Simple ways to enjoy your harvest

Many people embark on their exciting journey to grow their own food, often forgetting one of the most vital aspects: how do you actually eat your delicious produce once it's fully ready to be harvested? The best way to fully enjoy many items is simply by grazing through your plants and indulging in delightful garden snacks, such as juicy peas, sweet cherry tomatoes, fresh berries, and so much more. However, some items, like nutritious kale, vibrant chard, and aromatic basil, require a bit more creativity to incorporate into your meals. Below are some simple yet tasty ideas to savor and enjoy your bountiful garden harvest without having to learn any new complicated recipes.

Add Greens to Everything

One thing that we often due is add a little bit of finely chopped kale, chard, and other leafy greens to the dishes we already make. You can it to soups, stir fries, roasts, pastas, smoothies, and so many more things. It adds a healthful benefit to your food, utilizes the garden, and doesn’t require learning a new recipe.

Garden Sandwich

One of my absolute favorite ways to truly enjoy the bounty of my harvest from the garden is by creatively making a delicious garden sandwich. I start by spreading a generous layer of hummus on the inside of my favorite type of bread, and then I carefully stack it with an assortment of fresh items harvested directly from my garden. The beauty of this sandwich is that it can be mixed seasonally, allowing for complete flexibility and creativity with the ingredients I choose. Currently, my delightful garden sandwich features ripe tomatoes, crisp lettuce, and crunchy carrots, all freshly picked from my garden. To elevate the flavors, I add a little creamy avocado and tangy pickled artichokes, and just like that, you’ve got yourself a fantastic and wholesome lunch that truly celebrates the joys of gardening!

Rosted Vegetables

We absolutely love to roast our vibrant vegetables in the oven with a little bit of oil—coconut oil for those delightful sweet flavors and olive oil for a more savory taste. This delicious cooking method also allows us to get our fresh herbs involved, as we can sprinkle on rosemary, thyme, oregano, and so much more right on top. We particularly enjoy making crispy kale chips, perfectly roasted broccoli, golden-brown roasted potatoes, and tender asparagus. However, there are really many other vegetables that work beautifully in this way, too! Just drizzle with oil, season with salt, add your favorite herbs, preheat the oven to 375 degrees, and let them roast until they are just showing delightful signs of turning golden brown.

There are many delightful and creative ways to truly enjoy the wonderful bounty of your garden, but sometimes it helps to just keep things wonderfully simple! Embrace the pleasures of your gardening journey and take joy in the fruits of your labor during your harvest. Wishing you happy growing and vibrant gardening experiences out there!