Natural Tip of the Week: Farmer's Markets

Today we introduce something new in our blog, called the Natural Tip of the Week. After all, getting healthy naturally should be fun and easy!

This week, I’ll introduce you to my local farmer’s market and teach you some savvy steps for picking out the best produce at the best prices.

Don’t forget to try the recipe for roasted veggies! 

Shopping at the Farmer's Market

Roasted Vegetables (Serves 1-100)

Roasting is a delicious way to enjoy vegetables. It’s also a great way to create a colorful dish! The trick to roasting is to cut vegetables to about the same size in order to allow for even cooking. Roasting allows you to be creative – creative in combining different vegetables together, and creative in deciding which spices to add, if any. Aim for about 2 cups of vegetables per person, as they will shrink while cooking. 

Here are some possibilities:

• zucchini, cut into small chunks 
• 1 large onion, cut into rings and then in half
• carrots, cut in half lengthwise and then sliced into ½” semi-circles
• potatoes, cut into 1” cubes or ¼” semi-circles
• parsnips, peeled and cut in half lengthwise and then sliced into ½” semi-circles
• turnips, peeled and cut into 1” cubes
• sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1” cubes or ¼” semi-circles
• red and green bell pepper, seeded and sliced into ¼” strips 
• mushrooms, whole
• tomatoes, chopped coarsely
• cauliflower, cut into flowers
• broccoli, heads cut into flowers, stems peeled and sliced into ¼” circles
• Beets, cut into 1/2” cubes

You will need:  Olive oil or melted coconut oil, salt (preferably Celtic sea salt or Himalayan salt), and pepper

You may add any combination of the following: cinnamon, garlic, thyme, sage, paprika, cumin, coriander 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the prepared vegetables into a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together ½ Tbspn olive or melted coconut oil per cup of vegetables with 1/16 tsp. (a pinch of) salt and a sprinkling of pepper. (For instance, for 4 cups of vegetables, use 2 Tbpsn oil and 1/4 tsp salt; for 8 cups of veggies, 4 Tbspn olive oil and 1/2 tsp salt.) Add the spices you’d like, if any (use just a pinch on 2-6 cups of vegetables and up to ½ tsp. for 12 cups of veggies). Pour the seasoning mixture over the vegetables; toss well. Spread vegetables evenly on 1-2 unoiled baking sheets. Bake for 45-75 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. (Root vegetables will take longer than the others.)