Salad Season
Mother Nature didn’t bother to wait for the Solstice before slapping us along side the head with a wet towel. Hello summer. Here in the mid-Atlantic the humidity can become oppressive as we all experienced last Sunday. Customers lamented vendors having to stand out in this heat on the black top for several hours. I tried to change their perspective by explaining that their farmers have to work in these conditions, often in protective clothing that includes rubber boots, gloves and non-COVID related masks. Let me tell you, it gets miserable hot, so hot that the very last thing I want to eat is hot food—picante or caliente. That means while the heat wave rolls through, salad is on the menu for every meal.
You might think that gets boring, but with all the amazing produce hitting the market right now as fresh fruit and vegetable season starts to fire up with warm wet weather the number of combinations of salad meals is limitless.
“You know it’s hot out when the livestock farmer goes on a quasi-vegetarian diet,” joked my life-long vegan friend who knows I keep RTE protein stashed in my refrigerator at all times. Roasted fowl, poached fish, and the ubiquitous hard-boiled eggs, both in the shell and PA Dutch style pickled with red beets. Those red beets come in mighty handy for path we’re about the go down.
Like being ready in the winter for Blizzard Season (aka: Soup Season), we are entering Summer and need to be prepared for Salad Season. If you are reading this blog and shopping at Central Farm Markets, there is no excuse for being unprepared when the Nasty Nineties strike. The Capital Weather Gang tells us well in advance to expect grueling heat. That’s when it’s time to stock up on greens, fruits, and veggies. However, there is more of a biological response and advantage to this strategy than merely keeping the stove and grill offline—hydration.
Our bodies are highly tuned to the balance of liquids and minerals required to function optimally. If someone is going to pass out at market, it’s going to be on a day like last Sunday. Heat stress is often the final blow to both plants and livestock not in optimal conditions. In winter life depends upon calories, but in the summer it’s all about the liquids. While this could rapidly devolve into a starches versus sugars conversation, let’s keep it at what we need to keep in our refrigerators to survive the summer without cooking.
Greens are turning to the color of the rainbow with yellows, reds, and purples (who got a head of that awesome cauliflower last week?) It’s the perfect time of the year when the tail end of cool weather vegetables overlaps with the warm season field crops and the early warmer season high tunnel/greenhouse goodies like tomatoes and cucumbers. Wash ‘em, cut ‘em up, dress ‘em and eat ‘em. No cooking required.
Summer squash are hitting the stands which means I’ll get to make my favorite zoodle salads. With all the kohlrabi and carrots, slaw is another favorite. The best part—none of these need cooking.
The vegetables aren’t the only ones in on the salad act. All those amazing strawberries, blueberries and apples are begging to join in on the fun. One of the simplest, yet flavor packed salads I enjoy is a mix of spinach, feta cheese, and strawberries with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. To take it over the top, add a few forkfuls of crab meat. Or go straight for a fruit salad of mixed berries topping a cup of yogurt. If you’re outside in the heat for any length of time try blending those same berries with yogurt, milk and ice to increase fluid intake with a refreshing smoothie.
Don’t worry about heating up your kitchen during hot spells this coming summer. With a trip to the market and a little preparation you can toss together a meal that will keep you cool, hydrated and very well-fed.