Farmer’s Market Summer Veggie Grain Bowl

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Farmer’s Market (Or Seasonal) Cooking

Summer is coming to a close and it’s time to use up those summer veggies! Often my weekly menu is determined by what looks good at the farmer’s market. If you follow my method for building a balanced plate which includes whole grains, legumes, fruit and veggies, it is easy to make a meal quickly without needing to plan ahead. I love buying what’s in season and simply throwing everything together with grains and beans.

Last week I found some beautiful summer squash and zucchini, yellow cherry tomatoes, kale, and perfect bell peppers. I sautéed these together with a taco-style seasoning. Added some wheat berries and lentils and voila! Lunch is served.

Notes About the Recipe

You don’t have to follow this recipe exactly. It’s really more of a template. That’s the beauty of plant-based cooking. Simply sauté veggies with any spices you like and add whatever beans or grains you already have cooked up. I used lentils and wheat berries, but you could use anything! Try black beans and rice, or navy beans and sorghum, or black eyed peas and quinoa. The possibilities are endless!

This recipe is also oil-free, but you could sauté your veggies in oil if you really want to. Oil is a highly processed food that we do not need, so I avoid it and I have started using a water sauté method. It works just as well and I think you can actually taste all the distinct flavors of your veggies even more.

If you’ve never tried it before, you simply use water or veggie broth instead of oil to prevent your food from sticking. It is best done in a non-stick pan, but works in any regular skillet without non-stick coating as well. Simply add splashes of water if the veggies start to stick.

So check out what summer veggies are still available at your farmer’s market and get cooking!

Farmer's Market Summer Veggie Grain Bowl
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Farmer’s Market Summer Veggie Grain Bowl

Course: Lunch, DinnerCuisine: Vegan, Oil-freeDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes

Turn those last of the summer season veggies into a delicious taco flavor-inspired grain bowl!

Ingredients

  • Wheat Berries (Or other grain)

  • 1 cup dried wheat berries or other whole grain plus water and cooked per package directions

  • Lentils

  • ½ cup dried green lentils

  • ½ cup dried black lentils

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 3 cups water

  • Vegetable Mixture

  • 1 onion, chopped

  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste

  • 2 to 3 cloves of garlic, crushed

  • 1 teaspoon cumin

  • 1 teaspoon oregano

  • ½ teaspoon onion powder

  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder

  • ½ teaspoon chili powder

  • ½ teaspoon coriander

  • ½ teaspoon paprika

  • ½ teaspoon dry mustard

  • 2 medium summer squash or zucchini any variety, diced

  • 2 bell peppers any color, diced

  • 2 cups chopped kale

  • 1 cup halved red or yellow cherry tomatoes

  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

  • Salsa for topping

  • Salt and pepper to taste

  • Optional: hempseeds, sunflower seeds, or other seeds or nuts for topping

Directions

  • Start cooking your wheat berries or other grain in a large pot on the stove per package directions.
  • Combine the lentil ingredients in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 30-40 minutes until lentils are soft.
  • The grains and lentils will take longer than the veggie mixture, so you can chop your veggies after those start cooking.
  • Heat a large skillet to medium-high. Once the pan is hot, water sauté the onions for about 2 or 3 minutes. Keep a cup of water nearby to add splashes of water as needed to prevent sticking.
  • Add the tomato paste, dry spices, and crushed garlic and stir to incorporate everything together.
  • Add the summer squash and continue sautéing for another 2 minutes.
  • Add the bell peppers and sauté another 2 minutes. Then cover the skillet, reduce heat to low and let cook for 5 minutes.
  • Remove the lid and stir everything, add more water if anything is sticking. Then add the kale and tomatoes on top, but do not stir. Replace the lid and allow to cook another 5 to 10 minutes.
  • While the kale steams, check on your lentils and wheat berries. Once they are cooked, drain any excess water and remove the bay leaf from the lentils.
  • Check on the veggies and stir in the kale and tomatoes. Then add the lentils and wheat berries and gently combine everything.
  • Add the apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.
  • Serve with salsa and top with nuts or seeds as desired.

Notes

  • Rice or other grains would work just as well in this recipe. I like to batch cook grains, so you can also of course use already cooked grains and save some time on this recipe.
  • Same goes for the lentils. Feel free to use canned or batch cook these so you always have some ready to add to any meal. Or swap out the lentils for any other legume.
  • If you don’t want to measure out all your spices, feel free to replace all the dry spices with any taco seasoning mix you like.