You know how some people feel the most alive at a sporting event or a concert? That’s how I feel at the farmers market. I wouldn’t dream of missing a chance to go, and early summer is my favorite season.

I love the heartbeat, I love the farmers—they’re some of my favorite foodies—and I love exploring each and every stall full of beautiful homegrown produce. It practically beckons to me. It’s the best venue to see what’s ripe, perfect, and local each moment of summer.

I’ve been known to spend the day at the Madison, Wisconsin, farmers market, and I certainly enjoy finding the best one in any given area. In Chicago that’s easy. (I love Green City Market.) But in other towns, it may require a drive, and it’s absolutely worth it. The farmers market is the best free show in town!

I love eating seasonally, and the great thing about the farmers market at this time of year is that super fresh, in-season vegetables, simply cooked—or eaten raw—are perfection. Recently, I saw some extraordinary sugar snap peas, and do you know the very best way to eat them this time of year? Raw. Julienne them and sprinkle them over a salad. Or par-cook them to use as a lovely bed for a Chicken Kabob. They’re almost like a vegetable noodle if you’re eating low carb.

Now is the moment for baby zucchini and baby carrots, both of which are also delicious raw, dipped in either my Pistachio Pesto or Spicy Poblano Sauce. (Baby zucchini or carrots briefly sautéed with olive oil or butter and a bit of salt are simply extraordinary too.) I absolutely love raw radishes, and it’s a great time of year to find many different varieties, like bread and butter radishes. Most people eat them as they are, but they’re lovely with a dot of butter and a sprinkle of sea salt. If you love radishes, try a new variety!

And then there are English peas in the shell: there’s simply nothing better. I wait for them all year. It’s great to get extra and freeze them in the shell.  You can sprinkle peas in anything; just shell them, blanch for a few minutes until crisp-tender, and use them to top your risotto or salad or make a summer sweet pea soup.

Whether you’re making Roy’s Tuna Pasta or my Summer Green Soup, English peas are delectable. Add them to everything you can think of.

It's such a wonderful time of year to find edible flowers like Nasturtium. They are deliciously peppery, plus they look so beautiful in a salad—and they will certainly dress up your table.

Green onions and shallots are perfect right now, and they’re the basis for so many wonderful dishes. Sautéed Swiss chard is a fantastic way to eat your greens, and it is currently flourishing too.

Par cooking potatoes will help you get dinner on the table efficiently. Once they’ve been par-cooked, you’re halfway there. When you’re ready to make dinner, cut them and sauté on the stove or bake in the oven. I smash them and serve them with Pistachio Pesto. Cooking potatoes twice makes them deliciously crunchy.

Baby sweet potatoes are at their peak. They are so delicious baked and served with butter, or slice them up and make a beautiful sweet potato crisp! 

My local farmers market stalls are also lined with raspberries and mulberries, which are delightful to eat by the handful, but you can also top your granola, pancakes, and yogurt with them. If you’re feeling ambitious, make them into a jam.

Here’s a Teri Tip: talk to your farmers! They’re the experts on all the beautiful produce. Now is time to get creative in the kitchen, so try a vegetable you’ve never even seen before. See what catches your eye and ask the farmer how to prepare it. But keep in mind that fresh farmers market produce is often delicious raw, and many vegetables barely need to be cooked-- if they even make it to your kitchen. They’re never fresher than they are on the car ride home.