Get Fresh with Me: Where to find seasonal fruits and vegetables

It’s summertime and living is easy at Lafayette Garden Apartments. It is also the time of year when seasonal vegetables and fruits are in abundance. Plan a weekend trip soon and add some fresh ingredients to your cookout, picnic, or weekly dining menus.

Each season, and every month of that season, has colors and flavors associated with it and early summer seems to be the season of abundance. Warmer temperatures and longer days add to the fun of trying out new flavors.

Visit any market and you will see so many shades of green your head will spin. Much variety can be found right now for the base of your salad. Can’t pick just one variety of lettuce, try them all for some great variations on a summer staple.
Around every corner there seems to be something new to add to your diet. This is the time to indulge in shrimp, peppers, and tomatoes. Grill the shrimp and toss with the vegetables. Add a light dressing that you can make with fresh herbs, oil, and vinegar and you have an easy, healthy meal in minutes.

Speaking of herbs, look for basil, parsley, thyme, mint, rosemary, chives, and lemon balm right now.  Boil some pasta and toss with olive oil and a couple of the herbs you like and let it infuse for an hour or two. Fresh and yummy without spending hours in the kitchen.  You can also infuse water with cucumber slices and your favorite herb for a refreshing treat.

Vegetables that are in abundance in early summer are zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, onions, carrots, celery, and green beans. You will also find potatoes, sweet corn, peppers, asparagus, and cucumbers virtually anywhere you go.  Instead of a crawfish boil, think about hosting a vegetable boil and take advantage of delightful flavors that can come about from a pot of boiling water.

For an easy dessert, fill a bowl with all types of seasonal fruit. Easy to find and indulge in this time of year are blueberries, cantaloupe, cherries, figs, oranges, peaches, and lemons.  Want to get a little decadent and go beyond fresh fruit in a bowl? It’s as easy as adding chopped nuts and a little whipped cream to the top of your mixed fruit offering.

Homemade ice cream is a wonderful treat this time of year. Make with fresh fruit or top good old-fashioned vanilla ice cream with a puree of two or three of the juicy seasonal offerings you’ll find at the market this time of year.
Where to go to find these fresh seasonal treats?  Check out one of these Acadiana farmers’ markets:

Lafayette Hub City Farmers Market at 427 Heyman Street, Lafayette
Open year-round on Saturdays from 8-Noon

Lafayette Farmers and Artisan Market at 2913 Johnston, Lafayette
Open year-round on Saturdays from 8-Noon
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Le Petit Magasin de Scott at 916 Cayret Street, Scott
March through October on Saturdays

If you prefer a more traditional, indoor market experience, these Lafayette grocers and markets offer plenty of seasonal, fresh produce too:  The Fresh Market, Fresh Pickin’s, Whole Foods Market, Rouses Market, and Tammy’s Grocery.

If you are looking for a new apartment with wonderful opportunities for preparing your seasonal finds, head to Lafayette Garden Apartments for a tour. Pools, barbecue areas, parks, and even corporate living spaces with fully equipped kitchens are a few of the special things you’ll find in this gated community.

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