Michigan's Farmer's Market Inspiration

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Michigan’s Farmers Market Association, in which I was compensated. The opinions and text are all mine.

Our farmer’s market salad is made with lot’s of fresh veggies, fiber rich red quinoa prepared in an InstantPot, tossed with sweet cranberries and walnuts. Try our Red Quinoa Salad, it’s a healthy summer salad recipe and we think you are going to love. Easy and delicious, that’s a definate winner.

Farmer’s Market Inspiration | Red Quinoa Salad

On a beautiful, sunny Michigan day, my son Zayd’n and I took a day-trip over to Dewitt to check out their Farmer’s market. I have heard only good reports about this particular Farmer’s market, but it’s one thing to hear about someone else’s experience versus experiencing it for yourself. Our family loves going to farmer’s markets to buy local products and fresh produce. Plus, usually, we will find a food truck or two, which makes our foodie hearts smile. We’re all about adventure, so read on and I’ll tell you all about it.

The Dewitt Farmer’s Market takes place in the heart of downtown Dewitt from 4-7 p.m. every Tuesday (6/6-10/10). And don’t fret if you aren’t near Dewitt because you can find a Michigan farmer’s market near you by checking out Michigan’s Farmer’s Market Association’s website. Once there you will be able to search for farmers markets across Michigan, including narrowing your search down by county, city, even which day of the week the market is open, plus if they accept EBT cards.

We arrived shortly after 4:15 pm., and the place was already buzzing with vendors arranging their products, shoppers with their bags and carts, live music, and of course, the smell of food. Our noses were drawn to the smell of grilled sweet corn on the cob. And of course, we just HAD to have some. Both Zayd’n and I LOVE corn and this juicy sweet corn was gone in a matter of minutes.

We browsed the different vendors, stopping at almost each one of them to see what they were selling.

At Wilson’s Farm Fresh Meat booth, Zayd’n had a hard time deciding between brats or bacon.

We picked up a few natural treats for our Boston Terrier and our new labradoodle puppy, Chance.

At the Faivor Fresh Produce booth, we picked up a bouquet of fresh farm flowers and Swiss chard.

At Wesenberg Produce’s booth, we picked up Michigan apples, zucchini, bright red tomatoes, and sweet peaches.

I love all of the fresh choices you can find at the Dewitt Farmer’s Market and look at all of those Michigan cherries!

Our family thinks it’s important to support local businesses and farmer’s markets are no exception. When you shop at your farmer’s market, not only are you helping your community, but you’re also helping our local economy thrive and that’s just god business. Plus, we love the opportunity of getting to know who’s growing our food and building a bond with our neighbors that will last for years to come.

Tip: Check to make sure the fruit and veggies are not damaged or bruised.

Zayd’n loved picking out his own fruit and veggies, and let me tell you there was a lot of fresh produce to choose from.

Tip: Keep the fresh fruits and veggies away from raw meat, chemicals, and eggs, etc.

We finished up our shopping and headed home to put together a delcious and fresh salad idea for dinner.

As you can see we picked up quite a bit! But there was much good stuff to choose from the decision wasn’t easy.

Tip: Be sure to wash all of your fresh produce before consuming, even the items with skins and rinds. Do not use soap or bleach to wash fruit. Just run the produce under warm water, and dry with a clean towel or paper towel.

Derrick and I have been working to incorporate a variety of fresh meal ideas for the boys. One of them is quinoa. Initially, the boys were wary but paired with lots of fresh produce, and fruits like Michigan apples, they enjoyed our summer red quinoa salad.

Check below to see how Derrick put this deliciously, fresh, and healthy salad together.

Ingredients:

1 cup red quinoa
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 green apple, cut into bite-size cubes
1 Bosch pear, cut into bite-size cubes
1 cup Swiss Chard, chopped
1/2 cup zucchini, cut into bite-size cubes
1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries, chopped
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, chopped
4 radishes, julienned (cut into long thin strips)
2 cups water

Directions:

Prepare red quinoa in an InstantPot, set Manual Timer for 10 minutes then select Pressure. Make sure the vent is closed.
When finished remove the lid and allow the quinoa to sit until ready to use.
Cut, dice, and chop the apple, pear, Swiss Chard, zucchini, dried cranberries, and walnuts.
Transfer the red quinoa into a bowl and fluff.
Add the fruit and Swiss Chard mixture.
Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
Toss until ingredients are thoroughly combined.
Serve.

Our fresh summer salad is perfect for any season, but we love having it during the summer when we get fresh ingredients from our local farmer’s market. Plus, we used our Instant Pot to make the quinoa, which cuts down on the cooking time (love that).

We recently paired our red quinoa salad with Grilled Lamb + Herb Pesto, this yummy dinner was a great way to enjoy a relaxing afternoon.

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