I know I'm not the only one that will search 'How to use bunch of parlsey?' or 'What to do with radishes?' after a trip to the farmers market or on CSA delivery day. After a few years of trial and error, a few too many perished bunches of herbs and lots of research, here is some inspiration for how to use vegetables that are available in May and June.
Herbs
I love fresh herbs to toss in salads on their own or in dressings, in pasta or to roast vegetables. The trickiest part with herbs is using them all up before they perish! For tips on how to store them, you can read this blog I wrote about storage tips and tricks.
Here are my favourite and most often used recipes for herbs
Cilantro: I personally love including cilantro in guacamole, but my best discovery in the past few years is this Easy Cilantro Lime Dressing from ambitious kitchen.
Basil: Obviously basil is excellent in pesto but its also incredible in a caprese-inspired roasted vegetable and (vegan) cheese sandwiches, and is perfect for topping homemade pizza!
Dill: Tasty tossed into a salad, and perfect for tzatziki, potato salads or pickling radishes and cucumbers - which also come into season at the same time of year.
Parsley: Tabouleh and Falafel are both great ways to make use of a full bunch of Parsley and are both great for warmer days. I really like this Quinoa Tabbouleh from all nutrition. My personal favourite recipe with Parsley is this Vegan Parsley Pesto for pasta or on a roasted vegetable sandwich.
Mint: Mint-infused water is refreshing in the summer, and I honestly use up most of my mint that way. If I use it in cooking, its typically in bean salads like this Middle Eastern Chickpea and Blackbean Salad from ambitious kitchen (which also uses Parsley and Basil!).
Thyme, rosemary or oregano: There are many uses but if you have too much on hand I suggest either freezing them in ice cubes with oil to use later, or making an infused oil to use (or give) this season! I love infusing hard herbs in oils to use on salads or roasting veggies, and they also make awesome last-minute hosting or housewarming gifts.
Beets
I'm not a huge fan of beets on their own, even roasted, so found some great ways to make use of their sweetness and vibrancy to elevate other dishes.
Beet Hummus: I love beet hummus! It's sweeter than regular hummus and has such a stunning colour. I've been using part of this Toasted Sweet Potato with Beet Hummus from all nutrition.
Beet Jam: I tried this Beet Jam last year, and really liked it! My only tip is to keep an eye on it, I lost the last quarter of my jar of jam because it went bad.
Beet and carrot salad or slaw: This Moroccan Grated Carrot and Beet Salad is divine and offers a delightful combination of flavours.
Radishes
Some people love radishes sliced into salads or on their own, but I don't! I knew last year that I had to find alternative ways to eating them and found that pickling them was the perfect snack for warm days, and roasting them with garlic made their sharp taste less pronounced.
Pickled Radishes: I love this recipe for Spicy Quick Pickled Radishes by Cookies and Kate.
Roasted Radishes: Although I like pickled radishes the most, these Roasted Radishes from a couple of cooks are also really tasty.
Leafy greens
When I thought of greens I use to think of salad or something to add into a sandwich, but not much else! Last year however, I looked further and found a handful of interesting and delicious ways that leafy greens can be part of breakfast, lunch and dinner!
Chard or Butter Lettuce as wraps: These greens are both awesome for wraps. I like this Collard Summer Salad Rolls with Lime Peanut Sauce from foodbymaria for collard greens, and these Thai-Style Lettuce Wraps from Cookie and Kate for butter lettuce.
Spinach in a Frittata or smoothie: I love this Stovetop Frittata by all nutrition for a quick and healthy supper. I also love putting spinach in smoothies because its smooth consistency.
Kale as chips: This is one of my favourite snacks to eat and an easy one to make. I use The Busy Baker's No Fail Sea Salt and Garlic Kale Chips recipe.
Some other ones that might come up
Celeriac root fritters: This root vegetable is delicious roasted and drizzled with an herb or lemon infused tahini dressing, or can be the main focus in fritters! I discovered this Spicy Celeriac Fritter recipe from lowly foods last year and it is one of my favourite work-from-home recipes.
Garlic scape pesto: This Vegan Garlic Scape Pesto by Vanilla and Bean was one of my favourite discoveries last summer.
Kohlrab coleslaw: This was one of my favourite dishes to have for lunch last year. This Kohlrabi and Carrot Slaw from The Kitchnn is filling, vibrant and kept well over a weeks time.
Happy eating!
J.