A well-tended garden provides tasty rewards. In fact, your gardening may leave you with a large crop of vegetables, fruits and herbs to enjoy. The good news is that you only need a little time to whip up dishes with freshly picked herbs and produce. This guide features 10-minute recipes for enjoying the best of your garden.
Tomatoes
Surely one of the best uses for fresh, ripe tomatoes is a Caprese salad. Alternate slices of red tomato (or try heirloom varieties in shades of green and yellow), creamy fresh mozzarella and spicy basil leaves. Finish with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. If you wish, add drizzles of balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
Salsa in a Hurry Recipe
Bring the party to the table with your very own homemade salsa. The secret ingredient is your homegrown tomatoes.
Salsa in a Hurry Recipe:
- Start with 5 Roma tomatoes with skins removed, half an onion, a garlic clove and a handful of cilantro.
- Throw it all into a blender. Blitz it until chunky or smooth, depending on your preference.
- Add chopped jalapenos to taste.
Corn
Corn is ripe about 20 days after silk first appears. Look for the silk to dry, and feel around the tapered end of the husk to see if the ear feels full. Buttered and salted corn on the cob is a standard backyard grill side dish.
Corn and Black Bean Salsa Recipe
Som corn varieties are sweet enough to be eaten raw. Just scrape the kernels off the cob and add them to salads and salsas.
Corn and Black Bean Salsa Recipe:
- Take the kernels from an ear of corn and place in a bowl with a can of black beans, drained; 2 sweet mini peppers, chopped; 3-4 scallions, chopped; and 3 or 4 tomatoes, chopped.
- Remove the seeds and membranes from a jalapeno, chop it and add it to the bowl.
- Stir with a spoon and add juice of half a lime, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Cilantro is a nice addition, if you care for it, and avocado, too.
- Serve with tortilla chips.
Zucchini
Pick zucchini when the fruits are 6 to 8 inches long. They are much tastier than ones left on the vine until they become as big as baseball bats.
And since they can sometimes have a bitter taste due to extremes in growing conditions, it’s good to go ahead and peel the vegetable.
Zucchini is such a versatile vegetable when it’s cooked in sautees, sauces and such that we forget it can be tasty raw.
Raw Zucchini Salad Recipe:
- Peel 3 zucchini and slice them into thin rounds. Put them into a bowl.
- Add slices of a small red onion.
- Crumble in an ounce or two of feta cheese.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Dress with your favorite homemade or store-bought red wine vinaigrette.
Cucumbers
As with zucchini, pick cucumbers when they are young. Add sliced cukes to salads or lightly pickle in a brine. Make delicate tea sandwiches by buttering slices of baguette and topping with thin rounds of cucumber and a sprinkle of herbs like parsley or dill.
If you have more than 10 minutes, here’s how to drain cucumbers: Peel and slice cucumbers and layer the rounds in a colander set over a bowl. Lightly sprinkle salt between the layers. Let the cucumbers drain for about a half hour and discard the liquid. Use the cukes on sandwiches and in salads.
Cantaloupes
It’s easy to pick a ripe cantaloupe, just look for a change in color, from yellow to tan. Cantaloupes will pass the sniff test by giving off a sweet fragrance. Ripe melons slip easily from their stems.
Melons will not ripen significantly after picked. If you have one that was picked too soon, you can improve the flavor by tossing cubes of cantaloupe with the juice of half a lime, a drizzle of honey and a scattering of mint.
Watermelon
Sweet summer watermelon is delicious on its own, but chunks can be added to a fruit salad. Or slice up ice cold watermelon into pie-shaped wedges and insert popsicle sticks for a fruity fresh treat.
Keep ripe watermelon in the refrigerator for a few days, cutting only when you’re ready to use it.
With 10-minute recipes for enjoying the best of your garden, you can quickly prepare dishes featuring homegrown produce. These recipes work for casual meals or gatherings with family and friends. Experiment to find flavor combinations using whatever’s in season paired with fresh herbs or ingredients from your pantry.
You’ll have to plan ahead for a fruitful harvest. Ready to get plants and everything else you need for a thriving garden? The Home Depot delivers online orders when and where you need them.