Quick Summer Market Meal, Green beans, tomatoes and eggs

This is by no means a food network worthy meal (as I like to think some of my concoctions are), but this is how I like to "cook" on market day in the summer. When I have a lot of fresh garden produce. I don't like to muck with it too much. We eat it raw, or slightly cooked so it can retain a lot of it's garden goodness, color and fresh taste. We often have a few veggie side dishes or salads and I'll do something with eggs. The other benefit is it's quick and doesn't require a lot of stove/oven time which keeps the house cool. For other quick fix meals, hop over to lifeasmom's ultimate recipe swap and see what's cooking there.

Giveaway Reminder
For those of you visiting from the LifeAsMom URS, welcome! Don't forget to leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite veggie for a chance to win a veggie cookbook.

Best Green Beans Ever
Get a pot of water boiling. Trim the stem end of young tender fresh green beans off, and leave the "tail." Leave them long, better for finger snacking. Rinse them in a colander and toss them in the water when it comes to a boil. Set timer for 2 minutes. Return beans to colander, and rinse with cold water shaking until they've lost all heat, or submerge in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Admire your crunchy, cold, amazingly green green beans and try not to eat them all before serving to your family!

Serve with a poached egg on top, or drizzle with oil and vinegar (any kind) and a sprinkle of salt. Or with your family's favorite salad dressing, for big boo that's ranch. I have to leave some beans off the table or we'll eat them all gone. Then hubby doesn't get any when he gets home. Green beans prepared this way make an excellent addition to a veggie tray as well. If you really want to impress your guests, serve green beans on your next veggie tray.

To make it fun, I serve the beans standing up in a stemless wine glass. The boys LOVE green beans this way!

If you're feeling Rachel Rayish, you could heat a skillet with a little oil, sliced/diced onions and garlic, then cook on medium-low until soft. Return the green beans to the pan, and toss to reheat. I skip this step in the hot summer, but the garlic/onion add another layer of flavor to fresh tender green beans. They taste just like fancy restaurant green beans. If you're feeling really fancy, add some slivered almonds.

Heirloom Tomato Salad
While I love tomatoes just about any way, a garden fresh locally grown tomato doesn't need much fuss to taste amazing. Just slice or quarter and sprinkle some salt. Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil for another layer of flavor. Splash on some balsamic vinegar. Got fresh basil, add that in. Any feta crumbles or fresh mozzarella?
Hard boiled eggs
We go meatless a few times a week at dinner, so at least one night eggs are on the menu. I do them many ways, poached over greens, hard boiled in chef's salad, and hard boiled with salt pepper and butter. I spent my young years in Norway where eggs served in little silver egg cups were the norm for breakfast. My FIL and MIL a.k.a Papaw and Mamaw spent a few years in Stavanger recently and gave us these amazing little egg cups that I break out for Quick Summer Meal night. I serve the hard or soft boiled eggs warm, shell on, in the cup. Then you whack it in half with a knife. Add a pat of butter, salt, pepper and close the lid to melt the butter. Eat the egg with a spoon. Just look at all that oozy butter dripping down the sides. Yums!Little boo a.k.a "butter fiend," enjoying his egg cup.

Bread or Fruit
If I have fresh bakery bread I slice it and serve with dinner. If not, I toast some bread, cut in triangles or serve pita bread. If there's no fresh bread or I have an abundance of fruit, I serve fruit. Hack up a melon, some stone fruit, berries, whatever was available at the market.

This is the perfect kind of meal to follow up with stove-top popcorn. We have family TV night once a week in the summer, and snacks like popcorn are usually on the menu after dinner.

Kid Appeal Tip If your kids are really averse to veggies, try this type of farmer's market meal. Go to the market on a weekend, and let them help you pick out a few items. Then serve a "Market Meal." Offer mostly fruits and vegetables in mini courses like an appetizer meal. Make sure they're hungry, a recent snack might make them opt out of any of the new cuisine. When they can't choose a familiar meat dish, starchy side, etc. they may just venture out and taste some of the harvest from the market.