Cook a meal from the farmers' market

Most farmers market recipes start with a shopping list. This one works the other way round: walk a market with no list, buy what looks best, and cook it at home. It is a half-day, mostly because the cooking takes an afternoon, and it counts as a small treat rather than a big spend.

Choose when to go

Many markets run on weekend mornings, and some midweek or in the evening. Autumn is a good time, because the stalls are full of vegetables that keep well and that taste better cooked.

Go early if you want the best choice, because popular items sell out. Go later for a quieter market, and sometimes a better price as vendors start to pack up. Whichever you choose, bring a tote bag, cash for the smaller stalls and a bit of patience for the line at the best bread stand.

What to look for in fall

You do not need a list, but it helps to know what the season offers. In most places you will find:

• Winter squash and pumpkins, in more shapes than you can name.
• Root vegetables: potatoes, carrots, beets, parsnips, turnips.
• Leafy and green things: kale, chard, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, leeks.
• Fruit: apples and pears, and sometimes the last of the grapes.
• Everything else: bread, cheese, eggs, honey, apple cider, and flowers or dried bunches if you want a table decoration.

What is available depends on where you live. Look at which tables have the biggest piles, because those are usually at their peak.

How to shop with no list

1. Do a full lap before you buy anything. You will see what is there and compare prices.
2. Pick a hero. One vegetable that looks great, such as a squash with a deep colour or a bunch of carrots with their tops on.
3. Add a base: bread, potatoes, or a grain you already have at home.
4. Add something savoury or rich: cheese, eggs, sausage, or a jar of something pickled.
5. Taste, if the vendor offers. Most are happy to give you a sample.
6. Ask the grower how they cook it. Vendors are usually full of ideas.

Do not buy more than you can use this week. Fresh produce is best eaten soon.

Farmers market recipes: build dinner around it

You do not need a written recipe. A simple formula turns most market hauls into a meal:

• Roast the vegetables. Cut them into similar pieces, toss with oil and salt, and roast in a hot oven, around 425°F (220°C), until browned and tender. This usually takes 25 to 40 minutes depending on the vegetable. There is more on this in roast veg.
• Make soup. A squash roasted and blended with stock is one of the easiest dinners there is. See the idea for squash soup.
• Add bread and cheese. Toast the bread, warm the cheese or slice it, and put everything on one board.
• Add an egg. A fried or soft-boiled egg on top of roasted vegetables makes it a full meal.

Wash everything before you cook it, including vegetables you will peel.

Shopping and carrying

Bring a sturdy tote, and a second bag for anything wet or dirty, such as beets with soil on them. Put heavy things like squash at the bottom and soft things like bread and eggs on top. If you are buying meat, fish or dairy, take a cool bag, and go home straight afterwards rather than leaving it in a warm car.

Cash is still handy at small stalls, though many now take cards or phone payments. Prices are often chalked on a board, and it is fine to ask what something is, how it tastes or when it was picked. Growers are usually glad to be asked, and it is one of the best parts of shopping this way.

If something goes wrong

• You overspent. Cash makes it easy to do. Decide on a limit before you start.
• You bought too much. Cook it all and freeze the extra. Soup and roasted vegetables both freeze well.
• Nothing looks good. Buy bread and cheese, and one thing in season. That is still a meal.
• You do not know what something is. Ask. It is the best part of a market.

Make it a fall evening

Take your bags home, put on music, and cook slowly. Set the table with something that matches, whether that is a candle, a bunch of flowers or a bowl of the apples you bought. Invite a friend if you want, but it is just as good alone.