One Pan Veggie Pasta

Farmers Market Demo Recipe – One Pan Veggie Pasta

2 C onion thinly sliced
2 T vegetable oil
8 oz pasta (bow ties cook quickly)
2 C ripe tomatoes cut in chunks or halved cherry tomatoes
2 C cut up veggies such as: broccoli, carrots and peppers
4 cloves garlic minced
red pepper flakes to taste
2 sprigs basil
2 t olive oil
S & P to taste
4 C water or chicken broth
1/2 c parmesan cheese
Saute onions in vegetable oil until soft, add minced garlic. Add water and bring to a boil, then add pasta and tomatoes. Cook pasta until almost done then add vegetables, basil and seasonings. Do not overcook to keep veggies brightly colored. Season to taste and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with cheese. Garnish with additional basil sprigs.
ENJOY! Everyone at the market loved this!  You can experiment with the veggies – try this recipe with zucchini, summer squash, green beans, egg plant, and even kale.

Farmers Markets Offer So Much Good Food!

I wish I could eat all day long. I am so enjoying the vegetables and fruits at the local farmers markets. My problem is everything looks so good I want to try everything. I now have a refrigerator full of fresh produce.  I love visiting my favorite farmers market at Vantage Point in Port Huron, MI.  But then I love visiting the markets where I work so I stop at the Detroit Eastern Market and the Mt. Clemens Farmers Market regularly to  pick up fresh fruits and vegetables along with meat, eggs and cheese from local farmers and businesses.

I try to plan my meals 2-3 days at a time using up the produce as quickly as possible to use it at the freshest possible moment for the best flavor and quality. Starting with vegetables as the main course of the meal keeps the calorie levels down and then I can add a grain like rice or couscous and some protein if I need it.
I try to purchase vegetables that I know and love but also a couple of new things I have not tried before. Vegetables can scare people away – you may not be sure how to prepare, peel or cut up the vegetables. That is OK and there is no one who is going to give you a hard time for trying a new vegetable out! And I will say if you don’t like or care for the way you make it – do a different recipe next time! Keep trying – start by tasting many vegetables raw and use a yogurt dip!  I was doing a food demo a couple of weeks ago at the Mt. Clemens Farmers Market trying to encourage patrons to try some new vegetables.  Many people were surprised you could eat green beans raw as well as zucchini and summer squash.

A very quick vegetable dip is to chop up 1-2 cloves of fresh garlic from the market along with 1-2 Tablespoons of chopped fresh dill  and add that to a 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt.  Let it sit for a couple of hours to blend the flavors and serve with fresh washed cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, pepper strips, slices of raw zucchini and summer squash and green beans along with some red and yellow cherry or grape tomatoes.

I try to keep recipes simple – I work my 40 hour week and drive almost 2 hours a day – I don’t want to spend a lot of time preparing food at night even though I love to cook.
I try to cook all my vegetables at the same time and then add them to recipes or use for my lunch and dinners.  Do you have other quick tips for quick meals using fresh vegetables?

Fresh farmers market vegetables.

Where is your favorite farmers market?