If you visit any farmers market in the city, I think you’ll find that the plethora of vegetables available this time of year just beg to be eaten. I get a little bit of a love buzz from the smell of fresh basil, the sight of tender green beans and the feel of vine ripened heirloom tomatoes. Again, thanks to the Bushwick Farmers Market, many of these items are available right here. This dish can be enjoyed hot or cold, is packed with nutrients, takes less than 30 minutes to create and costs less than $5 per serving. I think once you try it, you’ll be smitten too.

Ingredients:
2 Tb. olive oil
3 spring onions, diced
3 cloves spring garlic, diced
2 medium sized carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
1/2 C. green beans, ends snapped off and beans snapped in half
1/2 zucchini, julienned
1/2 C. kale, roughly chopped
1/2 C. fiddlehead ferns, cleaned
1 C. cooked quinoa
1/2 tomato, diced
1/2 C. basil, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper to taste.

Directions:
We begin by creating a flavor base for the dish. Heat olive oil on the stove top on medium heat, until it coats the pan and becomes shiny. Add the spring onion, garlic and carrots and saute, stirring occasionally for 3-4 minutes, or until the onions become translucent, but not brown. Add the green beans, zucchini, kale and fiddlehead ferns and saute for 4-5 minutes longer, or until the vegetables have turned bright green and are just becoming tender. Add the tomato and basil and saute for 2 minutes longer. Add the quinoa and combine well with the other ingredients. Salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!

**Cooks note: You can find quinoa at a few neighborhood grocery stores in a box, in which case you can cook it according to the directions listed. Otherwise, if you’re buying in bulk, first rinse the quinoa, then heat 2 C. water or vegetable stock to a rolling boil, add the quinoa, lower heat, cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until the germ has separated from the seed and most of the liquid has evaporated.