For those who follow this blog regularly, we often recommend starting a home backyard garden as an easy, sustainable practice that will help you reduce your carbon footprint and eat healthier. Now that we're staying home more often and going to the grocery store less (or just finding less at the grocery store), it's a great time to start your own if you still need to. Creating your home garden can also be a fun and educational experience if you have a child at home with you.
One of the biggest complaints I hear about starting a home garden, or purchasing from your local CSA, is that the harvest is very random and people can’t figure out what to make with the produce. It seems we've grown accustomed to finding whatever we want at our local grocery store, regardless of whether or not it's in season. Our grandparents knew how to cook what was seasonally bountiful, a skill we may be wise to rediscover.
In that spirit, we gardening fans here at Sun Valley Solar are happy to help. Here are four of our favorite simple recipes with many of Arizona's best springtime harvests.
1. Cucumber, Tomatoes, Basil Salad with Mozzarella and Balsamic Vinaigrette
Seasonal ingredients: Cucumbers (2), Tomatoes (2), and Basil (1 sprig)
Purchased Ingredients: Mozzarella, balsamic vinaigrette, Basil
Mix the fresh ingredients and mozzarella, and toss in a salad bowl, then drizzle with vinaigrette. If you want to turn this into a meal, add some chicken, avocado, or pasta to make it more filling!
2. Cucumber with Salt and Lemon
Seasonal ingredients: Cucumber (1), lemon juice
Purchased ingredients: salt
Well, it is pool season, and you might be trying to maintain that summer physique with the triple-digit temps. One of my favorite replacements for chips is sliced cucumbers sprinkled with fresh lemon juice and salt. Especially on a hot day, this is a refreshing snack.
3. Fresh Salsa
Ingredients from my garden: Tomatoes (5), jalapenos (2) – seeds removed), cilantro (1 handful), garlic (2 cloves)
Purchased ingredients: onion (1), lime (2), salt and pepper (to taste), cumin (1 tsp.), sugar (1 tsp.)
Add Tomatoes, jalapenos, cilantro, garlic, and onion (roughly chopped) to your food processor. Then as dry ingredients and lime juice. They process until it reaches the desired consistency. This should leave you with an awesome salsa!
4. Grilled Zucchini
Ingredients from the garden: zucchini (1-2)
Purchased ingredients: Olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
Slice your zucchini, and place on foil. Drizzle the slices with oil, and sprinkle with seasoning. Place on the grill for about 10 minutes. This makes for an awesome side to grilled chicken or steak, and you don’t even have to heat the house by turning on the oven!
Sometimes, I find myself with an item I am trying to figure out what to do with. In cases like this, Google is your friend. A quick search will easily provide a couple of recipes to consider! Not only will you be eating healthier, but you’ll also have accomplished making something completely from scratch that you may have never considered—all from the seeds or plants you planted just a few months ago! Bon Appetite!
Suppose you want to learn how solar can help reduce your carbon footprint and ensure a cleaner future for future generations. In that case, we invite you to download our exclusive solar whitepaper. You can also request a custom solar quote from one of our solar experts today.
*This blog has been updated since its original publication date of 6/28/2017.
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