Pairing up tried and true recipes with all the veggies from your garden, farmers market, or weekly CSA box!
are you cooking from the garden this summer?
Whether you’ve got a full blown veg garden, or a weekly delivery from your CSA, sometimes that bountiful produce gets the better of us. No worries, I’ve rounded up my freshest recipes to inspire you to use up every juicy tomato, and every last darn zucchini summer can throw at you!
SUMMER SQUASH/ZUCCHINI
Zucchini is known for being…productive, and by the end of summer we can’t give the stuff away. But armed with the right sweet and savory recipes, you might start hoarding that surplus.
- Goat Cheese and Summer Squash Tart
- Gluten Free Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cheesy Zucchini Casserole
- Ultimate One Bowl Zucchini Bread!
SWISS CHARD
I love Swiss chard, it’s so beautiful, and easy to grow. But what to do with it? There aren’t a lot of chard recipes out there! Try using it in place of other greens in recipes that call for spinach, kale, or collard greens.
TOMATOES
Most of us don’t need any help eating the delicious, sun-warmed bounty from our tomato plants, but if you’re looking for some new inspiration, I’ve got plenty of recipes that’ll do justice to your prized specimens.
- Tomato Toast with Basil Mayonnaise
- Roasted Halibut with Tomatoes, Peppers, and Olives
- Shirazi Salad (Persian Cucumber Tomato Salad)
- Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho
PEPPERS
Peppers don’t always get as much attention in the summer, when tomatoes and summer fruits are stealing all the limelight, but I love them for their bright flavors and versatility in the kitchen!
- Habanero Nectarine Jam
- Sheet Pan Peppers and Brats
- Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers
- Grilled Shishito Peppers
CUCUMBERS
Pickles, of course, but there’s lots more you can do with garden cukes, so bring ’em on!
- Quick and Spicy Refrigerator Pickles
- Japanese Cucumber Salad (Sunomono)
- Corn and Cucumber Salad
- Lentil Salad Recipe with Cucumber and Mint
CABBAGE
Cabbages are such fun to grow in the garden with their dramatic size and lovely dusty green/blue colors. I use cabbage raw and cooked, all summer long and into the fall and winter. It may not be the most glamorous vegetable in the garden, but it’s a true hero in my book.
- Favorite Vinegar Coleslaw Recipe
- Roast Chicken with Potatoes, Apples and Brown Cabbage
- Red Cabbage and Dill Slaw
- Fried Cabbage and Bacon Slaw
EGGPLANT
Eggplants are one of the heartier veggies to come out of my summer garden, and I love using them as the main attraction in a dish. Roasting or grilling them brings out amazing, sweet flavor.
- Grilled Baby Eggplant with Minted Yogurt and Pomegranate
- Pasta Alla Norma
- A Classic Moussaka Recipe
- Smokey Baba Ganoush
KALE
Kale is beloved by gardeners for its ability to provide fresh leafy greens from mid summer right up to the first frosts of the fall. This healthy veggie can be used in so many different ways, raw or cooked, and I love the different varieties you can get when you grow your own. Use any of them interchangeably in these recipes.
- Kale and Pancetta Pasta with Lemon and Garlic
- Authentic Irish Colcannon Recipe (Mashed Potatoes with Kale)
- Kale and Fall Fruit Salad with Cider Poppy Seed Dressing
- Purple Kale and Pansy Salad
BRUSSELS SPROUTS
Brussels sprouts take a long time to mature in the garden, so make sure you’re prepared to let those sprouts shine with the perfect recipe once they’re finally ready to harvest!
- Maple Candied Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
- Cheesy Brussels Sprout Dip
- Creamed Brussels Sprouts
- The Secret to the Best Brussels Sprout Soup!
BROCCOLI
Broccoli can go super healthy or super comforting depending on your mood. Keep it light and crisp in the summer with a healthy slaw, and bring on the comfort food in early fall with a cheesy dip or soup!
- Broccoli Honeycrisp Slaw
- Beef and Broccoli Noodle Bowls
- Irresistible Broccoli Cheese Dip!
- Broccoli Stilton Soup
- Broccoli Cheese Casserole (the ultimate make ahead recipe)
1 Comment
Angela Thacker
June 29, 2021 at 1:45 amOnly recently found your recipes and I love them. Easy, Healthy just the kind of food we love.