Los Alamos Reporter

Zero Waste Team: Summer Salads And Farmer’s Market Produce

zero-waste

ZERO WASTE TEAM NEWS

Zero Waste Tip: Buy from local Farmer’s Market. Buying groceries from a local Farmer’s Market conserves energy and resources in the form of less fuel of transportation and less packaging.

With summer’s bounty of fresh produce just around the corner, here are some healthy and delicious ideas for you and your family to eat more veggies this season. Remember that produce from the farmer’s market or co-op supports local, family-run farms and uses less energy to transport and refrigerate before it gets to the consumer. Eating more vegetables is both healthy and tasty!

Try some of these recipes for your next meal! Remember to dine with reusable plates, flatware, cups, and napkins. Keeping waste out of our landfills takes action on everyone’s part! For waste disposal, use one bag for trash and one bag for empty & rinsed recyclables. Go the extra step and collect food scraps in a compost bag! Eating well and reducing waste can be part of every summer meal.

This salad dressing should pair well with most of the yummy salads below:

  Summer Salad Ideas:

  • Roasted Beet, Goat Cheese & Toasted Walnuts with Local Greens
  • Cucumber & Tomato Panzanella (uses bread croutons)
  • Fresh Mozzarella, Sliced Tomato & Basil (Caprese)
  • Edamame, Feta or Goat Cheese, Green Onion, Basil & Dried Cranberries (no dressing but a little olive oil required)
  • Avocado, corn, jalapeno & diced zucchini (raw or cooked)
  • Grilled squash, mushrooms, onions & tomatoes (olive oil, salt & pepper)
  • Pesto Orzo Pasta Salad with Cherry Tomatoes & Cucumber
    • Pesto can be made with basil, carrot tops, arugula, or fennel fronds (or a combo), and can be made with or without nuts and cheese. See recipe below.
  • Fruit and nuts make yummy additions of fiber and protein to any salad. Try fresh peaches and pecans, pears and walnuts, cherries and pistachios, or apple and almonds! 

 Other Tasty Plant-Based Ideas You Can Find Online: 

  • Bon Appetit Moroccan Lentils (make without chicken)
  • Fresh Tomato Tart
  • Grilled Eggplant Roll-Ups
  • Food 52 Zucchini Involtini
  • Roasted Corn with Lime, Spices & Cotija Cheese
  • Oven-Roasted Green Beans or Shishito Peppers
  • Roasted Sweet Potato Cubes with Chickpeas and Chipotle-Apricot Yogurt
  • Smitten Kitchen’s Leek Fritters
  • Grilled Veggie Quesadillas
  • Dutch Baby/Oven Pancake with Fresh or Sautéed Fruit (breakfast)
  • Fresh Fruit Smoothies & Fruit Salads