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Sun-ripened summer veggies abound in the warmest months. Many plants are bearing their delicious fruit now that they have soaked up the spring rainfall. In the warm months, tomatoes change from sour and green to red and luscious. Sweet corn cobs ripen on the stem. From yolk-yellow blossoms, sprout zucchini. Which seasonal summer vegetables should you be using right now in your cooking?
Nothing tastes better than stuff in season, even though global farming has now made "summer" veggies like young potatoes available all year round. In the warmer months, you can find lots of lush delights, aromatic herbs, and vividly coloured summer veggies at your neighbourhood farmers market.
Green items like asparagus and summer squash on barbecue are popular since they caramelise when flame-grilled. Some, such as cucumbers, are perfect for filling summer vegetable side dishes with a little citrus vinaigrette.
Now is the perfect time for a vegetarian feast, whether you're craving Mexican street corn or heirloom tomato salad. The top summer vegetables to savour this season are listed below.
7 Seasonal Vegetables To Try
1. Zucchini
Summer squashes are plucked when their skin is still soft and edible. The king of this squash dynasty is zucchini, which is great for stewing, grilling, steaming, frying, and sautéing. You can find sacks of buttery squash blossoms at your neighbourhood farmers market in late spring or early summer. Courgette is among the best summertime grilled veggies for sure. It should be salty, sweaty, and caramelised making a good dinner option.
2. Cucumbers
Cucumbers will please your mouth to bite and chew, whether shaved paper-thin for a sesame-flecked Japanese fast pickle or combined with luscious tomatoes in a Tuscan Panzanella. Cucumbers can also be the foundation of a refreshing gin-lime spritzer or a summer vegetable soup like gazpacho. Remember to retain the seeds in your cucumber; that's where the umami flavour of this veggie hides.
3. Corn
The queen of late summer veggies, sweet corn, epitomises summer in the United States. To steam, cook the kernels to perfection, toss corn on the grill, for yet another ideal summertime vegetable dish. You might also make a batch of Cajun corn chowder, in which the heat of the cayenne is lessened by the sweetness of the corn. Sea scallops might also be grilled and served over a creamy bed of polenta made from fresh corn.
4. Okra
Okra is a summertime delicacy from West Africa, India, and South America. Growing fuzzy, fibrous pods, okra is a staple of stews like gumbo that simmers or curries that resemble gravy. Cooks everywhere use okra to thicken soups and sauces, giving them a nutty, nearly peppery flavour. Okra roasts beautifully as a summer veggie. Halved okra can be tossed in a zesty mixture of chickpea flour, cayenne pepper, mango powder, vegetable oil, and fresh-ground cumin for a light summer snack. Bake on a baking sheet at 400F until crispy.
5. Field Peas
In the Southern United States, summertime denotes one thing: 'field pea' season is here. And the pea is far more mushy, watery than the canned pea. In the kitchens of Southern cooks, this summer vegetable is an annual mainstay. Heirloom varieties, including Purple Hull and Red Ripper, are also included in this age-old category.
Field peas, after being harvested from the garden, can be cooked in a flavorful broth with bell peppers and sautéed onions. For a more festive variation, top your field pea salad with fresh-squeezed limes, grilled sweet corn, and sliced jalapeño for the best summer veggie side dish.
6. Eggplants
Eggplant is a very adaptable summer vegetable that may be grilled, fried, sautéed or baked, whether milky white or completely black. Before any high-heat preparation, many cooks advise 'weeping' or salting the sliced aubergine and draining out its bitter juice.
Marinated aubergine makes a beautiful side dish of summer vegetables. Just brush the slices with olive oil and grill them until golden brown. Then, submerge the crisped aubergine in a flavorful concoction of extra virgin oil, minced garlic, chopped mint, and minced red wine vinegar.
7. Basil
Thai or Italian garden basil can be found all over the summer season. For more aromatic summer veggie pasta meals, stir a handful of fresh basil into a slow-simmering tomato sauce. In Southeast Asian cooking, such as Thai or Vietnamese, stir-fries and slurpable soups are made with the smell and sweetness of raw, fried basil. Basil leaves can be grown at home and picked all summer long. A pinch of basil leaves harvested can sprout two additional stems from the same spot!
Keep appreciating the variety of tastes and health benefits that summer vegetables and their recipes. Go exploring!
