Reunions often pop-up during unexpected family gatherings, giving you little time to plan and prepare. It’s time to start enjoying your last-minute reunions! With lots of great food, fun, relaxation, and just catching up, you deserve to join in the fun, not stand (or cook) on the sidelines.

American Market is open Saturdays through Sept. 5th 10am to 3pm

If you want to spend less time cooking, check out the American Market at National Harbor for fresh, local produce, baked goods and specialty foods ready to eat and enjoy. Here’s a local recipe that is simple to prepare, with produce fresh from the American Market! For more recipes, check out ReunionCapitalUSA.com

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Summer Salad with local  Tomatoes, mixed beans, sweet corn and Goat cheese

Ingredients for 4 large servings:

30 oz ripe Heirloom tomatoes cut in wedges
16 oz yellow wax beans
16 oz green beans
12 oz sweet white corn chucked
4 oz of Basil
12 oz of small diced red bell pepper
Sea salt to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
Extra virgin olive oil
Spanish sherry vinegar to taste
12 oz of fresh goat cheese room temperature

Preparation: Keep all vegetable at room temperature just before serving in order to get the full flavor. Cut the cleaned, washed tomatoes in wedges and keep the shape of the tomato, place in a bowl. Clean both ends of the beans and cook in salted water for approx. 5-6 min, shock them in salted cold water, drain them and cut in 1.5 inch pieces. Clean the corn of the cob and cut off with a sharp knife, sauté them in light olive oil and a tsp of fresh butter until soft without adding color to the corn. Let the corn cool down. Dice the cleaned and washed red bell pepper into same size cubes.

Mix the beans, sweet corn, red bell pepper and tomatoes together, add the washed and cleaned basil that is cut into thin stripes. Season with sea salt, pepper, olive oil and sherry vinegar to taste. Assure that the salad is nicely coated with the oil and vinegar.

In a separate bowl add the goat cheese and season with sea salt and pepper, add some olive oil and let it get to room temperature.

On a large round plate assemble the salad with equal amounts of each ingredient. Sprinkle the goat cheese over the salad and finish the plate by drizzling extra virgin olive oil over the salad.

From Wolfgang Birk: Executive Chef/GM of Old Hickory Steakhouse at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center

American Market at National Harbor

The American Market is open Saturdays from May 2nd to September 5th, 10 to 3 pm.

The start of the summer reunion season is finally here…Cheers!