If you are anything like me, you are looking for ways to use your heaps of garden-fresh produce from your garden or the farmer’s market. I’ve had loads of cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplant and peppers lately. (Do you KNOW how many peppers and eggplants grow on one plant??? A lot.)
We will give away some of the produce, but we want to use as much as we can ourselves. So, we’ve been trying new dishes and old favorites with fresh items.
These are a few recipes I have found that looked delightful. Some I have tried, others I’m planning to try. I review the ones I’ve tried. Please share the recipes you love in the comments…
Hope you enjoy!
Cucumber:
(Printable)
These are very simple and incredibly delicious. Great for lunches and snacks. I add sliced fresh tomato to the top of the spread as well.
Tomatoes
Fresh Tomato Sauce
via Old Beach Bungalow (who found it via Real Simple)
I’m planning to try these this week with my first big crop of tomatoes. If Real Simple says it’s good, I believe it.
Eggplant
This was my first time cooking eggplant. The dish was pretty good and I think it would be better the second time around, now that I’m more familiar with it.
via Simply Recipes
This is going to be the next eggplant dish that I make. Looks delightful.
Zucchini
via me
You.must.try.this. It’s totally delicious.
via a coworker, Julie (and digitally documented by yours truly)
Super simple to make, and really delicious. Great to give to neighbors, family and freeze.
via my Aunt Cathy (and digitally documented by yours truly)
I haven’t made this myself, but we tried it at my aunt’s house. Boy-oh-boy… my mouth is watering. If you aren’t a zucchini person, you will still like this recipe. Tastes just like apple pie.
Zucchini-Squash-Potato Bake
via my Aunt Cathy
This is so delicious. Even Ryan, the hater of squash and zucchini, loved it. Just slice zucchini, squash and potatoes into very thin slices and halve them. Then put them in a baking dish and add pads of butter, salt and pepper to the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes to 1 hour (based on how large the dish is). It’s a great-looking dish, too, with the colors. I’ll try to take a photo soon.
Peppers
via me
via Homespun Threads
This is truly the best chili we’ve ever made at home. We made it in the Crock Pot and it was DELICIOUS. So yummy. Did I mention it’s awesome? Sub the canned tomatoes for fresh. Trust me on this. Try it.
What other recipes should we try with fresh things from the garden? Do share….
Hey Kim,
My in-laws loved the Zapple Pie so much at my house last week that they made a batch of their own this week.
We’re all still amazed how it tastes just like apple pie.
The Zapple Pie is as amazing as you claim!
Thanks for sharing.
http://alexandjess.wordpress.com/2009/08/31/zapple-pie/
I’ll come over and take your garden veggies off your hands, if you promise to cook. I tend to poison myself when I cook. So, woman, get in the kitchen and make me one of these dishes!
*Sorry, I forgot myself for a second. Hunger pangs, you see.*
We’ve been living on BLT’s made with our homegrown tomatoes. 🙂
My mother-in-law made this recipe:
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/panzanella?autonomy_kw=panzanella
and it was delicious; she used cherry tomatoes cut in half.
Also, I’ve made Zucchini cake that was great and have zucchini cookies on my to-do list (which I also just added Zapple Pie to).
I’m so glad you liked the chili…I made fresh spaghetti sauce a few nights ago and posted that recipe…the neighbors have been bringing us fresh tomatoes off the vine. It’s a totally different flavor than canned…SO YUMMY!
I made fresh tomato sauce the other day with a recipe from Mark Bittman. It was super tasty! Good luck with yours. I’m going to have to try some of these dishes on my own produce overload!
Holy yum!!!!