Farmers Market Nachos
For those of you who missed my last post, I am officially getting back to my blogging days! I am so excited to provide you all with easy, locally-sourced recipes using ingredients that can be found at both the Heights Mercantile and Rice Village Farmers Markets.
These farmers markets are filled with healing foods, hidden gems and so much to highlight! My hope is that as you read these recipes, you have a visual of what all the markets have to offer and learn more about these amazing and hardworking small businesses that help this community thrive!
The Super Bowl is coming up this weekend, and no one has a watch party without a spread of snacks. And what better snack is there to share, than nachos? So I decided to make a traditional nacho plate with as many market ingredients as possible.
Nachos are yet another wonderfully flexible dish. You can easily show up to a market without a recipe and go wild on what you’d like to top your nachos with. In this recipe I decided to go with tried and true ingredients that never disappoint but who’s to say there aren’t a dozen more toppings to find at the market to take your nachos next level! During last Sunday’s market I snagged chips from Chilequiles, fresh tomatoes and onions from Wood Duck Farm, a wonderful herb salt from Regen Ranch, and ground beef from Erbe Ranch. I had intended to add Chilesquiles guac and green salsa but I forgot it in the fridge. Sad face.
Chilesquiles creates and sells amazing handcrafted cooking sauces, salsas, chips, pico and guacamole. Though we didn’t use salsa in this recipe Chilesquiles salsa and guacamole would go perfectly. Wood Duck is an 87 acre farm, located in Cleveland, Texas. They have a thriving CSA program and have been providing healthy produce to the community for years. Wood Duck is actually in the process of fighting a proposed landfill in San Jacinto County, visit this website to learn more about how you can help! Erbe Ranch is a family owned farm located in Cat Spring, Texas raising grass-fed beef, pastured poultry and pastured pork. The property has been in Farmer Brian’s family for over one hundred thirty five years. Regen Ranch is a woman owned and run ranch in Oakwood, Texas. With the goal of providing clean food, Christine sells grass fed beef & lamb, pasture raised turkey, and farm fresh eggs.
Share the love! If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to share photos and tag the vendors who provided the ingredients! One of the best ways to support these local, small businesses is by spreading the word and sharing your market finds with friends and family. And of course, if you stop by the Rice Village or Heights Mercantile markets striking up conversations with the vendors will always have you walking away with wonderful recipe ideas.
Ingredients
1 bag tortilla chips
1 lb grass-fed ground beef (or other preferred meat)
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 bunch green onions (or 1 red onion)
1 jalapeño
1 1/2 tsp Regen Ranch herb salt
1 basket of cherry tomatoes or 2-3 roma-type tomatoes
1 bunch cilantro
1-2 limes
8oz grass-fed shredded cheese
Method
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Dice the tomatoes and onions and set aside
Slice jalapeños and limes and set aside
Chop cilantro and set aside
In a medium saucepan heat 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat then add ground beef.
Add the herb salt, stirring the ground beef until it is completely browned. Remove beef from heat.
Spread a layer of chips on a baking pan and spread half of the browned beef and half of the cheese on top. Add another layer of chips and spread the rest of the beef and cheese on top.
Place the baking pan in the oven for 5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
Remove the pan from the oven and set aside to start cooling. While cooling top with the fresh tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, lime and cilantro. Then dig in before they’re all gone!
We hope to see you at the the 1st and 3rd Sunday at Rice Village Farmers Market or 2nd and 4th Sunday at Heights Mercantile Farmers Market. Both markets run from 9-1 pm, with Heights located at 714 Yale St. and Rice located at 2504 Amherst St. These markets operate rain or shine! We will have over 60 vendors, live music, and immaculate vibes.
Thank you for following along and supporting local!
xxCB