Still Have Leftover Garden Veggies? Use Them In These 7 Summer Recipes

There is nothing better than a freshly-picked tomato on a hot summer’s day. Scratch that — anything freshly picked on a summer’s day. Fresh veggies are not only good for you, but they’re good for the soul too. While you can’t go wrong with eating them fresh, we’ve got you covered on some of our favorite recipes for those summer veggies!

Zucchini Garlic Bites

Thanks to Grow A Good Life for this recipe!

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with olive oil or non-stick spray and set aside. 

2. Use a box grater to grate the zucchini into a clean towel. Roll up the towel and twist it to wring out the moisture. 

3. Grate the garlic on the box grater. 

4. Add all of the ingredients into a medium bowl and mix well to combine. 

5. Shape a tablespoon of mixture into your hands. Form the mixture into small balls and place them on the baking sheet. 

6. Bake the bites for 15-18 minutes or until golden. Serve warm with marinara sauce.

Veggie-Loaded Stuffed Bell Peppers

Thanks to PureWow for this recipe!

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 475°F convection roast. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the peppers cut-side-down on the baking sheet. Drizzle them with olive oil and season with salt. Transfer them to the oven and cook until the peppers begin to blister — 15-20 minutes. Remove the peppers from the oven, turn them over, and set aside. 

2. While the peppers are cooking, bring a medium saucepan filled with water to a simmer. Add a big pinch of kosher salt to the mixture. Cook the quinoa until tender — 9-12 minutes or according to the package directions. Drain the quinoa through a fine-mesh sieve and set aside. 

3. In a large skillet over high heat, heat the olive oil until it shimmers. Add the diced onion and chile, and immediately lower the heat to medium. Season the mixture with a pinch of salt. Cook and stir occasionally until the onion softens and begins to turn translucent — about 5 minutes. 

4. Add the diced zucchini and cook until it loses some rawness — about 2 minutes. You don’t want the zucchini to turn to mush, so don’t overcook it. Add the corn and cook for 1 more minute. Turn the heat off, add the tomatoes, scallions, and cilantro. 

5. Add the quinoa and stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Fold in the cheese. 

6. Spoon the filling into the cavities of the peppers. You can really pack them full too. If you have any extra filling, you can eat it by itself or serve it as a side. 

7. Transfer the peppers back into the oven and cook until the cheese begins to melt and the vegetables begin to brown — 8-10 minutes. 

8. Garnish with fresh chopped basil or chives and a squeeze of lemon juice if you want!

Crisp Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Basil Salt and Lemon Garlic Dipping Sauce

Thanks to Willow Bird Baking for this recipe!

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line 2 baking sheets with foil and set aside. 

2. In a large bowl, toss the sweet potato fries in the olive oil and spread them out onto the baking sheets. Make sure the fries don’t touch and aren’t too crowded. Bake until they’re golden and crisp — about 45 minutes. If they’re smaller, they tend to cook faster, so keep an eye on them. 

3. While the fries are baking, mix together the salt, pepper, and basil to make the basil salt. 

4. Combine the mayonnaise, garlic, and lemon juice in another small bowl to make the lemon garlic dipping sauce.

5. When the fries come out of the oven, sprinkle them with the basil salt and toss them around with a spatula. Spread them out again and let them cool slightly. 

6. Serve with the lemon garlic dipping sauce.

Heirloom Tomato Caprese Frico Cups

Thanks to Foodie Crush for this recipe!

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. 

2. Mix the parmesan cheese and lemon zest in a small bowl. 

3. Place a Silpat mat on a rimmed baking sheet. Using a 2 ½ inch biscuit cutter, drop 1 slightly rounded teaspoon of cheese mixture onto the Silpat, tapping the cheese lightly to form a circle. Place 6 total circles on the baking sheet with 2 inches between each row. 

4. Bake the rounds for 8 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly. 

5. Work quickly while the frico is still hot and transfer the rounds with a spatula or knife into a muffin tin and gently press the mixture into the tins. If the rounds become too cool and brittle, place them back in the hot oven for a minute. 

6. Let the frico cool in the tins for 3-5 minutes and remove. Repeat the process with the rest of the mixture. 

7. While the fricos are baking, toss the tomatoes, roasted red bell pepper slices, capers, and parsley leaves in a large bowl with the olive oil, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Season with kosher salt and finely ground pepper. 

8. Fill the parmesan cups with about ¼ cup of tomato mixture and garnish with more salt and pepper and goat cheese if you want. 

9. Serve at room temperature.

Chilled Heirloom Tomato Soup

Thanks to Cannelle et Vanille for this recipe!

Directions

1. Puree all the ingredients in the blender and chill for 1 hour. 

2. Serve with toasted bread rubbed with tomato and shaved Manchego cheese!

Bell Pepper Nachos

Thanks to Delish for this recipe!

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F and line two small baking sheets with foil. Lay the bell pepper wedges on the baking sheets in a single layer, cut side up. Toss with olive oil, cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder. Season generously with salt and pepper. Bake until the peppers are crisp and tender, about 10 minutes. 

2. Top the bell peppers with both cheeses and bake until the cheese is bubbly, about 10 minutes. 

3. Top with guacamole, salsa, and pickled jalapeños. 

4. In a small bowl, whisk the sour cream and milk together and drizzle the mixture over the peppers. Squeeze a lime wedge on top and serve with more lime wedges.

Portobello Melts

Thanks to Taste of Home for this recipe!

Directions

1. Preheat the broiler. Place the mushrooms into a shallow bowl and mix the oil, vinegar, salt, and dried basil together. Brush the mixture on both sides of the mushrooms and let them stand for 5 minutes. Reserve the remaining marinade. 

2. Place the mushrooms on a greased rack of the broiler pan, stem side down. Broil the mushrooms 4 inches from the heat until tender.  This should take about 3-4 minutes per side. Top the stem sides with tomato and cheese. Broil until the cheese melts, about 1 minute. 

3. Place the bread on a baking sheet and brush with the reserved marinade. Broil 4 inches from the heat until lightly toasted, about 45-60 seconds. Top with mushrooms and sprinkle with chopped basil.

And there you have our favorite summer time recipes for your garden-fresh veggies! What recipe are you trying first? Comment below!

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