Farmer's Market Soup

Does the thought of a cold salad on a chilly, gray day sound unappetizing?  If you are nodding your head 'yes', as I am, have you considered making a warm, hearty vegetable soup instead?

Many communities have access to a local farmer's market.  To find one near you check the USDA's registry or try googling it.  Purchasing produce from a local farmer not only provides us with fresh fruits and vegetables that typically last much longer, farmers can also be a great source of information.

Every Saturday morning I try and get to my local market.  The farmers are always excited to share recipes and interesting information about their harvest.  Thanks to them, I have tried food that I have never heard of or didn't know how to prepare.

One of my favorite winter recipes is what I call Farmer's Market Soup.  It is very easy to make and delicious.  Best of all, it never tastes the same twice because it depends on what is available at the market that week.  This week's recipe:

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1. Wash and chop all your veggies.  
2. I like to sauté the onions, garlic, carrots, celery, shallots in a little bit of butter or olive oil.
3.  Put the rest of your veggies in a crock pot.  Add broth (I like to use Trader Joe's low sodium organic vegetable broth) and a can of organic crushed tomatoes.

4.  Add your favorite fresh herbs (or dried organic herbs) and roots to season as you like.  Check out this fresh turmeric I found at the Farmer's Market yesterday!

5. When the sautéed veggies are soft and maybe even a little browned, go ahead and add those to the crock pot.
6. Let it cook until the contents are soft enough to chew easily.  Yumm!

You may have enough to share or freeze.  You can add beans, meat, noodles or rice if you like.  Get creative.

This simple, easy recipe is a great way to get an assortment of vegetables into our diet.  Let kids help pick out the vegetables and they may be more likely to eat them.  An added benefit-we get to shop outdoors and get some fresh air.  Who doesn't love that.

Do you have a favorite farmer's market recipe you would like to share?  Please post it or any comments below.  Thank you!