This month, Summer Miller is back, sharing her meal plans for July. Summer is a mom, a full-time food writer, and also helps test the fabulous recipes we bring you every week at Simply Recipes.
Midway through July, my kitchen counters usually succumb to their seasonal role as garden vegetable display tables. Every available surface is covered with cucumbers, beans, onions, carrots, Kohlrabi, and tomatoes — among others.
The cantaloupes come in faster than we can eat them, the watermelon vines have taken over half of the yard, and I spend hours every evening washing, preparing, and preserving what I can then giving away the rest.
It’s also about this time of year when I think to myself: Why do I garden? We have stores and farmers markets for this kind of thing. I don’t need to plant, weed, water, weed, pull, pick, wash, chop and cook all of this myself.
But I do. Every spring I anticipate preparing the soil, planting the seeds, and watching them grow. I love walking to my garden to get what I need rather than running to the store, because where I live the garden is actually more convenient.
I have had years where I thought, I’m not going to do it this time. I’m going to take a year off, and just put my feet up. But the next morning, I’m out there among the buzzing bees and the barn swallows, on my knees with my fingers in the dirt.
This week’s meal plan is all about making the most of that vegetable garden surplus.
