Fruits and Vegetables Recipes
John’s Dilly Beans
This is a simple canning process requiring no fancy equipment. You can even use a stockpot instead of a canner. As I unpacked my older son’s duffle bag after his first summer at camp 10 years ago, I found a small glass jar carefully nestled among the dirty socks and damp towels. When I…
Fruit on the Bottom Yogurt (or Cottage Cheese) Cups
The convenience of store-bought yogurt cups is undeniable, but there are a few good reasons to keep a stash of this easy, homemade alternative on hand. Ready-made fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt cups tend to be more jammy than fruity, and they’re usually a little too sweet for me. Starting with fresh, seasonal fruit adds so much…
Roasted Zucchini and Mushrooms with Feta
This garden-fresh dish is super simple to make and complements most any protein. When tossed with pasta, it becomes a complete meal! At the start of each season, I spend a little too much time pondering how to fill the three months that follow. Sometimes, I have a minor panic that I won’t have…
Sandy’s Tomato Pie
Essentially a crustless pie, the unique ingredients in this seasonal favorite create a crusty base that’s loaded with flavor and fabulous texture. (For those who need it, there’s an excellent gluten-free option in the recipe notes.) Soft foods like mashed potatoes, soup, Jell-O, and ice cream are normally on the menu the day someone…
Peach Melba Overnight Oats
Sweet peaches, tangy raspberries, creamy yogurt, and hearty oats come together quickly in this wholesome, prep-ahead breakfast that’s worth waking up for! Sweet, juicy peaches, tangy raspberries, creamy yogurt, and hearty oats. This is the recipe that sold my kids on oats several years ago–and eating them cold no less! Fruity flavors lead the…
Mexican Street Corn Salad
Popular Mexican street fare is reinvented as a flavor-packed salad that’s quick to prepare and always a hit! I’m pretty sure I was a college graduate before I witnessed someone putting anything but butter and salt on corn on the cob. After all, I grew up in Lancaster County where corn is frequently consumed the…
Roasted Eggplant Salad with Smoked Almonds & Goat Cheese
This unique salad offers a little something smoky/salty/tangy plus a hint of crunch to balance the creaminess of the roasted eggplant. For a heartier meal option, stir cooked pasta into the eggplant mixture…or add the cold leftovers to a bowl of baby spinach for a filling green salad. My friend Dan’s two favorite foods are eggplant…
Piña Colada Smoothie Bowl
As a boy, my Dad was required to take a spoonful of cod liver oil every morning before breakfast. It was one of those oft-repeated stories we heard if we voiced displeasure with what was on our plate. I still have this mental picture of my maternal grandmother hovering over my dad as a young…
Jack’s Favorite Kale Caesar Salad
Luxuriously creamy yet egg- and mayo-free, this Caesar dressing is the star of the show and coats the hearty, wholesome kale beautifully. Don’t miss the optional Polenta Crouton recipe! Three or four years ago, my husband sent me a text while on a business trip in Chicago: “Had an awesome kale Caesar salad for…
Mediterranean Zucchini Noodle Salad
Think Italian sub in veggie form. That may sound like a strange comparison (and you might say hoagie, depending on where you’re from), but it’s a pretty good way to sum up this satisfying seasonal salad. Spoiler: there’s an easy way to convert this into a flavor-packed pasta salad, because who doesn’t love a delicious…
Breakfast Banana Split
So many possibilities for a fun, deliciously wholesome breakfast. Feel free to use the recipe as a framework, adding more or less of the various ingredients as preferred. My younger son has been a major yogurt fan since he took his first sloppy spoonful as a toddler. My older son wouldn’t touch it.…
Tzatziki (and a few graduation pictures!)
In addition to the requisite photos of this cool, creamy, perfectly summery sauce, I have graduation pictures for you! As I mentioned last week, the past couple of weeks have been equal parts busy and exciting around here. The main event was last Thursday when John and 699 of his classmates paraded across the stage…
