Strawberries – with another wave of summer hitting full force, today would be a great time to make some fresh, creamy berry gelato. Serve alone or with a few berries cut over the top.
Strawberry Gelato
Cantaloupe and Cilantro – how about a refreshing fruit salsa? This one is great with chips, or you could easily pair it with fish or on a tortilla with black beans.
Melon Salsa
A number of years ago, my extended family took a trip to Northern Italy. It was during our travels through the ancient hill towns of Tuscany that we fell in love with gelato (Italian ice cream – gelato literally means “frozen”). We ate it constantly – at least once, often twice a day. Having young kids in tow, gelato became the elixir that fortified us for tours through countless duomos (cathedrals) and collections of antiquities, and cooled us off after steep ascents through the narrow cobblestone streets of tiny picturesque hilltop villages. We came back to the states completely hooked and continued to devour gelato wherever we could find it. Sadly for us, it seems the new iced dairy fad is frozen yogurt, and when our favorite gelato storefront closed last year we decided it was time to make our own.
Strawberries – hull, slice and serve on top of homemade (or store bought) vanilla ice cream. We own a Cuisinart electric ice cream maker. It’s a super simple device that helps us make creamy, delicious ice cream with a few hours notice.
Cantaloupe and cucumbers – here’s a refreshing and simple salad to throw together at the last minute.
Melon and Cucumbers with Pepper and Lime
As summer draws to a close, we visit each year with my husband’s family in the heartland. Iowa City – bastion of learning, art and culture in the midst of mile upon mile of corn and soybean fields. This is where my in-laws settled more than forty years ago – from big city India to university town in rural Iowa. They brought very little of material significance with them besides a few clothes, but a wealth of culinary tradition that has remained vital over many passing years. We fondly refer to my husband’s boyhood home as “the house of food”. This is a place where fabulous, flavorful food is produced day or night, whether you’re hungry or not – a show of love and caring for family and friends. Upon arrival, my sister-in-law greets us with a warm hug and proclamation, “let the eating begin”.
Here are some surprisingly simple (and wonderfully delicious) ideas for using your Freshness Farms fruits and vegetables –
Strawberries and Lettuce – We’ll likely eat all the berries, one by one, before we have a chance to plan anything more complicated. But if we have at least a handful left, we’ll hull and slice them, then toss into a salad with the leaf lettuce, berries of other sorts (blackberries, blueberries, raspberries), thinly sliced red onion, toasted walnuts and a homemade balsamic vinaigrette. Just before serving we’ll toss in some small chunks of local goat cheese. This is a simple summer salad, full of complex flavor.
Cantaloupe or Honey Dew Melon – Whichever variety we get, we’ll enjoy the sweet, juicy melon peeled and cut into chunks for a light breakfast. Just add a slice of toasted rustic bread topped with homemade apricot jam and a comforting mug of hot tea with milk and agave nectar and you’re set for the day.
Chives – A favorite herb in this household, my daughters pick it from our garden and nibble on the tender stalks – they love the mild onion flavor. We often snip the stalks with kitchen shears into very fine bits and sprinkle on slices of rustic bread smeared with a soft goat or cream cheese. Topped with a slice or two of vine-ripe tomato you have a simple and delicious lunch or appetizer.
Dandelion Greens – These greens are full of vitamins and nutrients, as well as robust flavor. Our youngest is a huge fan of greens, so we’ll sauté the bunch in good olive oil with plenty of minced garlic, perhaps some thinly sliced onion, a pinch of red pepper flakes and salt (first slice the leaves into two inch pieces and blanch for 5 minutes or so in water – before sauteing). Dandelion greens are on the bitter side – something we love – but you can add some milder greens (like chard or kale) to mellow the flavor. We like to add white beans (such as cannellini) to the pan for a lovely main dish. Pair it with the strawberry/leaf lettuce salad and some bread for a simple supper.
Carrots – We’ll probably shred these into salads or cut into sticks and eat them raw, dipped into a creamy hummus. Or maybe we’ll use them as the basis for a delicious Morrocan salad. Check out the recipe page.
Recipe – Morrocan Carrot Salad
Cauliflower – The first dish that comes to our minds is a classic Indian vegetarian entrée – Aloo Gobi (Potato and Cauliflower). We’ll serve it with Trader Joe’s frozen naan (flat bread) and a refreshing cucumber raita (a savory yogurt dish). Find the Aloo Gobi and Raita directions on our recipe page.
Recipe – Cucumber Raita (Savory Indian Yogurt with Cucumber)
Recipe – Indian Spiced Potatoes and Cauliflower (Aloo Gobi)