If you follow my Instagram, you probably know that I have become obsessed with going to the Farmer’s Market. I wish I could say that the reason was because I am on a health kick that requires all-organic/fresh vegetables, but in reality it started because it is the only thing open in New York at 8 am {other than Starbucks} when I am taking the FHB on our morning stroll. Because I wasn’t a regular to the market, I spent the first week or so just taking it all in. Enjoying watching the vendors set up, learning what fruits and flowers were in season, and seeing about 100 different colors of carrots. The next week I started shopping a few vendors, easing in with familiar veggies and fruits. And now a few weeks later I feel like a true veteran. I am to the point where when certain vendors change spots or are missing a certain veggie, I get flustered or concerned {now that’s street cred!}. But what I found the most interesting, is how much more fresh and {weird word but necessary in this case} juicier some of the produce is. Lets take tomatoes for example. Do I love tomatoes? With mozzarella cheese and a drizzle of balsamic, yes. Plain on a salad… not so much. But when I saw red, yellow, and even green tomatoes {which are purposefully green, not to be confused with ‘not ripe’} I was willing to give them a try. And well, I was stunned. I was chopping slices and eating them right then and there in my kitchen. It was then that I realized that with really fresh ingredients, even the simplest salads can be so delicious and fulfilling. So today I took a few easy to find/popular choices – kale, red tomatoes, yellow tomatoes, and avocado, along with a lite home-made vinaigrette, and made what I am calling a ‘Farmers Market Green Salad’. I would propose that you serve this as a side salad to your lunch or as your starter before a fish or chicken dinner. If you did want it as your main dish then add some nuts or chicken on top to keep you full. Putting together this salad took a snap {or should I say ‘chop’}, the only hard part for you will be locating the best fresh market in your neighborhood. And for my local readers, hope to see you at Union Square GreenMarket soon! {On a salad kick too? Check out some of my other salad recipes here!}

Farmers Market Green Salad Ingredients (serves 2):

Chop your kale into small bite-sized pieces. Next slice your tomatoes in to wedges and place around the outskirt of your salad alternating colors. The more colored tomatoes you have, the better. Next dice up your avocado and place in a small cluster in the center of your salad. For your dressing, put all the ingredients in a jar with a tight lid and shake vigorously. Adorn the salad with dressing and fresh ground pepper right before serving. Enjoy!

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