Bedford County Farmers Market
The Bedford County Farmers Market is open for the 2026 season! Thursdays at 3:30 -5:30 p.m. at the Celebration Pavilion under the blue water tower in front of Cooper Steel Arena in Shelbyville. Parking is free so come on in!
What’s in Season for the Early Summer?
Blueberries, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cantaloupe, Cauliflower, Cherries, Carrots, Collards, Cucumbers, Kale, Lettuce, Onions, Peaches, Pole Beans, Raspberries, Snapbeans, Spinach, Squash, Strawberries, Wax Beans
What’s Cooking Now?
Cabbage!
Fresh cabbage from the farmer’s market, garden or grocery store is one of the most useful vegetables you can grow or purchase. It keeps well, has a crisp texture, and can be used in many different meals. Cabbage gives you plenty of options in the kitchen.
One of the simplest ways to use garden cabbage is raw. Shredded cabbage makes a fresh, crunchy base for coleslaw or green garden salads. It’s dense texture allows it to stay crisp and fresh even when the dressing is added the day before or earlier in the day you are going to serve it. When making a salad in a jar to take with you for lunch, put the cabbage and dressing on the bottom and then add lettuces, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. on the top and your salad will stay fresh. Because of its crunchy texture, cabbage also makes a great topping for tacos, especially fish tacos. Mixed with carrots, onions, and a light dressing, it adds color and flavor to almost any summer meal.
Cabbage is also excellent when cooked. It can be sautéed with butter and garlic, added to soups and stews, or roasted in wedges until the edges turn golden and sweet. Stuffed cabbage leaves are another traditional favorite, filled with rice, meat, or vegetables for a hearty dish.
Cabbage stores well in a cool place. For short term storage up to two weeks, don’t wash the cabbage before storing as the excess moisture hasten rotting and spoilage. Simply remove the wilted or damaged outer leaves, place in a loose or perforated plastic bag and store in the refrigerator crisper drawer. After you cut into the head, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and use within a day or two. If you have a larger harvest and need longer storage, up to five months, leave some root system intact or trim the stalks back. Wrap individual heads in newspaper and store in a single layer in slatted boxes. A root cellar is ideal with the perfect environment of 32-40 degrees F with 90-95% humidity.
The best preservation methods are to make sauerkraut or use the cabbage in relishes. There are no tested recipes for canning plain cabbage. While you can freeze cabbage, it will not hold its texture so can only be used in cooked applications.
So whether you have a spring crop of cabbage or a fall crop, enjoy cabbage on your table.
Here are a few recipes to try:
Cabbage Steaks with Dijon Vinaigrette
Roasted Pork with Apples, Cabbage and Turnips
Red Cabbage and Apples with Currant Jelly
Warm Cabbage Salad with Polish Sausage
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:
