With an abundance of fruits and veggies in season (and the garden in full swing), Summer is my most creative time of year in the kitchen. There is so much to play with. I love getting my hands on ingredients I’ve never worked with before whenever possible, and the curiosity to explore is heightened. Overall I’m just more inspired to try new recipes (and make some up, too). Today’s post is a round up of summer recipes I tried for the first time, favorites I make every year, and some of my own made up creations.
Wineberry Chia Seed Jam
Wineberries grow wild here in NJ, and are one of the first things I learned to forage a few years ago. If you’ve never had them before - they are most similar to raspberries (but a bit smaller). I made wineberry chia seed jam for the first time, and it’s going to be an annual favorite going forward. I didn’t have pectin on hand, so this was my solution instead. I also made a second variation including peaches - inspired by peach melba (peach raspberry) - which I think I actually loved even more. I froze a pint of berries, and plan to make this jam again around the holidays.
2 cups wineberries (or 1 cup wineberries / 1 cup diced peaches)
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp maple syrup, to taste (optional)
lemon juice, to taste (good squeeze)
Add berries (and peaches) to a small sauce pan and cook down til juicy. Use a pestle (or a fork) to mash the fruit. Remove from heat. Stir in chia seeds, maple syrup, and lemon juice. Cool completely. So good spread on buttered sourdough toast or swirled into overnight oats!
Chicken of the Woods
I also found myself brave enough to finally forage chicken of the woods mushrooms for the first time this year (after thorough research to ID them properly). **Please don’t consume any wild mushroom that you aren’t absolutely positive is edible. From what I read, it’s safest to eat only a small amount if it’s your first time trying them (to ensure your body doesn’t have a bad reaction). Do not eat them raw; be sure to cook them VERY thoroughly. I had a lot of fun cooking these up in various different ways - sauteed in brown butter with sage, grilled and dipped in bbq sauce, breaded in panko and baked, stir fried with rice / noodles, with pasta… the possibilities are truly endless!
Peach Pizza
One of my favorite parts about summer is juicy local NJ peaches - and using them on pizza. I like pairing the peaches with other toppings like jalapeños, shishitos, cherry tomatoes, corn, zucchini blossoms, and of course mozzarella. For the “sauce” layer - I switch it up between pesto, Calabrian chili oil, and homemade tomato sauce using tomatoes from the garden. Drizzle of balsamic glaze and fresh basil to finish it off out of the oven. I garnished with calendula flowers, too, a couple times and loved the sunny pops of yellow those added. 🌼
Jalapeño Garlic Basil Pesto
jalapeño peppers
garlic
olive oil
salt
basil
scallions
water
white vinegar
Originally, I intended for this to be a hot sauce… but naturally, I didn’t use a recipe. 😅 I wanted to use the abundance of jalapeños I had in my garden so roasted them (at 350 for 30 mins) with olive oil, garlic, and salt. Blended with basil and scallions (also from my garden) and a little white vinegar and water to emulsify. It was too thick to be drizzle-able (and yes, I could’ve thinned it out with water or even olive oil) - but kinda liked the “paste” consistency? It was great spooned onto pizza (paired great with the peach pizza above), mixed into stir fries (rice, noodles), or even a quick way to add some pizzazz to salsa.
Cutting Board Salsa
Probably not the most appetizing title… but that’s what I call it. 😂 Tomatoes are my favorite thing to grow in the garden, and each summer I look forward to bringing a cutting board outside and making salsa in the sun. I enjoy cutting everything up (instead of using a food processor) — although it’s a lot slower, there’s something meditative about taking the time to do it this way. I love the chunky texture, too.
1 heirloom tomato
1 peach (optional)
1-2 cloves garlic
1-2 jalapeños
salt & pepper
fresh basil (thinly sliced)
lemon juice (good squeeze)
I usually throw the garlic and jalapeños on my small electric grill to get their juices going. You could also probably do this in a small saucepan with a little oil or in the oven (if you’re baking something else, you could throw in a small ramekin with the jalapeños/garlic). Raw is fine, too, of course. So great on tacos or just enjoyed with tortilla chips.
Blueberry Cornbread Muffins (Vegan)
I had this craving for weeks to bake blueberry cornbread muffins and was thrilled to find this vegan recipe. I topped them with some crumb topping I had leftover from a fruit crisp I made. They did run a little bit on the drier side, but the juiciness of the blueberries helped balance that out. Storing at room temperature for 1-2 days / freezing fresh and defrosting as needed seemed to be the best way to maintain the moisture. I’ll definitely be making these again!
Peach Blueberry Lemonade
I didn’t use a recipe for this and just kinda winged it because I wanted it. 😅 It was so hot the day I made it, and it really did hit the spot. I cooked down the blueberries and peach in a small saucepan (similar to how I made the jam above), removed from the heat and squeezed in a good amount of lemon juice. I sweetened with a little maple syrup instead of a (granulated sugar based) simple syrup - and then let the natural sweetness of the fruit carry it the rest of the way. I originally wasn’t planning to strain it (because I hate having to clean a strainer) 😅 but the texture is much better when strained without all the pulp floating around. The color was so beautiful! Fresh herbs from the garden (like mint or basil) make a great garnish too (alongside a slice of lemon of course).
Chocolate Zucchini Bread (Vegan)
I love making zucchini bread every year to use up some of the zucchini from the garden. This chocolate version is like a luscious and moist - yet light - chocolate cake. I made a loaf for my dad’s birthday in August and made it again a few weeks later for no particular occasion at all. The second time I made it, I used some fancy orange infused olive oil from Spain gifted to me by a friend (instead of regular olive oil). Could absolutely add some orange juice / zest into the original recipe for a chocolatey orange twist inspired by that special oil.
Curry Noodles w/ Curry Cups
Fall is in the air and chillier nights are finally here - which means ‘tis the season for warm and cozy dinners again. I’ve been making curry noodles on repeat lately using end of season veggies and herbs from the garden (eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, basil), tofu, Thai wheat noodles, and a couple spoonfuls of Curry Cups (*affiliate link). It feels like a celebration of the end of summer and the start of fall simultaneously. YUM.
I hope you all had a great (and delicious) summer, too. This post feels very “late” now that summer’s officially over - but I figured it was better to share it late rather than never.
Cheers to a beautiful and equally delicious fall season! 🍂 I’m already dreaming up apple crisps after apple picking, roasted butternut squash soup, and veggie lasagna. 😉
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