Get Fresh

Okay, maybe we aren’t quite as committed to local eating as the now-infamous founders of the 100-Mile-Diet. Tell our kids they’ll have to go without Cheerios for a whole year? I don’t think so.

But there’s no denying the pleasure to be gained from serving up fresh food that is in season—and summer is the time to capitalize on what we have available to us locally, for sure.

Whether you’re bringing home summer’s bounty from the grocery store, a farmers’ market, a Fraser Valley farm or your own garden, the next question that arises is what to do with the abundance of produce you’ve got in front of you (“But the 20-lb. box of tomatoes was SUCH a great deal…”). Fortunately, there are lots of quick, no-fuss ways to incorporate this season’s healthy harvest into your family’s diet.

Love Those Love Apples
Even twenty pounds of tomatoes will disappear if you try some of our favourite tomato recipes.

For an easy dinner, make a fresh tomato sauce by combining a couple of pounds of chopped, drained tomatoes with a half-cup of fresh basil, ¼ cup of olive oil, minced garlic to taste and a teaspoon of salt. Let stand on the counter for an hour or two, then toss with hot pasta and sprinkle with a favourite cheese such as Parmesan or feta.

Take this easy bruschetta along to the next neighbourhood potluck: Combine chopped tomatoes with two cloves of minced garlic, 3 Tbsp of olive oil, 1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar and four or five leaves of chopped basil. Season with salt and pepper, then let sit for a couple of hours before serving with toasted baguette slices on the side. Add some hot chili peppers and onions and you can transform your creation into salsa for tortilla chips or cheesy quesadillas.

BC’s Best
You won’t be blue when you think about the nutrient boost the superfoods blueberries and peaches provide—and they’re a lot tastier than vitamin pills.

Blueberries are amongst the easiest berries to freeze, so buy extra. Once they are washed and dried, spread them out on a cookie sheet and put the sheet(s) in the freezer. Once frozen, the berries can be stored in heavy-duty plastic bags and pulled out for pancakes, muffins, and other treats when summer is long gone.

But for now, encourage your kids to throw the fresh berries on their morning cereal and afternoon ice cream. Pull out your Magic Bullet or blender to make smoothies with berries, peaches and French vanilla yogurt. Toss in some frozen banana to give it a slushy consistency, or an ice cube or two.

Put aside some family time to make a blueberry and peach cobbler/crumble with your kids. It’s the easiest, healthiest dessert and a tasty way to get kids eating their oatmeal! Mix together equal parts brown sugar and rolled oats with a little bit more flour. Using your hands, mix in two tablespoons of soft butter or margarine, add a touch of cinnamon and crumble over the fruit before putting in the oven to brown. Top with ice cream, yogurt, whip cream or more fruit. Delicious.

Give Them an Earful
There’s no veggie that says ‘summer’ quite like corn—and how many other farm products have as much entertainment value? From the shucking to the gnawing, kids and corn are highly interactive.

For a no-fail barbequed corn, parboil on the stove first. Place the corn in cold, sugared (yes, sugar, not salt) water and heat to boiling. Take it out of the pot, let dry and pour melted butter infused with fresh lime juice to taste (make sure you can taste the lime) over top. Place on a hot grill with little or no flame for a few (2–3) minutes. Serve this one by itself at lunch or beside a burger at dinner.

Summer is the time to be playing outside with the kids, not spending hours doing dinner prep. Keep meals fresh and simple for the savviest of summers.

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