Recipes to Use Your Early Garden Vegetables

Here in the Northeast, we’ve had some strange weather: a warm May and a cool June so far. We’ve had a bumper crop of lettuce, and tomatoes and corn are available at roadside stands. Here’s a few recipes to take advantage of the early harvest.

Classic Garden Salad

A classic garden salad is so easy to make especially when using your own fresh picked lettuce. This salad goes with any meal, or add some hard-boiled eggs and cooked chicken to make it a meal.

Ingredients:

• Fresh garden lettuce
• Cherry tomatoes, halved
• Cucumber, sliced
• Red onion, thinly sliced
• Carrots, grated
• Olives (optional)

Dressing:

• Olive oil
• Lemon juice
• Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Wash and dry the lettuce leaves. Tear them into bite-sized pieces and place them in a salad bowl. Add the cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, red onion, grated carrots, and olives (if desired).

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until well combined.

Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat. Serve fresh.

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad:

Ingredients:

• Fresh garden lettuce
• Grilled chicken breast sliced
• Croutons
• Shaved Parmesan cheese

Caesar Dressing:

• Anchovy fillets, mashed (optional)
• Garlic cloves, minced
• Dijon mustard
• Lemon juice
• Worcestershire sauce
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Wash and dry the lettuce leaves. Tear them into bite-sized pieces and place them in a salad bowl. Top the lettuce with sliced grilled chicken breast, croutons, and shaved Parmesan cheese.

In a separate bowl, combine the mashed anchovy fillets (if using), minced garlic, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Whisk until well blended.

Drizzle the Caesar dressing over the salad, toss to coat evenly, and serve.

Lettuce Wraps with Ground Turkey:

Ingredients:

• Fresh garden lettuce leaves
• Ground turkey
• Garlic cloves, minced
• Ginger, grated
• Soy sauce
• Hoisin sauce
• Sesame oil
• Green onions, chopped
• Carrots, grated
• Bean sprouts (optional)
• Chopped peanuts (optional)

Instructions:

Rinse the lettuce leaves and pat them dry. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat some oil over medium heat. Add the ground turkey and cook until browned.

Stir in the minced garlic, grated ginger, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and sesame oil. Cook for a few more minutes until the flavors meld together.

Remove the skillet from the heat and mix in the chopped green onions, grated carrots, and bean sprouts (if desired).

Spoon the turkey mixture onto individual lettuce leaves, sprinkle with chopped peanuts (if using), and fold the leaves to create wraps. Serve immediately.

Classic Grilled Corn on the Cob:

Ingredients:

• Fresh corn on the cob
• Butter, softened
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.

Peel back the husks of the corn without removing them. Remove the silk strands and then pull the husks back over the corn.

Soak the corn in a large bowl of water for about 15 minutes.

Remove the corn from the water and shake off any excess. Place the corn on the preheated grill.

Grill for about 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally, until the corn kernels are tender and slightly charred.

Carefully remove the husks (they will be hot), brush the corn with softened butter, and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Corn Chowder

Instructions:

• Fresh corn kernels (from 4-5 ears of corn)
• Bacon, chopped
• Onion, chopped
• Potatoes, diced
• Celery, chopped
• Garlic cloves, minced
• Chicken or vegetable broth
• Heavy cream
• Fresh thyme leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Chopped green onions (for garnish)

In a large pot, cook the chopped bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the bacon fat in the pot.

Add the chopped onion, diced potatoes, chopped celery, and minced garlic to the pot. Sauté until the vegetables are tender.

Add the fresh corn kernels to the pot and stir well.

Pour in enough chicken or vegetable broth to cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15-20 minutes.

Using an immersion blender or a countertop blender, blend a portion of the soup until creamy while still leaving some chunky texture.

Stir in the heavy cream and fresh thyme leaves. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Serve hot, garnished with crispy bacon and chopped green onions.

Caprese Salad:

Ingredients:

• Fresh garden tomatoes, sliced
• Fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
• Fresh basil leaves
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Balsamic glaze
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Arrange the tomato and mozzarella slices on a platter, alternating between them. Tuck fresh basil leaves between the tomato and mozzarella slices. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic glaze. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve fresh.

Tomato Bruschetta:

Ingredients:

• Fresh garden tomatoes, diced
• Garlic cloves, minced
• Fresh basil leaves, chopped
• Red onion, finely chopped
• Balsamic vinegar
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Baguette, sliced and toasted

Ingredients

In a bowl, combine the diced tomatoes, minced garlic, chopped basil leaves, finely chopped red onion, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir well to combine.

Allow the tomato mixture to marinate for about 15-20 minutes to enhance the flavors.

Spoon the tomato mixture onto the toasted baguette slices. Drizzle with a little extra olive oil and garnish with additional basil leaves if desired. Serve as an appetizer.

Fresh Tomato Pasta:

Ingredients:

• Fresh garden tomatoes, chopped
• Garlic cloves, minced
• Fresh basil leaves, chopped
• Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Cooked pasta of your choice
• Grated Parmesan cheese (for serving)

Instructions:

In a large skillet, heat some olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the chopped tomatoes to the skillet and cook for about 5-7 minutes, until they start to break down and release their juices. Stir in the chopped basil leaves and crushed red pepper flakes (if desired). Season with salt and pepper.

Simmer the tomato sauce for an additional 5 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together.

Toss the cooked pasta with the tomato sauce until well coated.

Serve the pasta hot, garnished with grated Parmesan cheese and additional fresh basil leaves if desired.