Summer is just around the corner, and local Farmer’s Markets are opening to offer the best produce and other food items from local farms. Epicurean Olive Oils Company at The Avenue offers infused olive oils and balsamic vinegars, as well as spices and flavored salts to enhance the taste of the season’s bounty. They also provide more than 200 recipes and suggestions of flavor blends to dazzle the pallet.
Owner Peggy Hunt explains that it is a tasting store that offers customers a selection of 100 percent extra virgin olive oils, flavored oils, aged balsamic vinegars, truffle oil, and gourmet nut and seed oils from around the world. They even provide a brochure that suggests flavor bends, like bacon infused extra virgin olive oil and maple infused balsamic vinegar or champagne vinegar and blood orange olive oil.
Epicurean Olive Oils is a franchise. The locally owned store opened its doors in 2013, and they have been a Ruthies Award winner for their gourmet foods for six years in a row. Here are a few of their recipes to use with items picked up at one of the local farmer’s markets:
Tuscan Herb Kale Chips
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Ingredients:
1 bunch baby kale
2 Tblsp. Epicurean Tuscan Herb Extra Virgin Olive Oil
¼ tsp Epicurean’s French Grey Sea Salt (optional)
Instructions:
Place all ingredients in a large bowl and massage the Epicurean Tuscan Herb Extra Virgin Olive Oil and their French Grey Sea Salt (optionsl) into the kale using your hands. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Serves one.
Stuffed Strawberries with Dark Chocolate Drizzle
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Ingredients:
1 pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
3/4 cup sugar
3, 3-inch cinnamon sticks
16 very large strawberries
Epicurean Dark Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar
Instructions:
In a saucepan, simmer tomatoes, sugar, and cinnamon sticks until thick and syrupy. This can take as long as 35 minutes. Transfer mixture into a bowl, remove cinnamon sticks and chill. This part can be done a week ahead. Remove the tops of fresh strawberries and set aside. Hollow out the center of each strawberry. Fill with tomato jam. Drizzle with Epicurean Dark Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar. Serves four.
Where to Find a Farmer’s Market in Rutherford County
Rutherford County offers a number of Framer’s Markets that allow locally grown produce, meats, cheeses, and other food items to be sold. Some of the markets also allow artists and artisans to sell their products.
La Vergne Farmer’s Market
5093 Murfreesboro Road | La Vergne, Tennessee
Saturday, May 15 until September 11 | 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.
Website
The La Vergne Farmer’s Market is located on the walking trail at Bicentennial Park next to La Vergne City Hall. The market provides a venue for local farmers, producers, crafters, and artisans to sell a variety of fresh produce and handmade items. All products sold by a specific vendor must be grown or created by that vendor. Food trucks are welcome on site. All vendor fees benefit the La Vergne Senior Center.
Main Street Saturday Market
Public Square | Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Saturday, May 22, 2021 to Sep 18, 2021 | 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.
Website
Located around the Rutherford County Courthouse. More than 50 food vendors will be offering everything from fresh vegetables, eggs, beef, pork, and chicken, to fresh-cut flowers, jams and jellies, homemade cakes and pies, and don’t forget Middle Tennessee State University’s famous chocolate milk. Always a sell-out.
Rutherford County Farmer’s Market
Lane Agri-Center, 315 John R. Rice Blivd. | Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Tuesdays and Fridays beginning May 14 | 7:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.
Website
The Rutherford County Farmer’s Market opens the second Friday in May and it runs through the end of October. The indoor/outdoor market is a producer-only farmer’s market, with vendors coming from over 20 Middle Tennessee counties. They sell a wide variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables, meats, eggs, baked and canned goods, flowers, plants and more! There are also many handmade items like soaps and bath salts.
Smyrna Depot Farmer’s Market
115 Front Street | Smyrna, Tennessee
Saturday, May 22, 2021 to Sep 18, 2021 | 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.
Website
Carpe Artista, a local arts education non-profit hosts the annual Smyrna Depot Farmers Market in partnership with the Town of Smyrna.
Throughout the season there will be cooking demonstrations using items from participating vendors. Also, Nourish Food Bank will once again be present at the end of the day to gather donated produce and baked goods from the vendors that will be made available to families with limited resources.
