Warm weather is quickly causing us to forget about the winter we just endured, and soon it will officially be summer. Summer is my favorite time of year because of all the fresh fruits & vegetables available that either cannot be found or are way too expensive to buy in the winter. That is why June is the perfect month for National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable month.
In the summer, it is much easier for me to eat more than my fair share of fruits with the abundance of my favorites, peaches, nectarines, plums, and watermelon, just to name a few. It is also easier to grab vegetables. My mom makes a garden each year, and has an abundance of tomatoes, arugula, carrots, and radishes by the end of the summer. Another option, if you don’t have room for a garden is to find a local farm share, as discussed in Megan’s post, which provides you with a box of vegetables each week.
But once you have all these vegetables, what do you do with them? 
I like to have a set of recipes that can be modified based on what I have on hand. Veggie pizza is my favorite. It is a small powerhouse loaded with plenty of vegetables. Try this multigrain crust or keep it gluten free with a cauliflower crust. I usually load the crust with plenty of garlic and a drizzle of olive oil before adding a huge layer of spinach, cheese, broccoli, mushrooms, and green peppers. The great thing about this recipe is that you can add whatever you like such as beets, eggplant, jalapeño, or anything else you can imagine.
For hot days in the summer I enjoy a nice black bean mango quinoa salad. This recipe is great using leftover quinoa from last night’s dinner, or just make the quinoa fresh and chill before eating. This cold salad can be eaten on a bed of spinach, greens of choice, or inside a pita. The mix of the sweet mango, lime and cilantro makes this dish. Great for dinner when it is too hot to cook, or you just need a quick meal. And don’t forget, like the pizza, you can add your favorite vegetables to this too.
And to tie it all together, we need a dessert. 
My favorite is a bowl of cold, sweet watermelon. I look forward to watermelon all winter long, and could eat a bowl with every meal. For those of you who don’t love watermelon as much as I do, try banana “ice cream”. This super simple recipe just requires frozen bananas. Cut up a few bananas in the morning before work and place them in the freezer. Then after dinner, just blend. Add your favorite flavors, like cacao, cherry, or strawberry. For a creamier consistency, try adding a splash of coconut, almond, or soy milk.
Whether you plant your own garden, participate in a farmshare, or buy from your local supermarket, farm, or farmer’s market, summer is the best time to start incorporating more fruits and vegetables into meals. Search our past blog posts for other fruit and vegetable related posts!