65 garden recipes

Light English pea soup blended with fresh spinach, lettuce, and green onions. A low-fat pureed soup with bright green color and clean garden flavor.

Pickled nasturtium seeds: the frugal gardener's homemade caper substitute, brined in spiced white wine vinegar with shallots, tarragon, and horseradish. Peppery, briny, and completely free.

Fresh corn, tomato, and okra stew sauteed in butter with green onions and garlic. A Southern summer vegetable stew made with produce straight from the garden.

Curried cucumber and tomato soup, a chilled summer puree of garden produce blended with curry powder, garlic, and hot sauce. No-cook, vegan, and ready after a quick chill.

Sweet corn fritters studded with edible marigold petals, fried until golden with lacy, crispy edges. A stunning appetizer that brings the garden straight to the plate.

Fresh green pasta salad tosses spinach spaghetti with asparagus, zucchini, snow peas, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes in a curry-spiked mayo dressing. A vegetable garden in a bowl.

Harvest-time meatballs simmered with zucchini, mushrooms, and tomato wedges under a blanket of Parmesan. A one-skillet take on end-of-summer garden produce and pantry meatballs.

Pasta salad with fresh basil, ripe Roma tomatoes, parmesan, and a lemon-olive oil toss. A summer-ready cold pasta that lets a handful of garden ingredients shine.

Wild green salad tossing bittersweet escarole, lemony sorrel, and fresh mint with toasted sunflower seeds in a light herb vinegar dressing. A bright, garden-fresh bowl ready in minutes.

Chive blossom omelet with Swiss cheese, fresh parsley, and edible chive florets folded inside and garnished with whole blossoms. A elegant 20-minute breakfast for two using garden-fresh herbs.

Creamy cucumber rounds with herb cream cheese on multigrain bread make the cutest finger food for tea parties, showers, and garden gatherings. Ready in just 30 minutes with 6 simple ingredients.

Favorite dill pickles: garden cucumbers packed with fresh dill and garlic in jars and covered with a hot vinegar brine. The classic homemade dill pickle, ready in 3 to 4 weeks.

Fusilli with vegetables: a fresh Italian pasta sauce of zucchini, plum tomatoes, garlic, shallots, and herbs simmered in olive oil. Summer garden produce tossed with corkscrew pasta and a shower of parmesan.

A chilled summer pasta salad of garden vegetable pasta, cooked shrimp, and sweet honeydew melon balls tossed in a tangy vinaigrette. A refreshing, make-ahead sweet-and-savory dish for warm days.

What a great way to cook with seasonal veggies. I used both green zucchini and yellow summer squash that grew in my garden as well as tomato, and it was yummy and refreshing.

Wild herb tart is a green-packed vegetarian custard pie stuffed with spinach, leek, green onion, and fresh parsley, bound in eggs and cream. A springtime garden-forward cousin of the classic quiche.