Taste of Home: Farm Fresh Favorites: Cook It, Can It, Freeze It

tasteofhome

A TASTE OF HOME/READERS DIGEST BOOK
2012 Reiman Media Group, LLC
5400 S. 60th St., Greendale WI 53129
All rights reserved.

Taste of Home and Readers Digest are registered trademarks of The Readers Digest Association, Inc.

Editor-in-Chief: Catherine Cassidy

Vice President, Executive Editor/Books: Heidi Reuter Lloyd

Creative Director: Howard Greenberg

North American Chief Marketing Officer: Lisa Karpinski

Food Director: Diane Werner, RD

Senior Editor/Retail Books: Faithann Stoner

Editor: Sara Rae Lancaster

Associate Creative Director: Edwin Robles Jr.

Art Director: Raeann Sundholm

Content Production Manager: Julie Wagner

Layout Designer: Kathy Crawford

Copy Chief: Deb Warlaumont Mulvey

Copy Editor: Alysse Gear

Recipe Asset System Manager: Coleen Martin

Recipe Testing & Editing: Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Food Photography: Taste of Home Photo Studio

Administrative Assistant: Barb Czysz

The Readers Digest Association, Inc.

President and Chief Executive Officer: Robert E. Guth

President, North America: Dan Lagani

President/Publisher, Trade Publishing: Harold Clarke

Associate Publisher: Rosanne McManus

Vice President, Sales & Marketing: Stacey Ashton

Readers Digest

Cooking, Caring, Sharing is a registered trademark of Reiman Media Group, LLC.

For other Taste of Home books and products, visit us at tasteofhome.com .

For more Readers Digest products and information, visit rd.com (in the United States) or see rd.ca (in Canada).

International standard Book number
(10) : 1-61765-024-2

International standard Book number
(13) : 978-1-61765-024-6

Library of Congress Control Number: 2011940521

Cover Photography

Photographer: Lori Foy
Food Stylist: Shannon Roum
Set Stylist: Melissa Haberman

table of CONTENTS

REFERENCE CHARTS, HOW TOS AND GUIDES

eating fresh is BEST

Mom knew a thing or two when she said, Eat your veggies. And that old saying, An apple a day keeps the doctor away? Theres a kernel of truth to that, too.

The nutritional benefits of fruits and veggies are no big secret. Why, then, do so many turn up their noses at the mere sight of a plate of broccoli or eagerly choose a candy bar over sun-ripened berries to calm a sweet tooth?

Because most people have never experienced the true flavor of a tomato or delighted in the simple pleasure of a juicy plum picked straight from the tree. But lets face it. Growing an extensive vegetable garden and orchard doesnt fit the average backyard or schedule.

WHY PICK THE FARMERS MARKET?

As any regular farmers market shopper will tell you, the benefits of buying local and eating with the seasons are without contest. First of all, the food tastes better. At the farmers market, produce is usually harvested less than 24 hours prior. Add to that the money-saving benefits, nutritional advantage and community-building aspect, and its hard to imagine why someone wouldnt eat local. But where to begin?

Enter Taste of Home Farm Fresh Favorites . Think of this book as your blueprint for eating locally, whether that be your local farmers market, roadside stand or own backyard. Farm Fresh Favorites makes it easier than ever to experience the simple pleasures of eating close to the source.

With a bounty of family-friendly and versatile recipes (336 to be exact, each with a tempting full-color photo and handy section for cooking notes), Farm Fresh Favorites guides the everyday cook through the seasons , explaining what produce to look for and when, as well as how to prepare mouthwatering , wholesome dishes using simple, honest ingredients. Food just doesnt taste better, it is better!

Four hefty chapters organized by season Spring, Early to Mid-Summer, Late Summer to Fall and Savor the Season act as an easy-to-follow map for eating seasonally , locally and, of course, deliciously .

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Peppered throughout are 55+ tips to ensure every dish turns out just right, as well as information on selecting and storing produce , handy reference charts , a list of the countrys must-visit farmers markets and a comprehensive chapter on canning and preserving the harvest .

At Taste of Home, were all about cooking, caring and sharing . What better way to celebrate all three than with whole, fresh foods prepared in your kitchen from ingredients that are picked at the peak of ripeness .

Whether you want to use your gardens bounty , become a locavore for a week (or for life) or simply eat better , Taste of Home Farm Fresh Favorites brings you 336 seasonal dishes made from natures freshest ingredients .

WANT TO SHARE YOUR HOME-GROWN RECIPE? Were looking for your gardens bounty recipes, from salads and sides to jams, jellies and wholesome entrees. Send them to: tasteofhome.com/submit.

step away from
THE SUPERMARKET

Go get your veggie fix at these top five cream-of-the-crop farmers markets.

For your convenience, weve scoped out five well-known markets. Just pack your canvas or recyclable shopping bag and get ready to thump cantaloupes and sniff tomatoes. Youll feel right at home.

1 PORTLAND FARMERS MARKET
Portland, Oregon

Open on Saturdays from late March through mid-December, this venerable feast for the senses, located on the Portland State University campus, appears on many lists of top farmers markets. Maybe thats because it offers great regional produce, live music, cooking demonstrations by top chefs and even a parcel pickup service for overeager shoppers. Four other affiliated markets run on weekdays in other neighborhoods. Go ahead and shop till you drop. portlandfarmersmarket.org

2 SANTA MONICA SATURDAY ORGANIC FARMERS MARKET
Santa Monica, California

From master gardeners and dietitians to top chefs and free recipe samples, this Los Angeles-area standby is clearly more than just a produce paradise. Along with the entertainment, youll find a year-round cornucopia of fresh fruits and veggies. Bonus points: Was that Brad Pitt standing behind the avocados? smgov.net/farmers_market

3 UNION SQUARE GREENMARKET
New York, New York

When in the Big Apple, do as the locals do: Go gourmet and shop at this urban oasis, where city slickers learn what produce really tastes like. Manhattans rock-star chefs come here to sniff, squeeze and scrutinize a plethora of produce from upstate New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and beyond. The plentiful pluses include cheese, honey, jam and grass-fed beef. Dozens of other markets operate in New York City under the Greenmarket umbrella, but this is the groups flagship location. Take a bite and savor the flavor, baby. grownyc.org

4 DANE COUNTY FARMERS MARKET
Madison, Wisconsin

About 150 regional vendors line the square around the state Capitol to sell mind-boggling mountains of fresh produce and, of course, cheese and other dairy products (dont miss the hot and spicy cheese bread!). Held rain or shine on Saturdays spring through fall, the market also features live music and arts-and-crafts booths. A stop here is a capital idea, for sure. dcfm.org

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