8 Ways to Celebrate Fresh Summer Produce

I’ve been getting in the habit of going to the grocery store without a list (if you know me, this is huge progress) and sticking to shopping along the perimeters. That is, I skip all the middle aisles and try only to buy fresh food like produce. It’s kind of fun to see what’s in season every few weeks. Louisa is here this week sharing some recipes to make the most of the very best summer produce.

8 Ways to Celebrate Fresh Summer Produce

Guest Post by Living Lou

I literally cannot believe that this summer is winding down. We’ve had pretty bad weather in Toronto this year (I swear, yesterday felt like the first “real” summer day all season). Even with lots of rainy days, I’ve found that cooking with summer ingredients has helped me enjoy this season even more. Here are eight of my favorite recipes to celebrate fresh summer produce, from corn to zucchini and watermelon there is definitely still time left to cook!

1. Cheesy Corn Fritters

Some of my earliest food memories involve corn, and these cheesy corn fritters are kind of the best way to celebrate corn season! With cheddar cheese and jalapenos, these are savory fritters loaded with flavor.

2. Puff Pastry Apricot and Blueberry Tart

Puff pastry tarts have become a staple in my cooking repertoire because I love how simple they are (and they look super impressive)! For this recipe, I combined apricots and blueberries for the perfect summer dessert.

3. Greek Watermelon Feta Salad

My family lives in Greece, and this Greek watermelon feta salad is not something you’d actually find on a menu at a taverna in Greece, but there is just something about the combination of sweet watermelon and salty feta with some fresh mint that is the perfect summer salad.

4. Puff Pastry Zucchini Tart

I told you I had a thing for these puff pastry tarts! This one is a savory tart with zucchini, ricotta, lemon and hot pepper flakes. Plus it’s absolutely gorgeous to look at.

5. Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

This recipe was inspired by a cute little coffee shop around the corner from my childhood home. Not only do they have incredible coffee (it’s been rated as one of the top spots in Toronto), but they also make all of their baked goods in-house, and this ice cream is one of their specialties in the summer.

6. Summer Quinoa Salad

It’s the fresh herbs that really make this quinoa salad a standout, with fresh basil and parsley this is a fresh and filling salad that makes the perfect summer lunch.

7. Roasted cherry tomatoes with garlic and thyme

If you’ve never roasted cherry tomatoes before, stop everything you’re doing and make these. Cherry tomatoes become so sweet and flavourful in the oven. I could eat these with a spoon, but they would also be delicious on a piece of toast.

8. Raspberry Sorbet

There is nothing simpler than this raspberry sorbet recipe. I’ve been bringing this dish to barbecues ever since I posted it in 2014 because my friends always request it.