This week we got all kinds of summer deliciousness in our CSA box from Abundant Harvest Organics:

• Corn
• Zucchini and Summer Squash
• Green Beans
• Lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Rosemary
• Pluots (hybrid of a plum and apricot)
• Peaches
• Watermelon

Corn and Rosemary: Corn is best eaten as soon after it’s harvested as possible, so tonight we’ll be grilling the corn, along with using the rosemary for Grilled Rosemary Buttermilk Chicken.

Zucchini and Tomatoes: For the zucchini and tomatoes,  I’m planning on making one of my favorites, Sausage Zucchini Bake. There was also a handful of cherry tomatoes in our box, but Charlotte ate those right up already as a mid-morning snack!

Watermelon: We usually have no problem polishing off a watermelon once it’s cut up, but if I don’t think we’ll eat it all before it goes bad, I’ll freeze some and save it for Watermelon Milkshakes (recipe adapted from Foodess.com):

In a blender, blend the following:

• 3 cups frozen watermelon chunks
• 2 cup milk
• 1-2 Tablespoons honey

Peaches and Pluots: We will probably just enjoy these as is, or I might use the pluots to make my favorite Plum Upside-Down Cake.

If you’re on Pinterest, and want more ideas for your summer produce, check out my Summer Food board.

I’d love to hear how you’re using your summer produce or if you have any recipes for me to try out, please share!

Find more green ideas and resources at Your Green Resource and Simply Natural Saturdays.

For the past couple of years, I’ve been getting a CSA box every other week from Abundant Harvest Organics and it’s always a treat! I enjoy finding new ways to use all the delicious produce each time and have found that if I plan my weekly meals around the produce I’ve received, I’m more likely to make sure I enjoy it all before it goes bad. I do use As Seen on TV Debbie Meyer Green Bags and those help keep the vegetables fresh much longer.

This week’s box was filled with lettuce, kale, carrots, green beans, potatoes, green bell peppers, lots of peaches, and more! I love the summer months!

Kale: I’ll just be adding this raw to smoothies for me and the kids. It’s one of the only ways I can get my 2 year old to eat some greens! I usually use about 4 leafs of kale, and pull the greens off the stems and tear them up a bit, add some orange juice, a frozen banana and a mix of frozen berries. It’s delicious!

Green Beans: I’ll be making one of our favorites: Chicken with Rice and Green Beans. It’s similar to this Cheesy Skillet Chicken and Rice with Green Beans, but I do mine in the oven and use brown rice and don’t use mushrooms.

Potatoes and Green Bell Peppers: I plan to use these in Joy the Baker’s Sweet Corn Hash for breakfast one morning this weekend.

Carrots: I’ll just be cutting these up into carrot sticks to snack on throughout the day. I find if I cut them up right away I’m more likely to snack on them than on other less healthier snacks. I might even make this Avocado Ranch Dip to dip them in.

Lettuce and Peaches: Of course, the peaches are delicious just to eat on their own, but I’ve been enjoying adding peaches to salads along with some toasted walnuts, chicken, and this delicious Sweet Onion Poppyseed Dressing for a truly wonderful summer salad. For the recipe, and lots of other great salad recipes, you can find it here–Fresh: Nourishing Salads for all Seasons.

Any other good ideas for me? I’m always looking to try something new!

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Shared on Your Green Resource, Simply Natural Saturdays and Life as Mom.

I recently got to take a quick get away to visit a close friend and old roommate from college, Nicole. We always have the best time together and she always makes something delicious for dinner.

On this particular night she had a bunch of asparagus that needed to be used so we started looking through her cookbooks for something to make with it. I, of course, pulled up my Seasonal Recipes for Spring Pinterest Board to look for ideas.

We decided to do a version of this Shaved Asparagus Pizza from Smitten Kitchen and it turned out great.

All I had with me was the phone on my camera, so these pictures don’t really do the pizza justice, but they’re all I have.

 

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Shaved Asparagus and Caramelized Onion Pizza

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:
favorite pizza dough
1 bunch of asparagus
1 onion
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 pound grated mozzarella
2 oz. crumbled goat cheese
1 Tbsp. + 2 teaspoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
crushed red pepper (optional)
1 scallion, thinly sliced
tarragon

Directions:
1. Preheat your grill or oven. (We made ours on the grill.)

