Seasonal Ingredients: Summer
Good cooks will tell you that one of the keys to success is using the freshest ingredients. This time of year that's certainly no problem. Choose produce that looks appealing at the grocery store or farmer's market, and then search for recipes with that ingredient here. Of course, if you want to plan ahead, you can use our selections as a guide. Think of juicy tomatoes, sweet cherries, drippy peaches, summer squash, and more tantalizing treats of summer.
Fruits
Bing or Sweet Cherries
The supply of fresh Bing cherries peaks in June and July. While sour cherries are usually used in baking, sweet cherries are delicious on their own, or chopped as a delightful addition to green salads. Of course, they're also delicious in fruit salads, with yogurt, and as decorations on iced cakes or on anything with whipped cream.
Blueberries
Blueberries are in season now. They're delicious fresh or in baked goods, sprinkled over cereal and ice cream, or eaten by the handful... you get the picture. Blueberries also freeze beautifully and are a welcome reminder of warmer days if you save them for the dreary days of winter. Check out All About Blueberries for more information.
Peaches
Enjoy this year's harvest of peaches eaten fresh; sliced over breakfast cereal, yogurt, or ice cream; in fruit salads; cooked in pies and cobblers. Find more information by reading All About Peaches.
Watermelon
While watermelon has been in season since about March, it's usually about this time of year that the glossy green rinds and sweet red flesh begin to beckon us to indulge in this summer pleasure.
Vegetables
Avocados
Also known as an "alligator pear" or a "butter pear," this tropical fruit is more commonly regarded as a "vegetable" because of flavor, which tends to complement savory dishes (unlike most fruits, the avocado loses sugar content as it ripens). For more, read All About Avocados.
Eggplant
With its majestic purple color, you might not realize that eggplant is related to the tomato, another sun-drenched summer favorite. For preparation tips and how to store and select these magnificent beauties, see All About Eggplant.
Green Beans
Fresh green beans are the perfect highlight to many meals, especially in the summer when they're in season and the supply is plentiful. Green beans are ideal for steaming, cooking in the microwave, and including in many delicious recipes.
Shell Beans
There are two major categories of beans: snap and shell. Most shell beans (lima, fava, soy, and cranberry are the four most popular varieties) are available fresh for only a few months from late spring through early fall, so they make a terrific addition to summer meals. Find our more in All About Shell Beans.
Summer Squash
Straightneck and crookneck are two kinds of similarly-flavored yellow squash. Zucchini is also part of the summer squash family, and there are also some other lesser known varieties that might be available in the summer months. For more see All About Zucchini and All About Squash.
Tomatoes
This is the time of year tomato lovers eagerly anticipate. If not in your own backyard, look for them at farmer's markets and roadside stands. Learn All About Tomatoes.
Seasoning
Basil
Fresh basil and tomatoes are natural companions. Basil should be available at farmer's markets in plentiful supply.