Fort Myers Farmer’s Market Find, Empanadas

Check out this week's Fort Myers Farmer's Market Find, Empanadas. You might be surprised that the menu at Pilar's Empanadas also include gluten free and vegetarian options too. More on that  next.

First, the market.  I love exploring local farmer's markets but many are beginning to wind down in advance of the hot summer.  Lakes Park Farmer's Market in Fort Myers occurs every Wednesday. It has typically wrapped up by this time. However, Hurricane Ian damage delayed the opening. So this year, organizers are staying open a bit longer.

As the days get hotter, the number of vendors has slowly been shrinking. In fact, I did not see Gina's Tamales this week, the vendor I featured here a couple of weeks ago. The end is near but it's not here yet. Thankfully, Pilar's Empanada wagon is still showing up. Pilar's is an Argentinian restaurant on Boy Scout Drive in Fort Myers. The kitchen is open and if you time a visit right, you can see the kitchen staff at work, creating literally hundreds of empanadas. This is good to know in case you can't track the wagon down at a farmer's market.

The empanada's pictured above might not look like those you traditionally find in restaurants. The shape, in part, is what differentiates the gluten free versions. Yes, gluten free (GF). Not only does Pilar's serve GF but also vegetarian. The bacon, plum and cheese are a favorite. So are the spinach and cheddar as well as the ham and cheese. Pilar's also has traditional beef filled but I like the spicy Carne Picante beef a little better.

Fort Myers Farmer's market find, empanadas from Pilar. They are this week's Fabulous Find!

Here are some delicious salsa recipes for Cinco De Mayo and TikTok Tuesday. Salsa is staple in Mexican cuisine. It really can be made with all kinds of ingredients. For instance mango. The sweet fruit and the heat of peppers is a popular and delicious combination. However, the recipes I found and listed here are more along the traditional route.

Cinco de Mayo falls on Friday this year. So many people who have the weekend off plan to celebrate the day in a big way. If you don't feel like going out but hosting a party or gathering, you almost HAVE to serve chips and salsa. Margaritas too. Heck, chips and salsa are good anytime of the year, so why not take a stab at making your own rather than the store bought varieties.

My social media feeds have been teaming with ideas for a Mexican fiesta for Cinco de Mayo. They've included all kinds of food and drink recipes, party decor and more. Salsa, to me, is key to a good Mexican restaurant. If the salsa isn't good, I am suspicious. It seems so simple to make. However, there are a few ingredients that are key as we see in these videos

I have a TikTok account that you can check out. However, you don't have to have an account to view the videos I found. You simply have to scroll down and hit play from this post. Most of these look pretty simple. Enjoy getting inspired with these delicious salsa recipes for Cinco De Mayo.