Fresh Breakfast Ideas From the Farmer's Market

If you are looking for fresh, creative breakfast ideas, you can't do better than the local farmers market.  Who knows better about how best to use what's fresh and available than the people who grow it?  You need a day's worth of energy in your breakfast, just like the farmers do.  So, why not start your day by making a great breakfast with the ingredients you picked up at the local farmers market? Here are a few ideas to get you started making a nutritious and delicious morning meal.

Crepes with strawberry syrup and blackcurrants (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Maxed Out Pancakes

A farmers market breakfast can start with anything.  To make it simple, let's look at a breakfast favorite, the pancake.  But, if you're thinking plain, think again.  How about a plate of pancakes with chives, goat cheese, and fresh peas? If that idea doesn't get your mouth watering, you might want to try other herbs, vegetables, fresh greens, and specialty cheeses. You can even mix some pureed pumpkin or other squash or sweet potatoes into the batter.

If you're looking for sweet instead of savory, or a combination of the two, try a selection of seasonal berries or fruit, then mix in fresh herbs to compliment.  Peaches and rosemary are a good combination that surprises and delights the taste buds.  You can add soft cheeses to fruit filled pancakes just as successfully as you can to savory pancakes.  No matter what's in season at your farmers market, you can find a way to include it in a pancake in the morning.

Market Medley 

Some people call it hash, others call it a skillet meal, but no matter what you call it, you know it's downright delicious. Start by taking fresh potatoes, scrub them or peel them, and cook them in a big pot of salted water just until knife tender.  Drain the pot and let them cool, then dice them, and you have the beginnings of a hash skillet medley.  Grab any fresh produce you brought home from the market;  onions, peppers, zucchini, radishes, bush beans, rutabaga, turnips, carrots, kale, collards... well, you get the idea.

Get your big cast iron skillet out, throw in some oil or butter or bacon and start frying.  Get your potatoes in there, then start adding whatever you want and cook until potatoes are browned and the rest of the veggies are tender. You can top the skillet meal with some cheese, chili beans, shredded cooked meat, or even an egg or two.  Whatever you add to the skillet, you've got a base built on farm freshness that is bound to please.

Clever Crepes

Crepe batter. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Don't panic - crepes are actually incredibly easy. The problem people have with crepes is that the batter is not the right consistency.  Make sure the batter is thin enough to easily swirl around in the pan.  If your batter looks like pancake batter in the bowl, it's too thick.  Find a good recipe for crepe batter - it's really easy to make and healthier than a packaged mix. But, enough of that.  Let's get to the fun stuff.

Crepes can actually be flavored themselves.  If you are making a savory crepe dish, filled with herbs and veggies, throw a few herbs right into the crepes.  If you are making sweet crepes, filled with warm spices and fruit, throw a few of those spices in the crepes.  This isn't necessary, but it is pretty and tasty.  Once you have made your crepes, you're ready for the filling.  Lightly fried or grilled strips of zucchini with a soft herbed cheese makes a nice savory crepe.  Seasonal fruit combined with a simple custard is a beautiful start to the day.  Whether sweet or savory, crepes make breakfast just seem more special.

A trip through the local farmers market should give you plenty of inspiration for these three simple breakfast choices.  Fresh is best, whether it's dinner, lunch, or the nicest meal of the day – breakfast.

Check back later this week for some fun farmers-market inspired recipes!