Summer gardens are hitting their stride and what to do with all their bounty? Even if you don’t have your own garden, farmer’s markets and grocery produce counters are bursting with delicious flavors. Here are some simple ideas of how to enjoy the abundance and make sure these seasonal favorites don’t go to waste.
But before I do, let me say one thing for those who enjoy gardening, like I do. When you are the one who prepares the soil, sows the seed, carefully tends the baby plants, stresses over frost, drought, and windstorms; pulls weeds, fertilizes, and eagerly anticipates the first fruits of your labors, you have a very different level of respect for the food you eat. I savor every tomato; eating a meal consisting entirely of my home-grown veggies gives a satisfaction I would never have in a fancy restaurant. Having a connection to the food you eat yields a harvest of gratefulness. And for all the food I don’t grow myself, thank you, farmers, for blessing all of us with your labor!
Sliced Tomatoes with Fresh Basil
There is nothing that screams summer more than red, ripe tomatoes; except for yellow ripe ones. Or pink ones. Or striped. Tomatoes come in all shapes, sizes and colors, with flavor to match. A simple way to showcase them is to slice them, drizzle on some high quality olive oil, sprinkle with fresh ground pepper and salt, then dress with thinly sliced basil. When I take this seasonal treat to gatherings, they quickly disappear.
Tomato Sauce
When my plants are at their peak of producing, I hate to let any of their fruit spoil. If I’m blessed with more than we can eat fresh, I gather up all the extras, regardless of type, and put them in a large metal pot. I chop them and put them on low heat. As they start to break down, I use my immersion blender to puree them. If you don’t want the seeds or skin you can run them through a food mill, but I personally like to eat them, seeds and all. You can add chopped pepper, onion, garlic, etc. to taste. As the sauce cooks down, I add salt. Either we eat the sauce then or I freeze it for a winter day when I want a sunny reminder of summer.
Veggie Noodles
A low calorie/high nutrition substitute for regular pasta is to use vegetable instead. Here, I used a spiral cutter to form zucchini into a twisty noodle-like shape. Quickly boil in salted water for just a few minutes; you don’t want your ‘noodle’ to turn to mush. Serve with the tomato sauce from above, or your own favorite. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.
Garden Medley
I could call it the kitchen sink, because I take whatever is growing in my garden and saute them in a large skillet, seasoning with salt and pepper as I go. But there are a few tricks to keep in mind. I use a little olive or coconut oil at the start, but not too much. Begin with the veggies that will take the longest to cook. For me, that is onion, pepper, and the stalks of Swiss chard. From there, I will add zucchini and/or yellow squash, sliced thinly. Next comes the leaves of the Swiss chard, and at the end, chopped tomato and fresh herbs, just to heat through. Sometimes I’ll add a hit of fresh squeezed lemon juice. Very delicious with a hint of balsamic vinegar glaze.
Oven Baked Salmon
This is SO delicious over my Garden Medley and so good for you as well. Take your piece of fresh salmon, and place it on a large sheet of foil that’s been drizzled in the middle with olive oil and a bit of salt. Place the salmon on the oil/salt, then rub the salmon with more olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt and fresh ground pepper, covering the top with slices of lemon and a few sprigs of parsley. Roll up and seal the foil packet, place on a baking sheet, and bake at 400 degrees for around 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of your fish. You can take it out and unroll the foil to check. When flesh is opaque, your fish is done. Cooking in the foil keeps in all those lovely juices, which taste AMAZING when you serve your salmon over the garden medley.
Greek Yogurt Dip
My cucumbers are starting to come in and this is my favorite way to enjoy them. Simply take plain Greek yogurt and add your favorite ranch dip mix to it. In this example, I added half a package to one cup of yogurt. Of course, you can add your own mix of fresh herbs instead.
Itty Bitty Berry Pies
After all these healthy veggies, we can’t forget dessert! I’ve been picking wild blackberries lately and the local blueberry crop is in, too. A quick and easy way to enjoy them is with these simple pies. Using frozen mini pie crusts, fill with the following mixture:
6 cups of fruit (any berries. I used a mix of blackberries and blueberries)
1/2 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons of cornstarch
squeeze of 1/2 lemon juice
Gently toss together and spoon into the pie shells. I filled 16 with this amount. On top of each pie, sprinkle with a spoonful of this tasty crumble:
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup AP flour
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
dash of cinnamon and salt
Keep this crumble recipe around. It’s perfect for Apple Crisp, and as a topping to muffins, banana bread, zucchini bread, etc.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 to 40 minutes, until crust is done and crumble is crisp. Let cool a bit to serve. Vanilla ice cream or fresh sweetened whipped cream make great accompaniments.
