19 Fresh Recipes for Your Farmers' Market Haul

A dark-chocolate crust and jewel-bright berries brushed with jelly turn this down-home pie into a company-worthy fare.

Grilled vegetables are as essential a part of the outdoor, open-flame cooking experience as any cut of meat. And few vegetables say summer quite like zucchini and yellow summer squash. Dressed in olive oil and an abundance of fresh herbs, this versatile grilled vegetable recipe is perfect for just about any occasion.

Seasoned with classic bold barbecue flavor, this grilled corn will be a home run at your next backyard barbecue. Combined with the charred goodness from the grill, the trifecta of chili powder, cumin, and paprika create a spicy, smoky crust that makes this side irresistible. If you’ve never grilled corn before, don’t be alarmed by the pops. Just be sure to turn the ears occasionally to ensure nice, even cooking. Hit it with a squeeze of lime for extra flavor.

For a fruity and finger-friendly appetizer, grill watermelon wedges and top with pickled onions, blue cheese, and pecans. 

This marinated heirloom tomato salad is a delicious and colorful summertime side dish. 

This biscuit topped blueberry cobbler recipe couldn’t be easier. Breaking out your trusty Bisquick baking mix keeps the recipe effortless, but you could also top the vibrant berry filling with a simple homemade drop biscuit dough as well. Using ripe, juicy blueberries gives this summertime favorite the perfect level of sweetness, while vanilla extract contributes a floral depth and a little bit of aromatic lemon zest lends a lovely balance of brightness. Served warm with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream, this easy cobbler can’t be beat. 

Why limit French fried onions to green bean casserole?  We love them on this cheesy squash casserole, too.

This fresher take on the traditional casserole is loaded with vegetables and comes together with a homemade sauce instead of sodium-heavy canned soup.

The combination of fresh peas with mint yield a harmonious and nutrition side dish. Peas are in the legume family, and these vegetables are typically high in protein and fiber, yet low in fat and cholesterol. Because they're higher in protein than many other types of vegetables, they're a good source of protein in vegetarian diets.

This impressive raspberry braided loaf is a show-stopping addition to any springtime table.

Easy to make and absolutely stunning to look at, this fresh riff on a Greek salad offers beautiful flavor combinations. Mild Castelvetrano olives are meaty and buttery, green tomatoes are bright and acidic, green onions are pungent and savory, and feta cheese is creamy and salty. We love the subtlety of Champagne vinegar, but you can substitute white wine vinegar if you don’t have it. Likewise with green peppercorns—they offer a different sort of peppery kick and stick with our color palette, but black peppercorns would also be delicious.

What could be a more perfect ending to a summertime meal than easy peach cobbler? Savor the flavors of summer with sliced fresh peaches cooking away with butter and spices. The topping can made from pantry ingredients you have on hand and peaches can easily be substituted with any fruit you have depending on the time of year. The tang of the lemon juice paired with the sweetness of the peaches is perfectly balanced with the crisp topping. Want to make dessert even better? A dollop of fresh whipped cream or cold vanilla ice cream truly makes it the perfect way to end a summer night.

Although usually sliced and tossed in stir-fries, chopped up for a bit of color and flavor in soups and casseroles, or simply eaten raw with a dipping sauce or two, bell peppers can also hold their own on the dinner table.  Seafood lovers will gobble up this twist on stuffed bell peppers, which are traditionally filled with a ground beef mixture--not shellfish. Stuff hollowed out, lightly grilled bell peppers with a homemade crabmeat-and-mayo salad, then grill for 5 more minutes until done.  

This super-quick side dish is the perfect way to use up a bounty of summer okra.  A serrated peeler works like magic to peel plum tomatoes, sparing you the hassle of blanching and shocking in ice water to get the skins off.

Salty bacon, rich goat cheese, savory-sweet jelly, and roasted jalapeño--it takes teamwork to make the dream work. If you already have the grill going, these dreamy little bites are equally easy to cook outdoors.

What can make a hot buttered biscuit better than ever? When that butter is blended with fresh basil, that is what. Basil is such an easy-to grow herb, and the more you harvest the plant, the more it grows.

A heady blend of spices makes these roasted carrots hard to resist. If you can find tender baby carrots, they make a great shortcut; just give them a good scrub—no peeling required. Check the carrots during cooking; smaller carrots could overcook, yielding mushy results. Pair these carrots with roasted lamb or beef or your favorite curry dish.

If you haven’t eaten any blackberry pie yet, is it really summer? This perfectly easy blackberry pie comes together in a little more than an hour and highlights one of summer’s best fruits. This recipe works with either fresh or frozen blackberries (or a mixture of the two), but fresh blackberries have more flavor and won’t take as long to cook. Serve with vanilla ice cream or lemon sorbet.

It's hard to beat a bumper crop of fresh green beans from local farmers, and a simple preparation is the best way to highlight their delicious natural flavor.  Toast the almonds in a little unsalted butter, then toss the green beans and almonds with a splash of lemon juice and dash of salt and ground black pepper for an easy summer side.