Unsure about the south but much of the country is entering garden/produce bounty AND surplus season!!!
Share a new or tried and true way you like to prepare or eat summer’s bounty. Veggie or fruit. Herbs or flowers (yes some are edible)
For lunch today I’m doing an annual favorite with my abundance of peppers right now including banana and other types. Remove the tops, clean out the seeds, fill with a cheese mixture (feta, mozzarella, cheddar is good), place them in a pie pan or I’m currently doing them in an air fryer. Top with your favorite tomato based sauce - bake till roasted and the cheese is browned. YUM!
Earlier this week I made this easy bruschetta which I was half tempted to eat for breakfast it was so good.
I served it with toasted homemade garlic/parm sourdough bread.
My current CSA share included zucchini, cherry tomatoes and an enormous eggplant ( cue the jokes). My backyard deck herb garden has an abundance of basil.
I love making zucchini bread. My new quick use for zucchini is the following:
slice zucchini into circles (disks), spread out on pan, sprinkle with oil, spices, breadcrumbs, bake/broil until breadcrumbs are golden and zucchini is cooked.
Zucchini pizza boats for us tonight. I fill them with whatever veggies I have on hand, sometimes adding ground turkey sausage. Tonight I’m sautéing peppers, onions, shredded carrots and chopped broccoli. I mix with pizza sauce, add sliced black olives and mozzarella and fill hollowed out par-baked zucchini. Bake and enjoy.
We sometimes have these as our entree with a big salad. Tonight we’ll have them alongside chicken breasts and small salad.
We have pasta with fresh tomato sauce at least once a week. We make the sauce a variety of ways with our tomatoes to change it up - for example, roast them in the oven with garlic and then puree, add a tiny bit of cream and fresh basil, or we let them simmer on the stove in olive oil, garlic, etc until they cook down.
Dh makes fresh salsa once a week or so - he grills the tomatoes and jalapeno peppers first, but not sure what else he does as I’m rarely home when he makes it.
We eat a lot of grilled zucchini and eggplant. We also make stuffed eggplant, filling the eggplant with chunks of sauteed eggplant, tomatoes and feta.
BLTs and Panera-like veggie sandwiches - I use hearty, crusty bread slathered with hummus, then layered with sliced tomato, cucumber, red onions, lettuce and feta cheese.
We often have sliced tomato, fresh mozz and basil as a side dish with dinner.
No exact recipe, but here is what I do. I chop zucchini into small pieces and sauté with some onion and garlic in olive oil. Add some pasta sauce and throw in a bunch of meatballs. Heat through well, serve with shredded cheese and bread. Or as a variation, I throw in some separately cooked gnocchi.
I also make zucchini medallions. Cut medium sized zucchini into slices, dip each in a mixture of flour, salt, and Italian seasoning, and then pan fry in olive oil making sure the pan is not overheated. Makes a great side to chicken or other proteins.
Our basil is doing great, so I’ve been doing multiple batches of pesto every week to freeze for the rest of the year. I use Souper Cubes to freeze them, then transfer to bags. Kitchen and Freezer Storage Solutions - Souper Cubes®
Been doing a cucumber salad – basically a couple packs (usually about 12, miniature cukes), cherry tomatoes from the garden, garlic, chopped onion or scallions (red onion is really pretty). All sliced up. Then a dressing of 5 tablespoons rice vinegar, about 2-3 tbs toasted sesame oil, and a couple glugs of Trader Joes sweet chili sauce. (the original recipe was honey and chili sauce–this was my change.)
Lots of tomato salads, and fresh tomato sauce. Very simple–peeled seeded chopped up tomatoes, garlic, onions, basil, all quick sauteed in good olive oil, just long enough for everything to be a little sweet (20 minutes or so).
I may or may not have had the most delicious BLT sandwich on rustic garlic parm sourdough for dinner the last two nights….i do often add in other things like an egg or some cheese - or tonight basil leaves in addition to the lettuce!
1 and 1/2 cups grated zucchini, about 2 medium
Salt
3 Tblsp butter, 1 tblsp melted butter
1/3 cup grated onion
1/4 tsp thyme
2 eggs, separated
1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup fine bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 325.
-Sprinkle zucchini generously with salt. Drain on paper toweling 30 minutes. Press to remove excess water, Pat dry.
-Melt butter in saucepan, add onion, cook until transparent. Remove from heat.
-Beat yolks. Add thyme, milk, 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, and zucchini. Stir until mixed.
-Beat egg whites until stiff. Fold into zucchini mixture.
-Lightly spoon mixture into buttered one quart baking dish or 5 individual baking dishes.
-Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, melted butter, and remaining bread crumbs.
-Bake at 325 25-30 minutes, or until puffed and top is golden.
Yesterday I made my favorite peach, burrata, cherry tomatoes, proscuitto and cherry salad with a balsamic vinaigrette with fresh dill and basil, so good!
At some point this week I will make roasted zucchini and eggplant similar to what @kiddie makes except I slice them in long slices and use parmesan instead of bread crumbs. Also, corn salad with red onion, cherry tomatoes, red pepper and basil and tomato slices with mozzarella and basil.
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