Seasonal eating: Summer fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables in the farmer's market Sun, beach day, camping, kitchen– There is so much to love about summer. My favorite part of the summer is when the seasonal summer vegetables hit the farmer’s market in my community. Walking from table to table filled with freshly picked berries, inherited tomatoes and green vegetables makes me deeply delighted in my soul.

Summer is also ripe for digging up dirt in your own backyard or patio planter box (no pun intended). Even if you don’t have a lot of space or green thumbs, you can start with a little herbal garden or a single tomato plant. There’s something incredibly satisfying about eating your grown food, even if it’s sprinkled with fresh parsley on top of your spaghetti squash chicken parmesan. You’ll feel like you’re performing at your own cooking show after mastering that technique of sprinkling herbs and finishing salt off the top of the plate. Damn!

The point is, fresh fruits and vegetables are one of the attractions of the season, so take full advantage of what they have to offer this summer.

8 We like summer fruits and vegetables

Asparagus

Depending on where you live, you may be able to collect asparagus anywhere from late winter to early summer. Green asparagus is the most common, but don’t miss the opportunity to try when you find purple or white varieties. All kinds of asparagus are delicious grilled, fried or fried, but be careful not to overcook it. Lustful, slender asparagus is less appealing. Also, try shaving raw asparagus in salads using a vegetable peel.

How to save asparagus: Trim the edges of the spear, then place the asparagus straight into the water container in the fridge. Asparagus only lasts for a few days, so use as soon as possible.
How to save asparagus: Asparagus can be frozen or canned with pressure, although both change the texture significantly (and not always pleasant). Also try to pick it up.
How to freeze asparagus: Trim off the ends of wood before freezing. Optionally cut the spears into two or three pieces. Blanch asparagus for two minutes for thin spears or up to four minutes for thick spears. Freeze a single layer on a baking sheet, then transfer to an airtight container.

Try this recipe: Asparagus Deep

Berry

Freshly picked berries are one of the absolute highlights of summer. Even low carbohydrate and keto people make allowances for berries because of their high nutritional value and relatively low carbohydrates compared to many other fruits. You’ll find all kinds of berries at your summer farmer’s market, including blueberries, strawberries and “brambles,” including raspberries, boyberries, blackberries, hackleberries and marionberries.

How to save berries: Wash or not wash, that is the question… and there is no clear answer. Some people argue that you should not wash your berries until you are ready to eat them. Others claim that in order to kill mold spores and prolong shelf life you should give them a dunk in a solution of 3: 1 water and white vinegar. (With the exception of raspberries — everyone seems to agree that raspberries should not be washed before eating.) If you go on a vinegar bath, soak them for a minute or two, rinse well, and leave to dry. Kitchen towel. Either way, store the berries in the fridge in a lined container with a thin towel to absorb moisture. Reuse a plastic clamshell from the store or use a covered glass container, but keep the lid cracked. Change the towel when it gets damp. Store different types of berries in separate containers, as some spoil faster than others.
How to save berries: The best way to preserve berries is to freeze. You can preserve them or strain them as jelly, but look for recipes that don’t have a lot of sugar.

Try this recipe: Keto Cheesecake Perfect, Keto Blueberry Muffins

Cucumber

Cucumbers have a long and multi-layered history as one of the first domesticated plants. What is your favorite type of cuke? It probably depends on whether you grew up eating English cucumber, smaller and more delicate Persian cucumber, or something else, with the most common thick-skinned slicing cucumber in America, with thin skin and fewer seeds. There are about 100 varieties to choose from.

How to store cucumbers: Cucumbers are happy to hang in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator.
How to store cucumbers: Pickle!

Try this recipe: Greek salad with spiraled cucumber

Eggplant

Eggplant, aka aubergines, is a dietary staple worldwide. Interesting fact: despite their vegetable flavor, eggplants are actually fruit-berries, more precisely, because they grow from a single flower.

How to preserve eggplant: Eggplants do not last long after harvest and they do not like cold. You can keep them in the fridge for a day or two, after which they will begin to dry out.
How to preserve eggplant: You can try freezing or pickling, but eating eggplant fresh is really best.

Try this recipe: Roasted eggplant stuffed with lamb

Green beans, Aka Snap beans

Yes, green beans are beans, but before you toss that green bean casserole, I have a good news. Green beans are considered primal-friendly, and have always been until you have no problem eating them. Fresh green beans don’t have the same phytate concerns as dried beans, and many people who avoid dried beans can at least occasionally enjoy green beans without any problems.

