From our Garden to the Table + Bonus Recipe

Since we are in the heart of summer, there are so many fruits and vegetables coming out of the garden to the table whether it’s from your own backyard or your favorite produce stand. The big question is what to do with the beautiful, delicious bounty.

I’m taking a break from my normal art posts to share the 2 others loves I have.

Gardening and Cooking!

I am going to share some ideas on what to do with these delicious goodies and a few links of my favorite recipes. Plus a bonus recipe included for my Garden Fresh Salsa.

Blueberries

These are great for muffins, scones, cobbler or smoothies. If you have excess, freeze them. There are so many opinions on how to freeze blueberries. I just wash and let them dry. Then I put 2 cups in a freezer bag and throw them in the freeze. They will last for up to a year and I just take out what I need. Try this recipe for Blueberry Crisp.

Cucumbers

My favorite to grow is the pickling cucumber. They have few seed and are tasty. These stay in our refrigerator year round but they are best when home grown. Once we know we cannot eat all that we have, we pickle them. Here is great recipe for pickling cucumbers.

Eggplant

It’s not the best vegetable to preserve, but it sure is tasty. There is no better way to eat eggplant than to fry it…well pan fry it. This is my favorite way to fry eggplant.

Zucchini and Yellow Squash

Can you say yum! These are a family favorite. I roast them up in a little garlic and olive oil and there are never leftovers. Or I make zoodles for a healthy Italian dinner. These too are not the best to preserve so make a casserole or ratatouille.

Tomatoes

Where do I begin? There are so many uses for this delicious fruit.

You can dice and stew them or eat them right off of the vine. I love to make sauce with my excess. Tomatoes are also the easiest to can. All it takes is a simple water bath to preserve them for up to a year. But my absolute favorite to make is Garden Fresh Salsa.

You need…

Tomatoes

poblano or jalapeno pepper

Garlic

Red onion

Cilantro

A Lime

Kosher salt

Cumin

I give everything a rough chop throw it in the blender or food processor, squeeze the lime, add the salt and cumin and pulse it until everything is chopped to the consistency that I like.

It’s really that easy and so yummy that you will never want to buy store salsa again. Enjoy your Garden Fresh Salsa with tortilla chips or with tacos.

You can also make a huge batch to preserve. There’s a canning section at your grocery store to purchase your jars and lids. I use ½ quart jars for salsa. All you have to do is sterilize your jars and lids, fill the jars with salsa, and give them a water bath. Let the water come a boil and boil the jars for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove the jars. After about 10 minutes, you will hear a pop and that means your jars are sealed. Your canned salsa will last up to a year. (Mine never makes it that long!)

What do you do with your garden fruits and vegetables? Share your recipes in the comments!

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