Farmer's Market Chop Salad

It's Farmer's Market Season and time to take full advantage of it if you can. The inspiration for this fresh salad was a trip to my local farmer's market. I was able to pick up fresh, local produce for such a great price, while supporting local farmers. It's a win-win! I encourage you to research farmers markets you have in your area and visit them, then try cooking a meal with what you find!

If you aren't too familiar with farmer's markets, they can be a bit intimidating. When you just think of the name, it may seem like it's going to be expensive and not worth it, but that is just not the case. Farmers markets are actually LESS expensive than your typical grocery store. And guess what? The products are actually much BETTER. Local, organic, and inexpensive. What else could you want? I also love farmers markets because they have products like rainbow carrots and purple kale that are sometimes hard to find in the larger chain grocery stores.

Also notice in the photos that I garnished my salad with edible flowers. Believe it or not, I grew these in my backyard. It was incredibly easy, all I had to do was plant the seeds and water them regularly and now I have a colorful flower bed that I can pick from when I want to make my dishes even prettier. Even if you don't use the flowers in your cooking creations, edible flowers make for a beautiful backyard.

This salad is a great starting point if it's your first time going to your local farmers market and you want to create something that really highlights the freshness and color of the vegetables and fruits you find. Not only is this salad colorful, it is so simple and delicious and will nourish your body and mind. Feel free to mix it up! You don't have to follow the recipe exactly. For example, if you find fresh strawberries I encourage you to add those in. A fresh roasted and diced sweet potato would also be a lovely addition to the salad. I hope you enjoy and let me know if you make this! Please leave a comment below.