How to preserve green beans: Place in a storage bag in a crisper drawer. Try to use within three days.
How to preserve green beans: Both frozen and canned green beans are fantastic, or try pickling them.

Try this recipe: Air fryer green beans

Herbs (Basil, Coriander, Parsley, Chives, etc.)

Herbs not only improve the taste of food, they also provide a variety of health benefits for the treatment of indigestion from antioxidant properties. All herbs swell in summer. They are easy to grow indoors or outdoors, in small pots or in large garden beds. Suitable for gardeners or those who want to plant a small kitchen garden.

How to preserve herbs: When possible, wait for fresh herbal cuts until you are ready to use them. If you bought them from the market, pull out any dead leaves, prune the stalks, and place a bunch of herbs in a jar of water like a bouquet. Store jars of soft-stemmed herbs such as parsley and cilantro in the fridge, alternatively covered with a food storage bag. Wooden herbs like rosemary, oregano and thyme can be on the counter. Tulsi should also be at the counter; At cold temperatures the leaves turn black. Refresh the water as needed. Most herbs will last for a few weeks or more with this technique.
How to preserve herbs: When it comes to preserving herbs, you have two main options. The first is drying – Using a dehydrator or letting fresh herbs dry in the sun. You can even use a microwave to dry the herbs! The second is fRising- Mix herbs in olive oil, avocado oil or water, then store in ice cube trays. Choose oil-based herbal sauces Pesto And Tiny Also well frozen jars or ice cube trays. Or create Compound butter, Which can be frozen wrapped in freezer paper. (Tip, cut it into pieces before freezing so you can melt the individual patties of butter as needed.)

You can use a mixture of fresh herbs in spices like oil, salt or vodka or gin.

Try this recipe: Cauliflower sticks with chimichuri, salmon with pistachio paste

Tomatoes

Is there anything more summer than fresh tomatoes in the garden? There are a million and one ways to enjoy summer tomatoes, so eat them! (And yes, for the record, the tomato is a fruit.)

How to store tomatoes: If your tomatoes aren’t ripe enough when brought home from the farmer’s market, you can keep them in a loose closed paper bag at the counter to encourage ripening. For ripe tomatoes, there is considerable debate over whether it is a suitable place to keep a counter or crisper. Some people say that crisper tastes good, so you should only refrigerate them if you need to stay fresh for more than a few days.
How to store tomatoes: One of the many salsa and sauce recipes featuring whole tomatoes, chopped tomatoes, or these delicious fruits. Salsa or sauces also freeze well. Dry the tomatoes and store in oil.

Try this recipe: Garlic Balsamic Chicken Skillet with Cherry Tomatoes, Capress Salad

Zucchini (and other summer squash)

Like eggplant, zucchini are botanically classified as berries (like cucumbers and pumpkins!) Zucchini are fruitful, which is why your neighbor tries to stop the excess zucchini coming in late summer with a green thumb. These are incredibly versatile as ingredients for everything from salads to desserts, so take any and all offers of free zucchini!

How to save Zucchini: Put in the crisper and try to use within a few days.
How to save Zucchini: You can freeze zucchini, but perhaps the best way to preserve it is to keep zucchini chips or zucchini muffins or bread frozen in the dehydrator.

Try this recipe: Keto Zucchini Brownies, Zucchini Fry

Hope you are enjoying the grace of summer vegetables right now! What is growing in your garden?

About the author

Lindsay Taylor, PhD, is a senior author and community manager on primary nutrition, a certified primary health instructor and co-author of three Kito Cookbooks.

As a writer at the Marx Daily Apple and a leader in the thriving Cato Reset and primary endurance community, Linds’ job is to help people learn what, why and how to lead a health-centric lifestyle. Before joining the primary team, he earned his Masters and PhD. In social and personality psychology from the University of California, Berkeley, where he has also worked as a researcher and instructor.

Lindsay lives in Northern California with her husband and two sports-obsessed sons. In her spare time, she enjoys ultra running, triathlon, camping and nights of play. Follow her on Instagram @theusefuldish as Lindsay tries to work on maintaining a healthy balance with work, family and patience training and, above all, fun in life.

Click here if you want to add an avatar to all your comments!