What I’m Making with my July Farmers Market Finds

If you know me , you know I have a love for all things local. Most every Saturday morning finds me at the Farmers Market, actually several markets in and around the Charlotte.

When I am traveling, I seek out local markets and farm stores. And when I eat out in town or out of town, I am drawn to chefs who support local farmers.

On most Saturday mornings, I post an impromptu video on my social feeds about my farmers market purchases that morning. Today I thought it might be fun to share what I’ve been making with my July Farmers Market finds.

Today we’ll talk about Peaches, Berries and Corn. Next week, I’ll be back with a round up of recipes for summer tomatoes and cucumbers.

Two recipes in the post ( actually three) with links to more; and you will love them all. The “jump” button goes to the creamed corn and jalapeno corn bread recipe. After that, my favorite recipe for peach cobbler follows.

Farmers Market Peaches and Berries

I don’t know about you, but earlier this year, I dove head first into all the local strawberries. My hope had been to freeze some to enjoy over the winter. But, we just ate them all too fast this season!

Early on, I made this fun frozen custard no-churn roasted strawberry ice cream; and then crafted a fun recipe for fruit-topped Brown Rice Waffles. The ice cream recipe is in my Cooking with Kids column for Charlotte Parent. The waffles are made with NC Grown Carolina Gold Rice. It’s a recipe I developed for my good buddies at Tidewater Grain Company. Both of these recipes are equally delicious with peaches or blueberries. You’ll find the both here.

Where to Buy:

If you are looking for NC Grown Tidewater Grain Company Carolina Gold Rice, you can order here online for home delivery. Or, you can find Tidewater rice at the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market in Building B at the Lucky Fish booth Fridays, 9-2; Saturdays, 8-3 or Sundays, 9-2. Lucky Fish is also one of my Farmers Market go-tos for fresh fish. There is always a great selection available. Owner, Mike Cassagrande, will help you find just what you are looking for every time!

You’ll also find Tidewater Carolina Gold Rice and Rice Flour at the Coddle Creek Farms booth in Building C at the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market on Saturdays. The Market is located at 1801 Yorkmont Road in Charlotte.

Coddle Creek sells the line of Tidewater Grain Co. products at their little red Coddle Creek Farms store in Mooresville, located at 2200 Coddle Creek HWY/ 114 Ledgewood Lane, as well. This farm store is also home to Coddle Creeks Mama Young nut butters ( slather your favorite ( mine is the crunchy) on a hot rice waffle and then top with local blueberries or blackberries ( and maybe a banana) for a one-of-a-kind PBJ! Oh y, I might have to go make a batch of waffles now.

Coddle Creek Farms is also know for their honey, as well as local eggs, fabulous fresh baked breads. At the farmers market and the farm store, they carry a host of other seasonal local products.

ProTip Here: – Don’t sleep on Steve Young’s homemade Ono bars, if they have them available.

Back to Peaches and Berries fresh from the Farmers Market

While I know we will eat our fair share, my goal is to try to freeze at least some of July’s local peaches, blueberries and blackberries. Here’s the plan: to buy more than I need each week for a couple of weeks, and then freeze a bag or two as I go.

Peach or berry cobbler is one of the truly great ways to cook up this season’s sweet flavors. You’ll find my very favorite recipe at the end of this post. Its easy to make and if need by can be make gluten free by using equal parts of your favorite Almond Flour or Tidewater Grain Company rice flour + a tablespoon of baking soda.

Pile Local Fruit and Cheese up in a Sundae

I eat fresh local fruit every day and I can’t get enough. Any combo of peaches and berries, sliced and mixed with Uno All Volta yogurt cheese or cottage cheese, topped with a drizzle of local honey is a good start to the day for me. I top my local fruit “sundae” with a chiffonade of fresh basil for a terrific finishing touch. Fresh minced mint is good too, but basil is better.

You’ll find cheesemaker Zack Gadberry’s Uno Alla Volta cheeses every Saturday at the Matthews Farmers Market. The market is open during the summer season from 8 to noon.

You can find a “crostini” version of the same, aptly called Strawberry Toasties, here. The recipe is from my friend Chef Mark Allison and comes from a food styling gig I did with him when he worked for Dole, years ago. Still a keeper; plus, you’ve just got to love anything called a “toastie”

Feeling Corny?

I simply adore summer corn. so many ways to cook it, but my favorite way to eat it is raw, right off the cob. In my last “What I bought at the market instagram video” I shared how I sometimes snack on an ear on my way home from the farmers market. Although, fair warning, this approach, does make a mess of the corn silks in your car.

Bonus Tip: Stay tuned to my instagram and Facebook feeds this week, for a quick and easy way to cook corn in the husk and not have to deal with those pesky silks!

This season, I’ve been buying the most delicious corn from Seven Sisters Farm at the Uptown Farmers Market in Charlotte.

Want to know how to select the perfect ear of corn? My friend farmer, Michael Fine talks us through everything you need to know. And how to do it right, in this at the market video.

How to cut Farmers Market Corn

Many a Tik-Tok video has been made about ways to cut corn off the cob. Honestly, the very easiest way is to simply use a sharp knife. Or a little old timey handheld mandolin called a Feemster Slicer. You can find it, along with lots of other fun stuff, in my Amazon store here.

Today, I’ve got several summer corn recipes to share. The first is an oh-so easy summer succotash served with grilled fish – the recipe hits in the middle of the seafood post. Then, try my recipe for creamed corn below. Enjoy the creamed corn as a side to your favorite meal off the grill. Or, use it to make a my favorite summer creamed corn jalapeno corn bread – yum!

Bonus Tip: Included with the recipe is my how to for making your own delicious ground pepper blend. Or you can find it here with a great little recipe for homemade cacio e pepe.

FInally, if you love corn puddings and want to craft you corn into a end-of-the-meal sweet, try this. Cut 4 cups of corn off the cob and layered in the cobbler recipe at the end of this post in place of peaches or blueberries – it’s amazing!

Heidi’s Favorite Peach Cobbler

I’ve been making this cobbler recipe for years with all sorts of fruit. In the winter months, I often make it with bananas and chocolate chips, but truth is, its best with summer peaches or blueberries. Lots of people have told me the recipe is similar to one their mother or grandmother used to make. I suspect that somehow all of these homemade versions of this crowd pleasing recipe have the same original roots. The recipe first came to me from the pages of a wonderful Charleston cookbook published in 1998. In the book, “Mrs. Whaley Entertains” the recipe calls for a quarter cup of sugar to be sprinkled over the top of the cobbler just before baking, but when peaches or berries are ripe and local, the cobbler is already sweet enough.