2. If your dough needs to rise, don’t forget to make it ahead of time.

3. Using a vegetable peeler, shave your asparagus into long, thin ribbons. It works best if you hold onto the tough end of the asparagus rather than snapping off the tough ends as you would normally do when preparing asparagus. After shaving the asparagus, you can dispose of the tough ends.

4. Toss the asparagus ribbons in  the 2 teaspoons of olive oil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.

5. Slice onion thinly. In a skillet on the stove, add 1 Tbsp. olive oil and toss onion slices over medium heat until translucent and caramelized.

6. Roll out your pizza dough. If cooking pizza directly on the grill, cook one side of dough, remove and then add toppings.

7. To assemble pizza: Sprinkle pizza dough with Parmesan and mozzarella. Add asparagus and caramelized onion. Then crumble goat cheese on top. Bake pizza for 10 to 15 minutes, or until edges are browned and cheese is bubbly.

8. While pizza is cooking, slice scallions and tarragon and toss together.

Remove from the oven/grill and immediately sprinkle with scallions and tarragon, then slice and enjoy!

Check out Life as Mom for more great grilling recipes!

This is my new favorite way to prepare brussels sprouts. I’ve probably had this for dinner at least once a week for the past month. For starters, I love brussels sprouts, and I love goat cheese, and this recipe is super easy and quick to make.

If you don’t have Harvest Grains (found at Trader Joe’s) you can substitute couscous, brown rice, or any other grain.

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The lemon tree in the backyard is becoming heavily laden with fruit and I’ve been finding lemons in my CSA produce box for the last couple of weeks, which means they must be in season (at least here in CA). I love lemons!

If you find yourself with an abundance of lemons, you can freeze the juice and zest for later use. Adding lemon juice and/or zest to veggies when you roast or saute them gives a wonderful flavor punch. Lemon zest is also great in pancakes, muffins, and really all kinds of baked goods.

If you’re looking for some new recipes to try with lemons, here are a few of my favorites:

Lemon Cornmeal Breakfast Cake

I love this breakfast cake and I think it’s so fun that you can make it in a skillet.

Lemonade

I’ve been trying a variety of different lemonades including:

• Lemonade Like Chick-Fil-A Makes
• Honey Rosemary Lemonade (I substituted the sugar in this one with honey for a healthier alternative).
• Lavender Honey Lemonade

Broccoli and Bow Ties

This recipe for Broccoli and Bow Ties is a favorite in our house. It uses broccoli, which is also in season and the kids think the bow tie pasta is fun.

Coconut Lemon Meltaways

Source: www.addictedtoveggies.com via Krissa on Pinterest

These were a hit in our home. Charlotte considers them a special treat, and I love that they’re so healthy!

Home Remedies:

Photo by boo_licious

Adding honey and lemon to some hot tea when you’re sick is a great way to soothe a sore throat and promote healing. Or for kids, add a squeeze of lemon to a spoonful of honey to prevent coughing.

Also, for a cough or sore throat, try this Homemade Cough and Cold Syrup from Red & Honey. I have to admit, my kids weren’t crazy about it, but I did think it helped a lot and it’s full of lots of healing goodness.

Other Uses for Lemons:

If you’re looking for some other uses for lemons, other than in your cooking and baking, one of my favorites is this lemon, rosemary and vanilla home deodorizer. It is so easy and makes your home smell so good! All you need are lemons, rosemary, and vanilla extract.

Source: morganmoore.typepad.com via Krissa on Pinterest

Or if you’re planning on planting a garden this year, you could get your seedlings started in a lemon peel:

Source: www.myromanapartment.com via Krissa on Pinterest

If you want to know what else is in season, or what’s in season wherever you live, I found this great Seasonal Ingredient Map. You select which State you live in and the month and it provides a list of in-season produce.

Looking for more lemon ideas? Follow Nicole’s Lemon Love Board on Pinterest. Okay…I decided I needed to start a Lemon Love Board too…find it here.

And of course, my love for lemons also includes lemon essential oil. It’s one of the ones I go through the quickest.

What’s your favorite lemon recipe or use for lemons?

Shared over at Your Green Resource.