The hoeing, weeding, trimming, watering, and rain dancing are paying off. The garden is bursting with deep-colored bounty. The summer vegetables are calling—are you listening? I’ve managed to keep the worms and bugs away from my herbs—fresh dill, rosemary, parsley—yum! Walk through the farmer’s markets or visit one of the neighborhood carts that have popped up all over the city. Corn, peppers, tomatoes, eggplant…those hot summer days may inspire you to make some easy and healthy meals. Enjoy them while they are here because summer will be gone before you know it. Let’s eat!

Mediterranean Salad

Mix together one-fourth cup olive oil, 3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon fresh oregano (or dried), and several dashes of salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a large bowl mix together salad greens of your choice using any variety of types of lettuce. Add 3 cut-up tomatoes, 1 sliced cucumber, 4 chopped green onions, a small jar of drained artichoke hearts, a small can of sliced olives (green, black, pitted, or kalamata), and a package of crumbled feta cheese. Drizzle the dressing over the salad mixture. Top with toasted almonds or walnuts. Serves 8.

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts

Rinse 1 pound of fresh Brussels sprouts (or use a bag of frozen); rough-chop into pieces or shred in a food processor. Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil with 1 Tablespoon butter in a sauté pan; add the Brussels sprouts. Add 2 chopped green onions; sauté 3 to 4 minutes or until sprouts are crisp-tender. Add one-fourth cup slivered almonds or chopped hazelnuts and 2 Tablespoons Craisins. Continue sautéing for another 2 minutes. Drizzle one-half teaspoon toasted sesame seed oil over the top. Mix thoroughly. Serves 4.

Garden Ratatouille

Chop and keep the following vegetables separate (Pick and choose your favorites, and increase the amounts if desired): 1 sliced onion, 1 minced clove of garlic, 1 medium eggplant, 1 zucchini, 1 yellow squash, 1 pepper (red or green), and 3 ripe tomatoes. In a large skillet or cast iron pot, heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil and 1 Tablespoon butter. Sauté the onion for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the zucchini and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes until browned. Add 1 bay leaf, all of the veggies except the tomatoes, and garlic—simmer 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and another 2 Tablespoons olive oil. Stir, cover, and simmer another 10 minutes. Add several sprigs of fresh thyme or basil (or 1 teaspoon dried), salt, and pepper; add one-half cup red wine if desired. Stir, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Serve with crusty bread, salad, and fish. Serves 4 to 6.

Glazed Carrots

Pour 1 cup water in a saucepan; add 1 teaspoon sugar and a dash of salt. Peel and cut 2 pounds of carrots—cook in the water for 7 to 10 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain. Add 1 Tablespoon butter and 2 Tablespoons apricot preserves; stir and serve. Serves 4.

Country-Style Pepper Spread

Heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil and 1 Tablespoon butter in a skillet. Add 2 sliced onions, 2 large red bell peppers (cut-up), and 2 large yellow bell peppers (cut-up). Cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add 2 cloves minced garlic, 6 leaves fresh basil, and several sprigs of fresh rosemary. Add 4 ripe tomatoes (cored, seeded, and chopped); crush up a bit. Simmer 5 to 8 minutes or until mixture thickens. Salt and pepper as desired. Serve over toasted bread, on eggs, with cheese, and/or Italian sausage. Serves 6.

Fresh Summer Fruit Salad

Gather together your favorite seasonal fruits such as 2 plums, 2 peaches, 2 apricots, and 2 bananas, and 1 cup each blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. Wash and prepare (peel, slice, etc.).

In a small bowl mix 2 Tablespoons brown sugar with 2 Tablespoons honey and one-half cup fresh orange juice. Drizzle the juice mixture over the fruit. Add one-half cup toasted coconut, toasted nuts, raisins, or Craisins. Let marinate for 30 minutes or so. Serves 8.

Grilled Italian Sausage

Parboil 12 links of sausage in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain; place sausage in a disposable aluminum pan. Cover with 2 chopped green peppers, 1 chopped red pepper, and 5 cut-up tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Cover with foil. Place on a grill over indirect medium heat for 35 to 50 minutes (or put in a Crock pot all day). Serve sausages on Italian rolls. Serves 6 to 8.

Grilled Salmon with Honey Dijon

Mix 3 Tablespoons soy sauce with 5 teaspoons honey, 1 Tablespoon olive oil, 3 Tablespoons orange juice, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, a dash of toasted sesame oil (optional), and a few red pepper flakes. Mix well; adjust the consistency if needed. Reserve a small part of the glaze for serving.

Place 4 salmon fillets on a grill over medium-high heat. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on the fish. Season with salt and pepper. Grill for 4 minutes; brush with glaze and grill for another 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the salmon over and brush with the rest of the sauce. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes.
Serve with reserved glaze. Serves 4.

Peach Rhubarb Crisp

In a bowl, mix one-half cup flour, one-half cup old-fashioned oats, one-half cup brown sugar, three-fourths teaspoon ground cinnamon, a dash of salt, and 5 Tablespoons cold butter; mix until you get coarse crumbs. Set aside.
In a large bowl mix together two-and-one-half cups chopped peeled fresh peaches. Add 3 cups sliced fresh rhubarb. Mix in three-fourths cup sugar, 3 Tablespoons flour, one-half teaspoon nutmeg, one-half teaspoon lemon zest, and a dash of salt—stir to coat.

Pour into a greased baking dish. Pour the topping over the top of the oat mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes or until bubbly. Serves 8.

Editor’s Note: Kate has been an Omaha area culinary instructor for 14 years. She attended The Institute for the Culinary Arts at Metropolitan Community College in Omaha, Nebraska.