June Strawberries
Blend together fresh strawberries, lime juice, sugar and water for strawberry agua fresca. Toss strawberries with spinach, toasted almonds, and fresh goat cheese for a standout salad. Make strawberry sauce: Simmer strawberries with a splash of maple syrup and lime juice for 12 to 15 minutes and spoon over Greek yogurt or ice cream.
MORE: 20 Scrumptious Strawberry Recipes Apricots
Skewer halved apricots with pork tenderloin for a sweet and savory kebab. Make honey apricots: Squeeze honey in a pan, place halved apricots cut-side down over medium heat for 3 minutes, flip and cook 2 more minutes. Serve as-is or blend into a sauce.
Cherries
Roast cherries and use as a pancake topper or a sauce for pork. Add chopped pitted cherries to your chia pudding. Make cherry salsa: Toss together chopped cherries, diced jalapeño, red onion, fresh mint, a splash of balsamic vinegar, and serve with grilled chicken or toss into a salad.
Raspberries
Make raspberry popsicles: Puree 2 cups raspberries, ½ cup maple syrup, and a squeeze of lemon, and freeze in popsicle molds. Make raspberry fool: Fold raspberry puree into whipped cream for a fun and easy dessert.
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Toss together blackberries, chopped cantaloupe and fresh lime juice for a refreshing salad. Mash together blackberries with a drizzle of honey for a quick and easy sauce. Spoon over crostini topped with fresh feta cheese. Make blackberry iced tea: Add boiling water to a pitcher of 2 to 3 tea bags and ½ cup blackberries (remove tea bags before serving).
Blueberries
Top cottage cheese with blueberries and slivered almonds for a healthy snack.Spoon fresh blueberries over oatmeal, pancakes, or ice cream. Toss together kale, cooked quinoa, and blueberries for a superfood salad. Make overnight oats: Combine ¼ cup old-fashioned oats with 1 cup of milk and ½ cup blueberries. Cover and refrigerate overnight for an instant breakfast.
MORE: 11 Recipes With Fresh Blueberries Plums
Grill or stew plums for a healthy desert or chop into salsas or salads (toss plums with arugula, blue cheese, and pepitas). Make an open-faced prosciutto plum sandwich: Arrange sliced plums over bread topped with Swiss cheese and prosciutto.
Cantaloupe
Sprinkle sliced cantaloupe with salt, chili powder, and lime juice, or whirl cantaloupe and blackberries together for a smoothie, like in one of these 20 super-healthy smoothie recipes. Make cantaloupe salad: Toss together cantaloupe, quartered figs, and watercress, and top with sunflower seeds.
MORE: 8 Clever Cantaloupe Recipes Figs
Top toasted bread with ricotta cheese, figs, and chopped pecans, or bake figs stuffed with Gorgonzola cheese and a drizzle of honey. Make caramelized figs: Heat honey in a skillet over medium heat, place trimmed and halved figs cut-side down, and cook 2 to 3 minutes per side. Top with a dollop of Greek yogurt and sprinkle with pistachio pieces.
MORE: 4 No-Cook Summer Dinners Corn
Toss cooked corn kernels with shelled edamame, cherry tomatoes, diced onions, and Persian cucumbers for a hearty salad. Make corn salsa: Mix together cooked corn kernels, canned black beans (rinsed and drained), diced red onion, chopped cilantro, and fresh lime juice. Sprinkle corn kernels onto homemade pizza for extra color and a sweet crunch.
MORE: 12 Crazy-Good Fresh Corn Recipes Zucchini
Grate zucchini into sweet breads or muffins for extra moisture and nutrients. Spiralize zucchini, and toss with pesto for a healthier take on pasta. (Check out 5 more meals you can make with a spiralizer.)Grate raw zucchini into salads or grill zucchini and layer into sandwiches. Make zucchini fries: Cut into quarters lengthwise, dredge in Parmesan and panko, and bake until crispy.
MORE: 10 More Ideas For All That Zucchini Green beans
Sauté with olive oil, garlic, and a squeeze of lemon, and top with slivered almonds, or top steamed green beans with soy sauce and sesame seeds. Make green bean & avocado salad: First shock beans (plunge trimmed green beans in boiling water for 1 minute and immediately plunge into a bowl of ice water), then toss with cubed avocado, chopped fresh dill and lemon vinaigrette.
Cucumber
Layer sliced cucumbers with basil and cream cheese into a sandwich or toss with Asian dressing topped with black sesame seeds. Make tzatziki: Whisk together Greek yogurt, grated cucumber (drained), garlic powder, chopped fresh dill, lemon juice, and lemon zest, and use as a burger topper or veggie dipper.
