What’s in season?

During the summer you can find a wide variety of seasonal produce in the grocery store and at farmers’ markets. One benefit of buying produce while it’s in season is that it often costs you less money. It always seems to taste better too!

A great way to find produce that’s in season is to stop by your local farmers’ market. Many farmers’ markets now accept FNS/SNAP benefits and some even offer incentive programs that double your FNS/SNAP dollars. You can use the NC Farm Fresh directory to find a famers’ market near you. Check out the market’s website or contact the market manager to find out if they accept FNS/SNAP and offer any incentive programs.

So what’s in season in North Carolina right now? Everything from butterbeans to zucchini!

http://www.ncagr.gov/markets/availabilitychart.pdf

 Two of my favorite summer vegetables are tomatoes and zucchini, so I’m looking forward to trying this Savory Summer Cobbler recipe from a new cookbook called Good and Cheap: Eat Well on $4/Day. The cookbook was designed for those living on a SNAP-budget, and you can download a PDF copy for free!

Savory Summer Cobbler

By Leanne Brown

Serves: 4

Recipe Cost: $8 total or $2 per person

3-4 medium zucchini or summer squash, chopped into bite-sized pieces

3-4 large tomatoes, canned or fresh, chopped into bite-sized pieces

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

4 scallions, finely chopped

1 lemon, zested

¼ cup fresh basil (optional)

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

For the topping:

1½ cups all-purpose or whole-wheat flour

½ cup cornmeal

3 tbsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground pepper

1 tsp smoked paprika

½ cup sharp cheddar, grated

½ cup butter

1 cup milk

Put the butter for the topping in the freezer for 30 minutes. Set the oven to 425 F.

Lightly oil an 8” x 10” baking dish (or any baking dish that will fit the mixture) and pile the vegetables, garlic, scallions, lemon zest, and basil into the dish. Pour the olive oil, salt, and pepper overtop and mix everything together with your hands. Bake the vegetables for 25 minutes while you prepare the biscuit topping.

For the topping, measure out the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, pepper, paprika, and cheese into a bowl. Mix it up!

Once the butter is frozen, use a box grater to flake the butter into the flour mixture. Gently massage the butter into the flour with your fingers until it’s crumbly but still clumpy. Add the milk and quickly bring the dough together. Don’t knead the dough: lumpiness is fine and results in flaky topping. Put it in the fridge until the vegetables come out of the oven.

Once the vegetable mixture has cooked for 25 minutes, quickly top it with small clumps of biscuit dough. The vegetables should still be visible in some areas. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the vegetables are bubbly and the topping is lightly browned. Top with some more cheddar and some chopped herbs, then enjoy!