When the snow is swirling and the thermometer is showing small numbers, when (however delicious) root vegetables are becoming, uh, familiar–we all look forward to the summer bounty, the growing season–all those luscious fruits and vegetables.
I’ve seen ‘bounty’ defined as ‘occurring in generous amounts’ and oh, boy is that definition correct this season.
Our membership in the Hearty Roots CSA, the various regional farmers’ markets we frequent, the farms we visit for specific purchases all combine to sometimes push the limits of our food storage capacity at our home in Woodstock, New York.
We love how the summer bounty comes in waves, how one family of vegetables tumbles into another.
Bounty is defined as ‘occurring in generous amounts’.
”Arugula and its various cousins from May until late September.
Beets from June all the way through December.
One can get celery August through October.
Delicious cherries come in July.
Luscious melons from July until October.
You get the picture. Good stuff coming to the farmers’ market each and every week.
It makes us marvel at how many smart, creative and successful producers grow here in the Hudson Valley.
What to do with all this fresh, delicious summer bounty?
The smart folks among us will tell you to can, freeze, pickle and otherwise preserve all this good food for when the ‘snow is swirling and the thermometer is showing small numbers’!
We wholeheartedly agree with that. Joel Salatin talks about extending the harvest or ‘putting by’ to eat well in mid-winter.
But, what about right now? What to do with all this delicious food right now?
Here is a collection of recipes we like to prepare for friends and family who find themselves around our summer table. After all, what good is all this food without sharing it?
Grilled Corn with Basil Butter
Grilled Bread Salad with Broccoli Rabe and Summer Squash
Arugula with Orzo and Garden Tomatoes
Basil and Garlic Cucumber Salad
Fresh Mozzarella and Watermelon Skewers with Lemon, Honey, and Mint Drizzle
Thanks to food52.com, thekitchn.com, nytimes.com, cuesa.org, foodandwine.com, mariobatali.com, and myrecipes.com for their incomparable recipes.
What’s you favorite summer dish to share with friends and family? Tell us in the comments.
Photo credit: Staci Strauss
The post When Summer Bounty Arrives appeared first on HandPicked Nation.
