great and the texture resembles a meatball. We happened to serve this over the squash with a wonderful red sauce but you could use regular pasta. They would also be delicious on their own.

Sweet Potato Buns

This recipe is perfect in the fall as the sweet potato flavor lends well to the cooler weather (although right now I have 90° heat). It takes a little time for the dough to rise, but the wait is worth it. You could also substituting the sweet potato puree with pumpkin. 

Curry Cauliflower Penne

This recipe has a complex profile of flavors that all meld together pretty well. For quicker prep, you can use frozen cauliflower. Any type of pasta can be used, but penne works the best. I used veggie pasta, hence the multicolored look in the photo. If you like spicer dishes, you can increase the spices.

Stir Fry Veggies with Ginger Pesto

After spending a week with limited kitchen supplies, and another week on the road, I wanted a healthy, delicious meal to cook in my new place. I settled on this, because it has a delicious sauce and features a ton of healthy vegetables.

Sweet Corn Soup

I visited the Farmer’s Market in my new place of residence today and couldn’t resist what will be some of the last local sweet corn of the season. Now that I have an actual fall, I was itching to make a soup for the first time in a while. Don’t get me wrong – I used to make soup before, but when it’s still fairly hot outside, soup just isn’t the same. This soup has very little seasoning to really bring out the flavor of the local corn. If you can’t get local corn, any corn, especially frozen, will work. You may want to adjust the seasoning depending on how the soup tastes. This recipe is also great because, aside from shucking the corn, it comes together in a snap and is very healthy.

Tahini Sweet Potato Sandwich

This sandwich is the invention of trying to use up a few things in my fridge and being inventive with different flavors. The combination is amazing and makes for a great gourmet sandwich 

Kale Pasta

This dish was the inventive result of having kale, pasta, and a huge bag of walnuts in my house that needed to get used up. It makes for a quick dinner and can be customized in terms of spices, vegetables, etc.