Summer Recipes with Fresh Oklahoma Produce

It’s summertime in Oklahoma. Soon, farmers markets will overflow with fresh, seasonal produce. From blackberries to squash, the summer season provides households with a bounty of produce to sauté, slice and steam – or, if you’d like, just crunch on them raw.

Wondering what’s in season this summer? Check our summer seasonal produce guide below or click here to see the full seasonal guide for Oklahoma.

Apples
Apricots
Arugula
Asparagus
Basil
Beans
Beets
Black-Eyed Peas
Blackberries
Blueberries
Broccoli
Cabbage
Cantaloupe
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Celery Root
Chard
Cherries
Chili Pepper
Cilantro
Corn
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Figs
Garlic
Garlic Scapes
Grapes
Green Onions, Scallions
Greens (Collards, Etc.)
Herbs
Horseradish
Kale
Kohlrabi
Lettuce
Melons
Mushrooms
Okra
Onions
Parsley
Peaches
Peas
Peppers
Plums
Potatoes
Pumpkin
Radishes
Raspberries
Rhubarb
Spinach
Strawberries
Summer Squash
Tomatoes
Watermelon
Winter Squash
Zucchini

If you’ve stopped by your local farmers market, finished your shopping and are ready to cook – here are a few healthy, fresh recipes for the summer season, courtesy of the Oklahoma Nutrition Information and Education project, or, as it is better known, ONIE. Led by Project Dietitian Stephanie DeBerry, the ONIE team develops and tests each recipe in-house.

Image Courtesy of ONIE

Sweet Summer Peach Salsa 

Serves: 8
Estimated Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 ½ lbs tomatoes
2 bell peppers
2 jalapenos
1 medium onion
1 lb peaches
½ bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice
¼ teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. Dice tomatoes and transfer to a large bowl.
2. Finely dice seeded peppers and onion, add to bowl. Mix well.
3. Pit and dice peaches, leaving skin on fruit, add to bowl.
4. Add cilantro, juice, and pepper. Mix well.
5. Serve immediately or for a more intense flavor, refrigerate salsa 1-2 hours.

Image courtesy of ONIE.

Summertime Spaghetti 

Serves: 8
Estimated Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 (13.25 oz) box dry whole-wheat spaghetti
1 (14.5 oz) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 cloves, garlic, minced
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 lbs cooked chicken, cubed
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup small broccoli florets

Directions

1. In a large glass microwave-safe bowl, break spaghetti in half. Add broth, water and juice. Cover with plastic wrap, leaving a small vent.
2. Microwave covered on high 14 minutes or until most liquid is absorbed, stirring once at halfway point.
3. In a small bowl, add garlic, parmesan, parsley, oil and pepper. Mix well.
4. Carefully remove from microwave. Add garlic mixture, chicken, tomatoes and broccoli. Mix well.
5. Microwave covered, on high 2-3 minutes or until broccoli is tender.

Image Courtesy of ONIE

Lemon Basil Summer Squash

Serves: 6
Estimated Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

2 medium zucchini
2 medium yellow squash
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Using a vegetable peeler, shave zucchini and squash into ribbons and put into a large bowl.
2. In a small bowl, combine oil, juice, pepper and garlic. Mix well.
3. Stir in oil mixture with vegetables. Add basil and oregano. Toss well.
4. Top with cheese and serve immediately.

Image Courtesy of ONIE

Fresca Street Tacos

Serves: 6
Estimated Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 (12 oz) package frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
1 cup chunky salsa
2 cups shredded fiesta blend cheese
1 (15 oz) can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 large green bell pepper, diced
1 small red onion, diced
6 (6-inch) corn tortillas

Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat oil on medium-high. Add hash browns in an even layer and cook 5-7 minutes or until golden brown. Flip and repeat.
2. Add salsa, cheese, peppers, black-eyed peas and onions. Stir and cook 3-5 minutes or until all ingredients are hot.
3. Meanwhile, heat a separate skillet. Dip a tortilla in cold water & toast in skillet 1 minute per side or until slightly browned. Repeat for each tortilla.
4. Spread mixture evenly over tortillas and serve.

Want more recipes? The following recipe was developed by INTEGRIS dietitian Pam Patty. Patty believes fresh is always best if you want the best flavor when cooking with summer produce. Recipes don’t need to be complicated to be delicious!

Serves: 4 generously
Estimated Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small zucchini, finely diced
1 small yellow squash, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 tomato, cored, seeded, and finely diced
4 scallions, very thinly sliced
¼ cup shredded fresh basil, or ½ teaspoon dried
Butter for greasing
4 eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, yellow squash, and red pepper and sauté until the vegetables begin to get tender, about 7 minutes.
2. Add the tomato and continue to cook the mixture, tossing often, until the vegetables are tender and the mixture begins to stick to the pan. Raise the heat to evaporate any excess juices. Remove from the heat, then stir in the scallions and basil. Let the mixture cool.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch pie plate.
4. Beat the eggs and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the cheese and vegetable mixture and pour into the pie plate.
5. Bake 25 to 28 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center of the frittata comes out dry. Cool the frittata on a rack and serve it warm, not hot.

Living well begins with the food you put into your body, from the root veggies of winter’s bounty to summer’s sweet produce. Learn how to spice up household favorites or experiment with new vegetables by checking out our list of the Oklahoma City Metro Farmers Markets and dropping by your local market this week.