My Kitchen Counter Has a Problem

If your garden is anything like mine, the tomatoes are coming in fast right now. And if you’re growing zucchini too, you know it has a way of showing up bigger and faster than expected.

My tomatoes have been going straight into the best kind of summer lunch: a classic tomato sandwich. Soft white bread, a good spread of mayo, tomato sliced thick, salt and pepper. That’s it. Some things don’t need improving. If you’re looking for a gluten free bread with that Wonder Bread taste, check out Carbonaut, found in the frozen food section at Whole Foods. The crust sometimes crumbles, but it works for me.

Zucchini takes a little more planning, but it’s worth it. If yours are still on the smaller side, grate and freeze them now so you have them ready for zucchini muffins whenever the mood strikes. It’s an easy way to bank summer produce for a fall morning.

Here’s a quick skillet sauté using your garden goodies. Olive oil, a little garlic, sliced zucchini cooked until just tender, then chopped tomatoes stirred in at the end so they stay bright instead of turning to mush. A finish of fresh basil and a sprinkle of parmesan, and you have a simple side dish done in about fifteen minutes. You could even put it over your favorite pasta.

If a few zucchinis got away from you and grew larger than planned, don’t toss them. Hollow them out and stuff them the same way you would peppers. Ground meat, marinara sauce, rice, a little cheese, season to taste, into the oven until tender. It turns an oversized zucchini into a full dinner.

Between the sandwiches, sauté, and stuffed squash, this is the season that rewards a little creativity in the kitchen.

Cheers to summer produce in abundance!

Much love,
Health Coach Carol

“Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.” ~ Miles Kington