Pickled Watermelon Rind
by Market Chef Monique Santua of Gastromonique

3 c watermelon rind cut into bit sized pieces
1 1/2 c watermelon juice
1/4 c honey
1/4 c lime
1/4 c white wine vinegar
1/4 c rice wine vinegar
1 cinnamon stick
1 tbs salt

Place watermelon in a bowl with salt for at least 1 hour – up to overnight. Remove from liquid and rinse. Place in mason jars.

In a small pot, bring watermelon juice, honey, lime, vinegars, and cinnamon stick to a boil.

Pour into jars of watermelon and let cool. Refrigerate for 24-48 hours.

Spring Celebration Salad

Spring Mix (Bouldin Food Forest)
Arugula (Flintrock Hill Farm)
Strawberries (Bernhardt’s Farm or Flintrock Hill Farm)
Edible Flowers (Animal Farm or f-stop farm)

Other suggested add-ons: Pecans (Yegua Creek); Goat Cheese (Pure Luck); Microgreens (Joe’s Organic)

Toss all ingredients together with dressing of choice! This salad works especially well with a balsamic-based vinaigrette like this one:

Strawberry Fennel Dressing
1T strawberry syrup or jam
1T fennel frond, minced
½ cup extra virgin olive oil (Texas Hill Country Olive Co)
¼ cup Balsamic vinegar (Texas Hill Country Olive Co)
Freshly-ground black pepper, sea salt, to taste

Eat the Rainbow Salad

By Market Chef Maggie Perkins

• mixed greens including lettuce, arugula, pea shoots 
• carrots, sliced
• purple or green cabbage, shredded 
• radishes, sliced 
• mint, ½ bunch, leaves chopped
• parsley, flat-leaf, ½ bunch, leaves chopped
• fennel, small bulb, shaved 

Simply mix all of the ingredients together and drizzle on your favorite dressing! Below we have three suggestions for simple and fresh salad dressings made with market ingredients.

Dressing Recipes

Strawberry Fennel Dressing
1T strawberry syrup or jam
1T fennel frond, minced
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup Balsamic vinegar
Freshly-ground black pepper, sea salt, to taste

Curried Maple
1 8oz container maple-flavored yogurt
1tsp curry powder, to taste
1tsp honey, to taste
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Dash of sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Pesto and Feta Cheese
4 oz prepared pesto
4 oz oil-marinated feta
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 small bulb young garlic, peeled, minced
Salt, as needed

Cashew and Tamari
1 cup raw cashews
2 garlic cloves
3 tbs tamari
3 tbs apple cider vinegar
2 tbs olive oil
ground black pepper, to taste

Simply select which dressing you would like to make, mix with a whisk all of the ingredients together in a bowl and drizzle on a salad!

Orange Carrot Ginger Juice

Ingredients:
3 cups carrots, peeled and chopped (Johnson’s Backyard Garden)
2 large oranges or 3 smaller oranges (Munkebo Farm)
1 lemon (Munkebo Farm)
1 piece ginger root (I use a piece about the size of my palm, which gives it a nice kick!)

Instructions:
Simply add all ingredients to juicer, and enjoy! Bonus, if you use rainbow carrots it will be a gorgeous pinkish-orange color.

Note: For more sweetness, add one apple!

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

Ingredients
1 butternut squash (medium-large size) – Bernhardt’s Farm
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 tsp sea salt (I like Celtic sea salt)
3 garlic cloves (peeled and chopped)
3 cups chicken broth (more if you prefer a thinner soup)
1 tsp fresh rosemary (chopped)
1 tsp fresh thyme (chopped)
2 tsp cold pressed olive oil
2 tbsp grass fed butter
Toppings optional (bacon from Belle Vie Farm, goat cheese from Pure Luck, chopped parsley and chopped basil work great!)

Directions
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Wash and cut butternut squash lengthwise. Remove seeds and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
3. Place squash on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and roast until soft (between ~45 minutes and 1 hour).
4. While squash is cooking, melt butter and add chopped onion and garlic in dutch oven. Cook for 15 minutes over med-low heat, stirring frequently.
5. Once squash is cooked and cool enough to handle, remove skin and add butternut squash to the onion and garlic. Stir in broth and remaining ingredients (besides toppings).
6. Using an immersion blender (or a regular blender), blend soup until creamy. (Be careful of splatters here, the soup will be hot!)
7. Top with desired toppings and ENJOY!

Morgan Simon, FNTP, is a Holistic Nutritionist and wellness expert based in Austin, TX. Morgan believes deeply in an evidence-based approach to personalized nutrition, discovering bio-individual needs, and creating healthy home environments. She specializes in women and children and advocates for a food first approach to address imbalances within the body, reduce toxic load, and optimize overall health. You can find her on Instagram, Facebook, or e-mail.