Garden to Fork: Refreshing Summer Recipes

Summer is the season of sauntering through the garden with a wide-brimmed hat, harvesting juicy melons, fragrant herbs, crispy cucumbers, and so many more delicious and fresh foods. It’s also the time of sweltering heat, and the last thing you want on a 97-degree weather day is to toil over a hot stove for a steaming dish.

Here are some healthful, refreshing, and cool Summer recipes using common garden produce that don’t require any actual cooking! All recipes are gluten-free and can be made vegan.

Appetizer: Watermelon Mint Salad

Ingredients:

• 6 cups cubed watermelon
• ½  red onion, chopped
• ½  cup feta cheese (optional, or sub for vegan cheese)
• ⅓  cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
• Balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze 
• Sea salt

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine watermelon, red onion, feta, and mint. Stir until ingredients are well combined. 
2. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar or glaze.
3. Sprinkle sea salt to your liking.
4. Serve chilled.

Main Dish: Clare’s Famous Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 cups quinoa
• 4 cups water
• 1 can of garbanzo beans
• ½ red onion, finely chopped
• 1 ½ large cucumbers, chopped into dime-sized bites
• 1 avocado, cut into dime-sized bites
• 1 ½ cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3 jalapenos, finely chopped (optional)
• ⅔ cup fresh dill, finely chopped
• ⅓ cup dry pepitas
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 lemons, juiced
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar (or rice vinegar)
• 2 tsp sea salt
• Ground black pepper (to your liking)

Directions:

1. Combine the quinoa and water in a medium/large saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then decrease the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered until the quinoa has absorbed all of the water, about 15 minutes, reducing heat as time goes on to maintain a gentle simmer. Remove from heat, cover, and let the quinoa rest for 5 minutes.
2. While cooking the quinoa, chop your veggies (red onion, cucumber, avocado, cherry tomatoes, jalapeno, dill). Combine with strained garbanzo beans in a large serving bowl.
3. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Whisk with a fork until mixed well and set aside.
4. The quinoa will need to cool down. Either put it in the fridge for 30 minutes, or if you’re impatient like me, add it to a mesh strainer and rinse it with cold water. If you go the rise route, make sure to gently press out excess water.
5. Add your quinoa and dressing to the serving bowl with the veggies. Gently stir everything together.
6. Add extra salt and pepper as needed.
7. Optional: Let the salad rest for 20 minutes before serving for optimal flavor. 

Main Dish Option 2: Veg Gazpacho

Ingredients:

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ (0.5) red onion, diced, divided
• 1 large cucumber, diced, divided
• 5 Roma tomatoes, diced, divided
• 1 zucchini, diced, divided
• 2 stalks celery, diced, divided
• 1 dash salt, to taste
• 4 cups (972 ml) tomato juice, divided
• ¼ cup (54 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 6 dashes Tabasco
• 1 dash black pepper, to taste

Garnish:

• Avocado
• Sour cream (optional, or sub for vegan sour cream)
• Cilantro

Additional:

½” slices of baguette (optional)

Directions:

1. In a food processor or blender, combine half of the following ingredients: red onion, cucumber, tomato, zucchini, celery, and tomato juice.
2. Combine with all of the garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, sugar, Tabasco, and salt.
3. Pulse until all ingredients are blended well; it should have a speckled, colorful texture.
4. Pour into a large bowl and add the rest of the tomato juice, as well as half of the remaining onion, cucumber, tomato, zucchini, and celery. (Keep the rest of the diced vegetables for garnish.)
5. Stir the mixture together and test your seasonings, adding salt if needed. 
6. Chill the soup for 2-4 hours.
7. Remove the soup from the refrigerator and stir. Ladle into a bowl and garnish with remaining diced vegetables, a sliver of fresh avocado, sour cream, and cilantro. 
8. Serve with grilled bread or toasted baguette. (Optional).

To Drink: Sparkling Basil & Citrus Mocktail

Ingredients:

• 1 grapefruit
• 1 orange
• 2 lemons
• 2 limes
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, torn
• 8 cups sparkling water
• Simple syrup (optional)

Directions:

1. Juice your grapefruit, orange, lemons, and limes.
2. Add all of the fruit juice, basil, and sparkling water to a pitcher. Stir.
3. Add ice to the pitcher.
4. Pour yourself a glass and add a splash of simple syrup to your desired sweetness (optional).
5. Enjoy!