Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Perfect Recipes for Spring and Summer Produce

One of the things that I love about summer is the overabundance of fresh vegetables and fruit. And not only is it abundant, but prices are super cheap at local Farmer's markets and roadside stands. This year, I'm also excited about my own garden, which is steadily churning out an abundance of fresh veggies.

I thought I'd start highlighting a few recipes from the 28 Cooks archives that are perfect for using up that spring and summer produce. I'll do this every other week or so, so be sure to check back often for other great recipes. And without further ado, on to the recipes.

Sofrito is such a wonderful flavor base for almost any Mexican or Indian recipe. The combination of peppers, onion, and cilantro makes a wonderful addition to guacamole, dips (Black Bean Dip, anyone??), and sauces. Plus, it'll rapidly use up those fresh peppers and herbs that are soon to be coming from your garden.

 
 
We are loving ourselves some asparagus this season. I can't believe I didn't even like it as a kid, as I can't get enough of it now. This asparagus pesto is a great way to use up some of the bounty this spring. Use it as a sauce for pasta, or it's even better as a dip for raw vegetables.
 
 

Cilantro Zucchini Hummus anyone?? I had completely forgotten about this recipe until I started digging through my archives looking for recipes to highligh. This is one tasty and fresh recipe - plus, it's raw and vegan, which makes it even healthier. I guarantee you'll want to keep this recipe around this summer!


And finally, this is a great pickling recipe that can be adapted to almost any vegetable you have in the house. Plus, it's super easy! None of that tricky canning stuff here!

 
 

Well that's all for today, folks! I'll be back later this week with some recipes that are making good use of our rapidly expanding garden.