By Angela of Eat Spin Run Repeat

Bring the farmer’s market to your table!

If visiting a local farmer’s market isn’t already something you do each week, I highly suggest putting it on your summer bucket list. Not only is it good to support local businesses, but eating food grown close to home is better for the environment. It also tastes a lot better than food that has spent hours in transit on the back of a truck! Here in south western Ontario, we’re blessed to have a large number of farmers who grow everything from corn and green beans to peaches and berries. Exploring these markets is one of my favourite Saturday activities, and I often come home with a basket full of produce that covers every colour in the rainbow.

For an easy to make, totally satisfying meal, I like to throw together as much colourful produce as possible in one enormous salad, just like the one below. They don’t make them like this in restaurants, friends! Feel free to mix up the ingredients with whatever’s being sold at your local market.

Farmer’s Market Chopped Salad

Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 16 mins
Makes: 2 meal-sized servings

Ingredients

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 130g raw weight
• salt-free seasoning mix
• 4 cups mixed greens (radicchio, spinach, kale, romaine, etc)
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 4 radishes, grated or sliced
• 1/2 cup shredded carrot
• 1/2 cup chopped bell peppers
• 1/2 cup chopped cucumber
• 2 hard boiled eggs, sliced
• 1/2 cob corn, either cooked or raw, sliced off the cob.
• 2 tbsp unsalted sunflower seeds

Apple Cider Vinaigrette:

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup

Instructions:

• Preheat the barbeque to medium-high.
• Whisk together all ingredients for dressing in a small bowl.
• If the chicken breasts are much thicker in the middle than the outsides, pound them to even thickness with a meat mallet.
• Using a basting brush, brush the chicken with a bit of apple cider vinaigrette, and set the rest aside. Sprinkle chicken with seasoning of choice. I like to use Kirkland Organic No-Salt Seasoning from Costco, but Mrs. Dash is another good salt-free option.
• Grill the chicken breasts for about 8 minutes per side, or until no longer pink in the middle.
• While the chicken cooks, prep the veggies. Slice or shred as indicated above. Cut eggs into even slices.
• In a large bowl, toss the mixed greens with half of the dressing. Arrange 2 cups of greens in each salad bowl.
• ‘Line up’ the veggies on top of the greens, and place the sliced eggs at the side. Sprinkle with sunflower seeds.
• When chicken is cooked, let it rest 2-3 minutes before slicing into strips. Use them to top the salads.
• Drizzle remaining dressing over top and serve.

Angela is an avid runner, fitness instructor, foodie, healthy living blogger, and owner of her business, Spin 360 Health Coaching. Having been overweight, unhappy and insecure as a teenager, Angela took control, changed her unhealthy habits, and adopted a clean eating lifestyle that she continues to maintain today. Her goal is to support, inspire, and motivate others to improve their health and be their best. You can learn more about her on her blog, Eat-Spin-Run-Repeat.com.

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