Bedford County Farmers Market
The Bedford County Farmers Market is open for the 2025 season through the end of September. Thursdays at 2:30 p.m. at the Celebration Pavilion (Under blue water tower in front of Cooper Steel Arena off Madison St. and Celebration Drive, Shelbyville).
What’s in Season for Summer?
Tomatoes, Corn, Potatoes, Peppers, Squash, Eggplant, Okra, Green Beans, Cucumbers, Peaches
What’s Cooking Now?
Summer Squash!
A common question this time of year is “I have a thousand summer squash coming in, what do I do?” There are many ways to cook and use summer squash for family meals. But if you just have too much, consider freezing it for winter and using it in a soup or casserole or grate it for making zucchini bread.
Summer squash are characterized by an edible skin, as opposed to winter squash where the skin is hard and inedible, and include zucchini, yellow crookneck, yellow straight neck and pattypan, which look like little flying saucers. All of these are interchangeable in recipes and have a mild flavor that pairs well with many things. Small to medium squash are the best, but if you miss a few and they get bigger just grate them up for use in breads or casseroles. The larger ones tend to be tougher with a tougher skin and larger seeds. The other thing about summer squash is that they are prolific in the garden and one plant will produce many, many squash which means you need many, many recipes to use them up!
Extension and USDA do not have any tested methods for canning summer squash. The recommendations were withdrawn a few years ago as they could not be documented. So while older canning books may have a recipe, please don’t use it as it may be unsafe. So if you want to preserve squash, try making a squash relish or squash pickle or else freeze them. Here are links to tested recipes from the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
Pickled Bread and Butter Zucchini
To use up some of the fresh squash there are many recipes. Here are a few to try this summer:
Yellow Squash, Sausage and Wild Rice Casserole
Squash Casserole with Stuffing
Chicken Sausage and Summer Vegetable Sauté
Italian Zucchini Shreds with Basil Buttermilk Dressing
Check out the Produce Information Pages Below:
Eat Seasonally!
Seasonal Eating is all about eating what is growing here and now. A tomato doesn’t taste nearly as good in January when it is out-of-season as it does in July when it comes directly from the grower to you or to the grocery store. Produce eaten when it is in-season tastes better and maintains more of its nutrients. Eating with the seasons also helps reduce transportation, saving gas and emissions, as well as helps to support our local growers and local economy.
To eat seasonally, try growing your own produce this Spring and Summer to use throughout the growing season and preserve what you can’t use through freezing or canning. Another option is to frequent the local farmer’s markets. Even when shopping at the grocery stores, focus on what is seasonal for that month.
To see what is growing in Tennessee each month take a look at the Seasonal Eating Chart for Tennessee.
The Seasonal Kitchen Videos:
