It’s soup season; time to take full advantage of the copious ground and root vegetables that are local and seasonal. Squashes are my favorites. But I love to mix it up. Mix a variety of squashes and root vegetables like carrots together with onions, ginger and garlic, and warm spices. Always so satisfying and delicious. Perfect for Thanksgiving dinner.

During my trip to France earlier this month I enjoyed carrot salads as side dishes. I was delighted as I had forgotten how much I enjoyed a carrot salad and how simple and quick it is to prepare. It’s so commonplace in France that I felt compelled to pass a recipe on to my fellow residents here in Fenelon Falls!

I’m writing this Gazpacho recipe on the last day of summer as I still have an abundance of cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumber and zucchini. Gazpacho is a soup made of raw, blended vegetables. Serve Gazpacho fresh out of the blender at room temperature and it will burst with fresh flavours from the garden. Serve it chilled on the hottest of summer days.

This recipe has been part of my culinary repertoire for decades. I continue to serve it as it’s delicious. I find it to be quite adaptable. Serve it as an appetizer with crostini or crackers, or sliced as an entrée in the form of a loaf. It can also be served as a savory pie in a crust.

I had a massive sage plant this summer, so my husband decided to pull half of it out of our garden without notice. Yikes! I quickly went to work and made sage pesto. I froze most of it and will pull it out during the cooler months.

This recipe is a celebration of seasonal tomatoes and fresh herbs. Any variety of tomatoes will do although Romas (Italian tomatoes) tend to have more flesh and less water which is ideal.

The star of this summer vegetable skillet? You guessed it, it’s zucchini. Co-stars? Fresh corn, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes and fresh herbs, all because I adore taking advantage of what’s abundant and colorful at our local farmer’s markets and from my own vegetable garden. Extra inspiration for this dish? A former colleague took a similar recipe with quick-pickled onion to the feedfeed. Fun!

Homemade popsicles are delicious at any age! Typically I make them the virgin way, with seasonal fruit and local maple syrup, but sometimes I add vodka or Rosé wine. The possible mixes are endless! Popsicle making can be a fun activity with kids. My children have fond memories of picking raspberries and strawberries with their great grandfather and making these popsicles with the “fruit” of their labour. These popsicles would even make a refreshing and easy happy hour treat or dessert. I hope you enjoy these as much as my family has over the years.

It’s zucchini season, they’re plentiful and inexpensive so serve them up! Here is a vegetable side dish that goes with pretty nearly any summer main dish.

This recipe came together on the fly with seasonal produce I had on hand. It was so fresh and delicious that I’m passing it along. Shout out to my daughter for the mint addition, which really makes this salad!

A typical dinner at our table is simply prepared fish, colorful vegetables and a starch such as potatoes. We love the Georgian Bay trout available at Willowtree Farms. The delicious pesto slathered over the fish is from Happy Earth Farm. The gorgeous purple potatoes and carrots are from O’Brianview Organic Farm. Both the pesto and vegetables were purchased in town at the Fenelon Falls Farmer’s Market. We finished our meal with an herbed salad from our garden with lots of radishes from our local Mennonite market tossed in homemade vinaigrette.

Do you ever crave a really good tuna salad sandwich? This recipe is named after friends who shared the ingredients with me. All I had to say was “yum.” All I added was the fresh herbs.

In keeping with seasonal produce, this recipe boasts green garlic and chives in lieu of gloves of garlic both of which are abundant at farmer’s and specialty markets or from your own herb garden. It uses capers instead of anchovies (so it’s vegetarian), and finely chopped kale with traditional romaine lettuce. Red radishes and chive blossoms add more seasonality and striking color. I hope you enjoy it.

Rhubarb is the fruit of the season (technically a vegetable)! Although too tart for most to be eaten raw, it’s wonderful stewed. A small amount of sweetness complements its distinct tartness perfectly. Enjoy it for breakfast over plain yogurt, granola or in a parfait, or with oatmeal or crepes. It’s wonderful as a dessert sauce over ice cream, over cheesecake, with pound cake and more. It’s perfect with tapioca or chia seed pudding. Layer it in a custard or in a trifle. It also makes for delicious chutney with the addition of acid and savory spices.

Our daughter loved this side dish so I’m passing the recipe along. It’s simply cooked partially frozen corn in hot oil, alliums, and spice in a cast iron skillet. Once again I’m utilizing frozen food during the off-season.

Here’s a fun recipe for foragers and families alike! Yes, dandelion blossoms are edible (providing they haven’t been sprayed). They are actually quite sweet compared to the plant’s bitter greens. It’s no wonder the honeybees love them! Simply pick a heaping cup of flower heads from a safe area and gently pinch off the yellow blossoms working from the outside in. Enjoy dandelion honey butter on freshly baked bread, toast, and English muffins; with muffins or scones and I bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised. I think they’d be fun to use in baking too. Just make sure you leave plenty outdoors for the bees!

My daughter loved this side dish so I’m passing the recipe along. Once again I’m using frozen food during the off-season. It’s simply cooked partially frozen corn in hot oil, alliums and spice in a cast iron skillet.