Come farmers’ market season, dinner inspiration lurks in every stall. There’s no need to overthink it, after all, when the tables are laden with juicy pears, vibrant orange carrots and corn pulled right from the fields. Fill your basket, invite over your favourite people, and watch as summer’s most memorable meals come together in a snap.

Recipes and food styling by Lawren Moneta
Recipe photography by Mark Gibbon
Prop styling by Paris Forrer

1. Corn Dip

This flavourful dip is perfect for an impromptu dinner party. The sizzling chili oil to finish is optional but it truly brings a depth and brightness to contrast the earthy sweetness of the corn. Serve alongside bread or a variety of seasonal market vegetables for dipping, swirling and dunking.

2. Honey Bourbon Pork Chops with Pears

Honey Bourbon Pork Chops with Pears

This one-pan dish is full of earthy fall flavours. It’s the perfect comfort food to cozy up to when the evenings start to get cooler. When buying pork chops, look for ones on the smaller side so that four can fit together in the skillet, or else buy three bigger ones and plan on slicing them up before serving.

3. Kohlrabi and Carrot Salad

Kohlrabi and Carrot Salad

This is an easy and impressive salad that makes a welcome side to many dishes. Kohlrabi tastes like a mix between cucumber and broccoli and can be found in either a light green or purple-skinned variety. Either may be used in this recipe. Make sure to pick a bulb that’s heavy for its size, and make sure to save the leaves (they are great sauteed).

4. Hasselback Miso Roasted Vegetables

Hasselback Miso Roasted Vegetables

Potatoes, beets and turnips, oh my! This recipe is great for using up a variety of seasonal vegetables found at the farmers’ market. The crowning glory of this recipe might just be the nut, seed and date crumble that gets sprinkled over the vegetables. It provides great textural balance and freshness to the roasted vegetables. Take care to choose vegetables that are all roughly the same size for this dish. This helps ensure that everything roasts to perfection at the same time.

5. Creamy Butternut Squash Pudding

Creamy Butternut Squash Pudding

This dreamy pudding is an unexpected ending to an impromptu dinner. With flavour notes of caramel, cinnamon and ginger, this pudding is reminiscent of pumpkin pie, but comes together in a fraction of the time. If you have a moment to guild the lily, a dollop of freshly whipped cream would not be amiss here. You could also enjoy this pudding using a graham cracker or ginger snap as an edible utensil.

Western Living

Western Living

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