147 garden recipes

A sweet-and-tangy canned squash relish with green tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, mustard seeds, and celery seeds in a vinegar-sugar brine. A farmhouse preserve that turns garden surplus into jars of condiment gold.

One of my favorite things to do with garden peas is to make a pea purée. Think of mashed potatoes only with peas instead.

Lightly sweetened herbal lemonade with fresh lemon balm, lemon juice, and honey. A naturally refreshing drink perfect for herb garden enthusiasts and summer sipping.

Light summer vegetable soup with carrots, zucchini, tomatoes, green beans, and spinach in chicken broth. Garden-fresh flavor on the table in 30 minutes.

Homemade capers from pickled nasturtium seeds brined in salt water, then preserved in sweet vinegar. A clever garden-to-jar substitute for real capers.

Homemade garden pesticide using beer, garlic, hot chili peppers, and blended bugs to trap slugs and repel plant-chewing insects the old-fashioned way.

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.

Minestrone Parmesan: Italian vegetable and pasta soup loaded with smoked ham, chickpeas, spinach, and garden vegetables in a rich beef broth. Finished with grated Parmesan.

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.

Vegan risotto soup made with arborio rice, vegetable stock, and a garden's worth of frozen vegetables. No oil, no butter, just creamy rice and bright vegetable flavor.

This recipe, though fussy to make, is attractive and tasty. Cheryl Kaufenberg of Darien said it came from a very old Better Homes & Gardens magazine

Cinnamon zucchini muffins with grated zucchini baked into a tender crumb. A quick 30-minute recipe that uses up garden zucchini in the best way possible.

Vegetable-loaded summer chili with zucchini, squash, mushrooms, kidney beans, and bell peppers in a cumin-chili tomato broth. Hearty, meatless, and full of garden produce.

Old-fashioned ripe cucumber catsup made with overripe cucumbers, vinegar, sugar, cinnamon, and cloves. A heritage condiment perfect for using up end-of-season garden cucumbers.