4 Foods to Elevate Everyday Meals
This past summer, I worked on a small organic farm in Stone Bank, Wisconsin. I learned to plant, maintain, and harvest a variety of produce, including spinach, cucumbers, herbs, tomatoes, and everything in between. However, my favorite and most memorable part of the job was learning how to incorporate unique produce items into everyday meals. Below, I delve into four of these foods that were grown on the farm: edible flowers, radishes, microgreens, and garlic scapes.
Edible Flowers
The variety of edible flowers pictured include nasturtium, pansies, violas, and marigolds. Edible flowers are one of the easiest ways to bring color and aesthetic into any type of dish, but especially in salads and desserts. Plus, they taste great. Look for edible flowers at the Madison Farmers Market!!
Radishes
Pictured to the right is a homemade burrito bowl featuring thinly sliced, fresh radishes. Radishes can be eaten alone with salt sprinkled on them, but implementing them into salads and burrito bowls helps other flavors like lime and avocado balance out their spicy punch.
Microgreens
With up to forty times more nutrients than their fully grown counterparts, you can boost the amount of vitamins, magnesium, and iron in your diet by adding microgreens to sandwiches, salads, and even to smoothies. The flavor of each microgreen varies, but my favorites are broccoli, kale, and arugula. The freshest micros can be found at the Madison Farmers Market, or year-round at most local grocery stores.
Garlic Scapes
Garlic scapes are the stem of a garlic plant and have a bit more dominant taste than the garlic itself. Although these scapes are uncommon to see in stores or farmers’ markets, they’re perfect for pesto, stir-fries, and can even can be eaten alone after sautéing them
These four foods are simple yet unique ways to mix up your meals in a healthy and flavorful way! Look for edible flowers, radishes, microgreens, and garlic scapes at the Farmers Market that is returning to Madison as the weather warms up!