How to Use Your Summer Veggies and Take Them Up a Notch with Dairy
It’s summer and in Michigan that means abundant, fresh-from-the-garden produce. Whether you couldn’t resist the brightly colored seed packages in the spring and now have an overflowing garden or, like me, get carried away at the Farmer’s Market, you may be searching for new ways to use fresh vegetables. To assist you, I’ve rounded up some delectable summer veggie recipes. These fresh vegetables pair beautifully with cheeses like fresh mozzarella, Cotija and cheddar. Not only does cheese add flavor, it also adds nutrients like protein and calcium.
Grilled Street Corn makes a perfect summer side dish. It’s grilled corn, dressed up with a little mayonnaise, Mexican crema, crumbled salty Cotija cheese and zesty dried ground chili peppers. Serve it with a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Once you try it, you’ll know why the popularity of this traditional, Mexican food-on-a-stick is soaring in the United States.
If you’re looking for a cool, refreshing summer side dish to serve with grilled meat or fish, try the Green Bean and Tomato Salad . It tosses fresh basil vinaigrette with cold, crisp-tender green beans, bright cherry tomatoes and balls of luscious, fresh mozzarella cheese. All those fresh flavors just scream summer!
My favorite, Grilled Summer Corn, Blueberry and Zucchini Salad is colorful, tasty and versatile. All the title ingredients are tossed with your choice of cheddar, Swiss, blue or feta cheese and dressed in a lime-cumin vinaigrette. Serve it with a wedge of crusty bread for a chilled vegetarian lunch or as a side-dish along with grilled poultry.
Summer Vegetable Pepe Pasta Salad mixes acini de pepe (tiny cylinders of pasta) with fresh asparagus, feathery fresh dill fronds, sweet corn kernels, juicy cherry tomatoes and a Parmesan-Greek yogurt dressing. Make it ahead of time and have it ready when the gang comes over for burgers.
The grill expert in your house can add Grilled Broccoli with Parmesan to their repertoire. Season broccoli with olive oil and garlic, then grill and toss with Parmesan-Reggiano cheese and lemon juice before serving. A simple recipe bursting with flavor.
If you or some family members think they dislike vegetables, don’t skip these unbeatable recipes. Maybe the vegetables you’ve tried weren’t prepared to your predilection. Some vegetables taste boring steamed, but cook them using a different technique, add a zesty sauce or dressing or mix them with luscious dairy products and they take on a whole new dimension. The essential nutrients provided by combining veggies with dairy products is too valuable to miss.
For more ways to make scrumptious vegetables using delicious dairy foods, check out these recipes:
- Tangy Pasta Salad
- Roasted Tomato and Sweet Pepper Pasta with Fresh Mozzarella
- Asparagus Ribbon Salad with Beets and Burrata
- Grilled Vegetable Tostadas with Feta Cheese
- Elote Dip
