A few times throughout the semester, the Student’s Union holds the farmer’s market, and for £3 a ticket, ten pieces of fresh fruit and veg are yours for the taking. Set out across a handful of tables, you are instructed to pick a certain number of items from each table, for instance you may choose one item from a range of courgettes, aubergines, sweet potatoes or broccoli.
Lower ticket items are more generous, with the options to choose two or three items from various tables, with a healthy mix of citrus fruits, apples and bananas, cupboard staples like garlic and ginger, or veg rack favourites including carrots, onions and potatoes.
The market doesn’t skimp on size or quality of the produce. You’ll struggle to find bruised fruit among the selection, as green bananas ensure that you have a few days to forget about them being at the bottom of your bag before it becomes a problem.
Speaking of bags, in a valiant effort towards sustainability, before selecting your fruit and veg, you are handed a brown paper bag, by a friendly member of SU staff, in which to store your fruit and vegetables. So, not only will you capture that whole-foods vibe, in having an organic-looking bag of goodies to carry around uni for the day, but you’ve also done it plastic free.
The big question is, what to do with all that fresh produce when you’ve brought them home. Not to worry, the market has provided a few great ideas. Offering up suggestions of pasta, curries, stir fries and more, the SU are keen to make sure that fresh produce doesn’t go to waste, after all nobody wants a rotting pepper at the back of the fridge.
Of course, we thought we would contribute to some culinary ideas too. With aubergines, you may enjoy a classic Italian melanzane parmigiana, or perhaps a hearty moussaka. Courgettes, fried lightly in olive oil and diced onion may bulk up the rotational pesto pasta, or for a more indulgent snack are great turned into fritters.
With that enormous onion, French onion soup comes to mind, because who doesn’t love a soup topped with baguette and melted cheese? Or, that juicy red pepper may be sliced and simply enjoyed with some houmous or added to some sliced chicken to be included in some sizzling fajitas. The options are endless!
So, the next time the SU eats farmer’s market makes an appearance on campus, it’s well worth buying a ticket, as for just 30p an item, it does beat the formidable Sainsbury’s yellow sticker section. To make life easier, slots can be booked throughout the day, so there’s no need to stress about missing all the good stuff first thing in the morning, as supplies are restocked regularly.
For event reminders and early access to tickets sign up to the SU Eats mailing list here.
