Post by UNH Student and Seacoast Eat Local Intern, Chris G.
Having been a few weeks since Seacoast Eat Local’s winter markets have been operational due to social distancing practices related to COVID-19, I wanted to highlight a couple of great recipes. I have attempted to make or modify these recipes with food I have saved from past farmers markets, as well as smaller-scale local markets! As always, please remember to practice social distancing when you go out to shop for local food items, and enjoy!
Green Bean Pasta Salad
Recipe and Photo Credit: https://www.myrecipes.com/
Ingredients:
12 ounces penne pasta,
1/2 pound French green beans,
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
5 teaspoons lemon zest
1/4 cup finely chopped roasted salted pistachios, plus more for topping
2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 garlic clove (minced)
1 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups loosely packed arugula
Grated Parmesan cheese
Directions: Boil pasta, adding green beans to the pot for the last two minutes of cooking time. Rinse/drain when cooked. Next, toss pasta and green beans, thyme, and 3 teaspoons of lemon zest in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk in remaining ingredients, adding the olive oil last and at a slow rate. Drizzle mixture over pasta salad, and season with parmesan cheese.
Why am I a huge fan of green beans? While they boast a high nutrient density, they also have a low calorie/energy density! This means you can eat a lot of green beans and consume minimal calories. Eating just one serving of green beans provides B Vitamins like Folate, Riboflavin and Niacin, as well as the minerals Iron and Magnesium. Iron deficiency is of concern to me personally, having multiple family members in my past deficient over the years. At the same time, B Vitamins play a host of roles in the body, including digestion, eye health, brain function, red blood cell formation and they support regulation of hunger.
In season availability: Green beans are in season from July to September, but are available in frozen or canned form year round. Arugula will be in season starting in May going through September, but may be available year round locally due to the use of high tunnels or other growing practices.
Sweet Potato Fries
Recipe and Photo Credit: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014647-sweet-potato-fries
Ingredients:
2 pounds peeled sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut sweet potatoes into sticks approximately ¼-inch wide and 3 inches long. Toss in olive oil. Next, toss in a mix of garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Spread fries onto a baking sheet and and bake approximately 10 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Finally, allow fries to cool. Enjoy!
Sweet potatoes are among some of the most beneficial root vegetables you can incorporate in your diet. A serving provides you quadruple the recommended amount of Vitamin A for the day, and over 50% of Vitamin C! Additionally, the roughage from the skin of the potato provides for an excellent source of fiber, and the natural sugars within the fries pair excellently with the savoriness of the spice added. Additionally, baking them to a golden brown adds a crisp texture.
In season availability: Sweet potatoes are available over the winter months when stored correctly, you can learn more about produce shelf life and storage by visiting Chris’ last post here.
As always, if you are looking for a specific farm or food product you can use the Seacoast Harvest search tool.
Sweet potatoes are rich in potassium. They may not be good for some people with a medical condition including some heart diseases. sweat potatoes may disrupt sodium-potassium balance in people with heart diseases