This week at the Farmers Market

Rough Draft Atlanta is partnering with Community Farmers Markets to let you know what’s in season at your local market. Each week, we’ll share a list of ingredients that are farm fresh as well as a couple of recipes including those products that you can try at home. 

Here’s what we’ve got for you this week: Last week for peaches! Watermelon, corn, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, onions, garlic, summer squash, zucchini, spaghetti squash, green beans, cucumbers, potatoes, carrots, kale, collard greens, cabbage, kohlrabi, fennel, arugula, microgreens, gourmet mushrooms, herbs, bread, jams, pastries, eggs, meat, pecans, honey, various flower bouquets.

Atlanta non-profit Community Farmers Markets (CFM) has been building community through farmers markets since 2011. Operating five weekly outdoor farmers markets and seven farm stands at MARTA stations is one of the strategies by which the organization addresses food access in Atlanta. CFM also offers educational programming in the community, financial incentives to make local food more affordable, and professional development for small businesses. See you at the farmers markets!

Sliced Summer Salad Recipe:

Ingredients:

• Sungold cherry tomatoes 
• Cucumbers
• White onion 
• Semi firm peaches
• Some fresh basil, dill or mint 
• White wine vinegar
• Dijon mustard
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Thinly slice your cucumbers and peaches into half moons. 
2. Halve, peel and thinly slice your onion. 
3. Slice all cherry tomatoes in half. 
4. For the vinaigrette, do a 1:1 ratio of oil and vinegar, added salt, pepper and Dijon mustard to taste. 
5. Toss your produce ingredients together.
6. Stir your dressing and drizzle a tbsp or so over the salad. 
7. Toss and taste – add more dressing until it hits the mark for you!

Laotian Cucumber Salad Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 medium cucumber 
• 8-12 black cherry & sungold tomatoes 
• 2-3 Thai chili peppers
• 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1/8 tsp shrimp paste
• 1/2 tsp paedak (unfiltered, fermented fish sauce)
• 1/4 lime slice
• 1/2 tbsp palm sugar or any sugar
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 slice lime
• 1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Be mindful of where your fingers are placed and start chopping your cucumbers, or use a peeler to get the same julienne shave. 
2. Once you get down to the seeds, rough chop the cucumber in large pieces. Set aside. 
3. Toss in garlic. Add de-stemmed peppers and a pinch of salt into your mortar and gently pound until ingredients are smushed and muddled together. Be light but firm when pounding the ingredients as you do not want that fiery sting of the peppers to catch your eyes.
4. Cut all or most of your cherry tomatoes in half, toss in mortar, gently pound until smushed and juicy. 
5. Add fish sauce, unfiltered fish sauce (paedak), shrimp paste, sugar, squeeze of lime, and salt. Stir and grind with your pestle gently until wet and dry ingredients are thoroughly mixed. 
6. Add cucumber and start pounding and mixing with a spoon and pestle until sauce completely covers the cucumber and you have thum mak thang.
7. This dish is traditionally eaten by hand with sticky rice called Khao Niew, and is often times served alongside something savory and grilled, but you can just as happily eat this alone.

You can also find the recipes for Sliced Summer Salad and Laotian Cucumber Salad on Instagram.