Summertime...and the cooking is easy

Have I mentioned I absolutely ADORE the summer? Like most of you, I work year round, but I always find time to make the most out of the precious summer months on the weekends and after work—safely soaking up a little sun, taking dips in the pool, and spending leisurely Sundays making magic out of the amazing seasonal produce bursting from local and regional gardens and farmer’s markets.

June and July are harvest months for some of my favorite herbs, fruits, and vegetables. They are never more luscious in texture and intense in flavor, so I like to make them the star of the show in my summer mealtime offerings. I’ve taken the liberty of featuring the summertime superstar produce you love in delicious, figure-friendly recipes:

Fruits
Blackberries: Layered Berry Custard Crostata
Blueberries: Blueberry-Orange Bread
Cherries: Grilled Chicken with Cherry-Chipotle Barbecue Sauce
Nectarines: Nectarine, Prosciutto, and Arugula Bundles
Peaches: Cobble Cobble Peach Cobbler
Plums: Shrimp & Plum Kebabs
Raspberries: Grilled Salmon Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
Watermelon: Watermelon Frojito and Fire and Ice Salsa
Strawberries: Chicken and Strawberry Salad and Strawberry, Pistachio, and Goat Cheese Pizza

Vegetables
Zucchini: Parmesan Zucchini Sticks with Smoky Roasted Romesco Sauce
Tomatoes: Mississippi Caviar
Summer Squash: Athenian Pasta Primavera
Green Beans: Faux Fried Green Beans with Wasabi Ranch Dip
Eggplant: Low-Cal Ratatouille
Cucumber: Cold Sesame Noodles with Chicken and Cucumbers
Corn: Sautéed Escarole, Corn, and White Bean Salad
Broccoli: Broccoli Rabe & Orzo Salad
Beets: Beet and Fennel Soup

Herbs
Basil: Slimmed-down Basil Pesto
Parsley: Roasted Tilapia with Orange-Parsley Salsa
Oregano: Orange, Radicchio, and Oregano Salad
Sage: Oven Fries with Crisp Sage Leaves
Rosemary: Garlic-Rosemary Mushrooms

Having trouble finding a farmer's market near you? Local Harvest is an amazing resource for locating farmer's markets, community gardens, and farm-to-table restaurants near you.