MORE: 8 Tasty Cucumber Recipes Arugula
Layer caramelized onion, arugula, and Gorgonzola between flour tortillas for a quesadilla upgrade. Make arugula pesto: Process arugula, parmesan cheese, pine nuts, lemon zest, garlic, and olive oil in a food processor until finely chopped.
July Peaches
Whirl frozen peaches in a blender with almond milk for a quickie smoothie or puree peaches and top with Prosecco for a Bellini. Layer peaches into a wrap with shredded chicken, lettuce, and pesto. Make peachy pops: Puree peaches with canned coconut cream, a touch of honey and a squeeze of lemon, and freeze into popsicle molds. Make grilled peaches: Grill peaches 2 minutes per side and top with a dollop of Greek yogurt and pistachios.
Watermelon
Sprinkle watermelon slices with sugar and a squeeze of lemon, cover and marinade 20 minutes, or toss watermelon with tomatoes and feta for a refreshing salad. Whip up a watermelon cooler: Blend together seedless watermelon, frozen strawberries, ice, and a splash of fresh lime juice (vodka optional).
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Roast red peppers on the grill, peel and process with toasted almonds, paprika and Parmesan for a creamy dip. Make stuffed bell peppers: Hollow out a bell pepper, stuff with cooked quinoa, corn, canned black beans, salsa, and grated cheese, cover and bake 20 to 25 minutes at 400°F.
Tomatoes
Enjoy in a Caprese salad or a Caprese sandwich—layer tomato, fresh mozzarella, and basil between fresh bread. Roast tomatoes and add to quiche, toss into grain salads, or use as a pizza topper. Make an heirloom tomato salad: Chop up a variety of tomatoes, toss with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, and serve with rustic bread.
MORE: 4 Refreshing Smoothies To Beat The Summer Heat Nectarines
Puree with strawberries and freeze into popsicles.Roast nectarines and top with mascarpone cheese. Make nectarine couscous: Toss together cooked whole wheat couscous, diced nectarines, chopped parsley, and pistachios.
Still in season: Strawberries, apricots, cherries, blackberries, blueberries, plums, cantaloupe, figs, corn, zucchini, green beans, cucumber, arugula August Beets
Peel and grate into your favorite salad or slice raw beets mandolin thin and top with a sprinkle of chili and lemon. Stack roasted beets with feta and arugula. Make baked beet chips: Toss thinly sliced beets with olive oil and paprika, and bake in a single layer at 400°F for 15 to 20 minutes.
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Brush with olive oil and grill until slightly charred. Layer into sandwiches or toss into pasta salad. Dip eggplant sticks into whisked egg, then dredge in Parmesan and panko and bake until crispy. Make ratatouille: Sauté chopped eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, tomatoes, and fresh herbs until tender, about 20 minutes.
Still in season: Apricots, plums, cantaloupe, figs, corn, zucchini, green beans, peaches, watermelon, nectarines September Apples
Top apple slices with cinnamon or serve with natural peanut butter. Blend green apple with kale and mango for a gorgeous green smoothie. Make apple slaw: Combine shredded apple and cabbage with celery and plain Greek yogurt.
MORE: How To Make The Best Baked Apples Pears
Top your burger with caramelized onions and sliced pear.Elevate your grilled cheese with pear slices and ham. Make pear salad: Toss together pears, cucumber, fennel, and romaine lettuce.
Pomegranate
Use pomegranate seeds as an oatmeal, yogurt, and salad topper.Extract the juice for seltzers and cocktails. Simply blitz seeds in a blender until liquefied, and pour through a cheesecloth-lined strainer or sieve. Make pomegranate gremolata: Combine pomegranate seeds with chopped parsley, chives, orange, or lemon zest and season with salt. Pair with meat or fish.
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Add sweet potatoes to chili, or roast and toss into salads or frittatas. Puree sweet potatoes to thicken soups and dips. Make baked sweet potato fries: Toss in cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, and salt, and bake until crispy.
MORE: 10 Surprising Things To Do With Cauliflower Cauliflower
Pulse in a food processor until cauliflower forms rice-like pieces. Cook like risotto. Steam and puree cauliflower into a soup. Roast and toss with grilled chicken and pesto. Make parmesan panko cauliflower: Blanch cauliflower, cut into large florets, top with olive oil, panko, and grated parmesan, and broil until bread crumbs turn golden brown.
Still in season: Plums, cantaloupe, figs, corn, zucchini, green beans, watermelon, nectarines, beets, eggplant
