By Steward Health Care Registered Dietitian Courtney Faiola, RD, LDN
Summer is here! After another long, cold winter, our gardens and farms have bloomed with fresh seasonal produce.
While you may drive by one of the many farmers markets in our area and think it’s easier to go to the supermarket and just get everything at once, maybe you should stop to smell the fragrant herbs and feast your eyes on the luscious red strawberries.
Eating fresh, local produce in season has so many benefits. For one, the quality is better, and with better quality comes better flavor and higher nutritional values. Eating in season is also more environmentally friendly, as foods don’t need to be transported from the other side of the world!
Sometimes, people don’t know what to do with some of these seasonal produce items – and if you’re like us, you may be tired of the same old fruit salad and steamed veggies. Let’s take a break from the usual and try some of these fresh ideas!
Breakfast
- Baked Strawberry Rhubarb French Toast* – A refreshing variation of baked French toast – strawberry and rhubarb seasoned with sugar and cinnamon baked into French toast with a crunch streusel topping. Get recipe here.
- Tomato Quiche – Whipped eggs poured over sautéed onions and tomatoes seasoned with salt, pepper, and thyme topped with cheese and baked until browned.
- Sunny-side-up Eggs with Citrus Salad – Baked sunny side up eggs with a side salad of avocado, tomato, and red onions, seasoned with canola oil, salt, pepper, and cilantro.
- Stuffed Grilled Portobello Mushrooms – Portobello Mushrooms stuffed with sautéed kale, caramelized onions and topped with a sunny side up egg
- Berry Quinoa Parfait – Layer quinoa, low-fat vanilla yogurt, fresh berries with almonds and repeat until you’re satisfied.
- Summer Breakfast Tacos – Scrambled eggs with sautéed summer squash and zucchini topped with sliced cherry tomatoes and cheddar cheese wrapped in a tortilla.
Lunch
- Japanese Zucchini and Onions* – Caramelized onions cooked into fresh sliced zucchini seasoned with soy sauce, teriyaki, and sesame seeds. Get recipe here.
- Mediterranean Grilled vegetable Wrap – Lightly seasoned and grilled eggplant and zucchini on a whole wheat wrap with red bell peppers, toasted pine nuts and sliced red onions topped with your favorite hummus.
- Tuna or Chicken Salad Stuffed Cucumbers – Hollowed out cucumber stuffed with your choice of tuna or chicken salad.
- Tomato Salad – Tomato Slices with thin sliced red onion and balsamic vinegar seasoned with sea salt, black pepper, and fresh basil.
Dinner
- Strawberry Salmon* – Grilled salmon marinated in balsamic vinegar topped with strawberry red onion and lime juice mixture drizzled with balsamic reduction. Get recipe here.
- French Onion Summer Squash and Zucchini Casserole – Layered cooked squash and zucchini with cheddar cheese baked to a crisp.
- Taco Stuffed Zucchini – Hollowed out zucchini blanched and baked with ground turkey, onion, bell pepper, zucchini, and tomato sauce mixture, baked until tender.
- Greek Eggplant – Roasted eggplant with garlic cinnamon marinara sauce topped with parsley, mint, feta cheese, and lemon zest.
- Pulled Pork Lettuce Wraps – Pulled pork set atop a sweet mango salsa (mango, tomato, red onion, lime juice) wrapped within a piece of butter lettuce.
- Grilled Corn With Herb Butter – Grilled corn slathered with herb butter (mixture of salt, pepper, cilantro, chive, and cayenne pepper).
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