5 Amazing Summer Produce

15 Jul 5 Amazing Summer Produce

By Alexandra Orlan, Guest Blogger

My favorite part of summer is all the fresh produce that’s in season. There’s nothing better than biting into a cold, juicy fruit on a hot summers day, or enjoying a vegetable crudité before your family barbecue. They’re so flavorful, sweet full of nutrients. Here are my top summer produce picks with easy and nutritious recipes that you can whip up in a flash.

Tomatoes
Available in many shapes and sizes, summers’ heirloom tomatoes are my favorite. Tomatoes are brimming with antioxidant vitamins A and C, plus folate, potassium, and fiber. They’re in season in July, during the middle of summer. They’re also one of the most versatile foods around.

Recipe Ideas:

• Super Simple Soup by The Crunchy Radish
• Tomato-Mozzarella Salad by Kara Lydon

Cantaloupe
Cantaloupe is a delicious summer fruit full of nutrients. This melon contains beneficial vitamins A, C, B6, magnesium and potassium. Their peak season is June through August.

Recipe Ideas:

• Cantaloupe and Black Pepper Granita from Bon Appetit
• Cantaloupe Gazpacho by Bon Appetit

Beets
Beets are a very delicious root vegetable. There are different varieties of beets, the most common being red beets. Providing folate, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C, iron, potassium and magnesium, beets are a wholesome food filled with important nutrients. They’re best enjoyed from June through October. Both the root and the greens of the beet are edible and can easily dress up any salad.

Recipes Ideas:

• Baked Rosemary Beet Chips by Minimalist Baker
• Grated Raw Beet Salad from The New York Times

Blackberries
These purple gems are a great source of vitamin C and fiber, and also offer vitamin A, and calcium. Blackberries also contain plant chemicals called flavonoids, which give the fruit anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. I enjoy these juicy little berries over waffles many morning’s. Blackberries are in season throughout the month of July.

Recipe Ideas:

• Creamy Blackberry Frozen Yogurt from Kitchen Corners
• Blackberry Banana Bliss Smoothie from Le Crème De La Crumb

Peaches
Like beets, peaches also come in different varieties. My favorite variety is the donut peach (which look like donuts) because they’re so sweet. Full of iron, potassium, vitamin A and beta-carotene, this stone fruit is the perfect on-the-go snack for summer. Peaches are at their peak June through August.

Recipe Ideas:

• Peaches N’ Cream Ice Pops from FoodNetwork.com Healthy Eats Blog
• Bourbon Glazed Peach Yogurt from My Recipes

Alexandra Orlan will be a junior dietetics major this fall at the University of Delaware. She hopes to become a registered dietitian and use her passion for food and health to better others’ lives.