Alas, here we are with only a few weeks until the official end of summer, it’s time for all of us farmers’ market fanatics to showcase the best of the summer bounty. I want to share with you a few of my personal, quick, go-to recipes that feature my favorite summer farmers’ market finds. The beauty of the summer bounty is that the fruits and vegetables are so flavorful they require little work to truly be celebrated.
If you’ve ever grown your own food, you understand the hard work that goes into it. One of the things you never want to see is your harvest go to waste. Believe me, I know the sorrow of not being able to figure out what to do with my harvest fast enough before it is no longer fresh. On the flip side, this circumstance has really encouraged me to learn and try out different ideas for preserving whatever I grew. And now I am here to share them with you! Here are five ideas to preserve your garden harvest.
A lot of kids are already back in school, the sun is beginning to set a little earlier than we think it will, and the shock of how quickly summer is passing by is setting in. You’ll have to kick those end-of-summer blues to the curb though, because the summertime barbecues haven’t come to a close just yet! If you’re looking for an exciting, new dish to add to your Labor Day food festivities, I’ve got just the recipe for you.
Lentils with Roasted Beets and Tomato
As the sun sits high in the sky and beats down profusely, the thought might cross through tired summer minds of reaping cool relief for all ages with ingredients that are simply lying around the garden and in the kitchen fruit bowl. With just a few limes, a handful of mint and some sweetener, the most delicious summer mint-lime cooler can be produced in just a few minutes, and is sure to please the whole crew.
Ingredients (for one pitcher full):
Juice of 6-7 limes
Back when I was a starving student, I came across a create-your-own salad bar. The salad I made on one particular day changed my life forever. So, I tried recreating it on my own and the rest is history. It is without a doubt the best salad I’ve ever had in my entire life.
Symptoms of summertime begin to occur with the onset of the season; you feel the sunburn on your skin, the irritating itch of poison ivy, mosquitos and ticks, and some of the swimmers experience Swimmer’s Ear. True signs of summer! I'm going to walk you through Mother Earth's Medicine Cabinet to show you how you can naturally remedy some of the season’s most well-known ailments.
It’s blueberry season and the fields are bursting with juicy berries! Make the most of them with this simple muffin recipe that will melt in your mouth. The applesauce both substitutes for eggs and acts as a natural sweetener, reducing the overall amount of sugar. With the chewy exterior, slightly tart flavor and incredibly moist insides, these muffins make the perfect summer snack.
Makes 12 Muffins
Recipe:
½ cup vegan butter
½ cup sugar
It’s summer, the season for the king of fruits. No, not the durian -- the mango! It’s sweet, juicy, golden-yellow goodness. I like to think of mangoes as an app for my sugar cravings; whatever kind of sweetness you need, there is a mango for that. If you like sweet with a little bit of tang, you can find one like that. If you like a creamy sweet, there are mangoes for that. If you feel like a sugar rush, you can certainly find one for that. If it’s savory you desire, mangoes make a delicious curry dish or chutney as a side order.
It’s officially berry season, which is why right now is the perfect time to make jam. Using fresh, seasonal ingredients equals a flavorful jam that you can eat right now or store for winter when berries are, well, not so fresh.
This activity is not only fun for the culinary adventurous, but also for the child in all of us that loves running through a field of berries and picking until our hands simply can’t anymore. Growing up in Kansas, I spent many summer days visiting berry-picking farms. And if you’re lucky enough to grow your own berries, then this activity is a no brainer.