From The Garden: Summer Food Style

One of things I really appreciate about living in Minnesota (besides the summer) is truly appreciating produce in all four seasons. Fall and winter are the best times for squash and root vegetables. Spring and summer are home to lush-colored fruits and lively greens.

This year, my Beloved and I decided to plant herbs from seed in our garden, which can be kind of hit or miss. Although some things did not take (I'm looking at you Spinach and Chives.), for the most part, we have been rewarded with a bumper crop of fresh herbs, lettuce, peppers, and tomatoes.

Which begs the question: what to do with all of this bounty?

A few recipes came to mind that I tried and thought I would share

Chimichurri Sauce

In my world, cilantro is not an herb, but a way of life. There is not much that cilantro can't fix. We have an abundance of it this year, and after trying this recipe visiting my BFF, I decided to give this it a try.

• ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
• ½ cup fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp. finely chopped onion (I used slightly more, but I like onion)
• Juice of ½ a lemon
• 2 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press
• Pinch of red pepper flakes (again, I used slightly more b/c I like the heat)
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Place the cilantro, parsley, onion, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, red pepper flakes, 1 tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper in the bowl of a food processor (or blender) and pulse until roughly chopped. Slowly pour in the olive oil and process until the chimichurri is semi-smooth about 4 seconds. Transfer to a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.

Awesome on steak and potatoes!

Caprese Salad

An old summer stand-by that never gets old. Our basil is sprouting like mad, and I decided to cut up one of our tomatoes and add fresh basil, mozzarella, olive oil, vinegar, and salt/ pepper.

Grilled Peaches With Blue Cheese, Prosciutto, and Basil 

Growing up, fresh fruit was not a staple in my house. Not because we didn't have access to it, but we really didn't eat it. I had only about three foods that I cared for, so much of my fruit was out of a can--let's have a collective amen for the Del Monte Canned Peaches in Light Sauce.

Over the weekend, I ran to grocery store to pick up supplies for dinner when I was assaulted by the smell of fresh peaches, and I knew I had to have them.

Ingredients

• 3 peaches, ripe (test for softness)
• Red pepper flakes
• Olive oil
• Blue cheese
• Basil
• Honey (optional)
• Prosciutto

Directions

I tried this recipe with both red and white peaches. The white peaches were less sweet, so I would suggest using honey. (We had some from a childhood friend who keeps bees.)

1. Slice peaches and brush with olive oil. 
2. Sprinkle with red pepper and drizzle with honey (if desired). 
3. Grill about two minutes on each side. (We have a charcoal grill and use a vegetable pan.) 
4. Line prosciutto with basil and blue cheese. 
5. Place peaches and roll up and serve.

A lovely recipe--a combination of both savory and sweet--that can be tailored to suit your taste. 

FITD love!!

xo,

B