Summer Produce- How to cook with what you have
By Rebekah Zehr, Parent Committee coordinator
Memorial Day has come and gone. After the chilly spring, lets say summer is here, shall we? Our green house friend said this is a record breaking year for planting gardens. Since people may end up spending more time at home this summer, they may as well have a fun hobby that gives back plentifully all summer long. If you are one of the many who are tending to a vegetable garden, berry patch, or fruit tree, you may be thinking about what to do with it all once it gets harvested.
Here is a list of ways to flavor up the “fruits of your labor.”
[P.S. No shame in shopping at the farmer’s market.]
Asparagus: Grill whole spears as a side dish. Or use a veggie peeler to make thin strips and place over your salad greens. Pairs well with a drizzle of white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar.
Broccoli: Steam until tender crisp. Dip or drizzle whisked lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, chili flakes (optional) and salt. Or slice thin raw broccoli and brussels sprouts and toss with white balsamic vinegar and olive oil for a quick and crunchy salad. Add on fruit, nuts or dried fruit.
Carrots: Carrot cake overnight oats. Shred carrots (1/2 cup) and add to a bowl with 1 cup oats and 1 1/4 cup almond milk. Stir in 3 Tbsp maple syrup, 1 Tbsp chia seeds, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 3 Tbsp chopped walnuts and 3 Tbsp golden raisins. Save tops to make Carrot Top pesto. Purée in a blender 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, 2-4 garlic cloves or 2/3 cup garlic scapes, juice of one lemon, 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp honey, 1/4 tsp salt. Use as a spread for pizza or base for dressing. Or toss pesto with cooked grains and chopped veggies for a quick salad.
Cilantro: Southwest Sweet potato dip. Roast sweet potato cubes drizzled with a little olive oil, maple syrup and a sprinkle of salt at 325 for 20 minutes. Add 1 cup corn the last 5 minutes. Make a sauce with mashed avocado, 3 Tbsp lime juice, 1-2 Tbsp maple syrup and 1 Tbsp olive oil. Chop red onions and a handful of cilantro and stir everything together. Serve with corn chips. Or try a green herb tahini sauce. Blend 1/2 cup tahini, 1/2 cup water,2 Tbsp olive oil, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 garlic clove, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 cups cilantro, 2 cups parsley, 1/2 cup mint, and 1 date. Great as a dip for roasted sweet potato wedges.
Cucumber: Mint and cucumber infused water. Place a sliced cucumber and a couple sprigs of mint in a pitcher of water. Place in refrigerator for 1-2 hours. Marinated cucumber is easy and refreshing: Shred and place in a mason jar. marinate with rice vinegar, sesame oil and a pinch of salt. Can also layer in other shredded hard veggies to make a rainbow effect: bell peppers, carrots, radishes, red cabbage.
Dill: Make a cashew dill spread for baguette slices. Soak 1 1/2 cups cashews overnight, drain and rinse. Place in a high speed blender with some 1 tsp garlic flakes, Tbsp nutritional yeast, 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1/4 tsp salt, and juice of 1 lemon. Add chopped dill and season with salt and pepper. Thin with a little water to make a pourable dressing for your salad.
Kale: For a great salad, remove the ribs and massage with olive oil and lemon juice to remove the bitterness. Toss with mango and goat cheese. Or roast your own kale chips. Lay ripped pieces of kale on a sprayed cookie sheet. Sprinkle with olive oil, salt, and nutritionally yeast. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.
Onion: Caramelized onion. Thinly slice a variety of 3 onions. Toss with 4 chopped garlic cloves, 1/4 cup water and 2 Tbsp salt. Mound everything in the center of a sheet pan and bake 40-50 minutes, tossing everything after 30 minutes. Caramelized onions can be stirred into Greek yogurt for a quick dip. Or use as a topping on avocado toast or burgers.
Peaches and plums: Roasted stone fruit. Halve and take the pit out of 4-6 peaches and/or plums and place on a big sheet of aluminum foil. Top with honey and cinnamon. Wrap tightly and place on warm grill for 10-20 minutes. Open up packet and serve with blackberry sauce: blend 2 cups blackberries, 1/2 squeezed lemon, 1 Tbsp maple syrup, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Or cook up a quick stone fruit compote to top pancakes: 1 pound sliced plums/peaches, 1-2 Tbsp grated ginger, 1/2 tsp cardamom, pinch of salt, 2 Tbsp maple syrup and 1/4 cup water. Cook in a pan 5-7 minutes.
Strawberries; Mango and strawberry salsa. Stir together a handful of chopped cilantro, 1/2 chopped red pepper, 2 cubed mangos, 5-6 chopped strawberries, 1/4 finely diced red onion, 1 tsp honey, 1 Tbsp lime juice and salt. Serve over grilled fish. Or serve Strawberry Chia Pudding for breakfast, snack or dessert. In a blender or food processor add 1 cup fresh strawberries, 1 can of coconut milk, 2 Tbsp honey, 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract), and 2 tsp rose water (optional). Add mixture to a bowl along with 1/4 cup chia seeds. Cover and let rest 4 hours or overnight.
Tomatoes: Two classic salads that rely on fresh tomatoes: Tomato Caprese and Panzanella . Tomato caprese: On a serving tray layer tomato and fresh mozzarella slices. Drizzle olive oil, balsamic or white balsamic vinegar over everything. Panzanella: In a bowl, lightly stir together halved cherry tomatoes, fresh oregano leaves, olive oil, sherry or red wine vinegar, ripped up chunks of whole grain bread and crumbled feta. Both salads can be topped with crispy fried shallots.
Zucchini: Zucchini noodles and roasted cherry tomatoes. Roast halved cherry tomatoes, chopped garlic and fresh thyme on a sheet pan at 300 for 1 hour. (Make extra to freeze.) In the meantime, use a spiralizer to make thin strips out of 2-3 zucchini. Sauté in a medium pan with a little olive oil. Place tomatoes on top of zucchini and squeeze a lemon over it. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with everything bagel seasoning.
There you have it! A quick guide to summer cooking. I would love to see pics of the great dishes you are going to be creating and serving to everyone you love. Email me at rebekah@zehr.net or saladvantage@outlook.com.
