Two new vegetables this week -- celery and tomatoes. Natalie reports that celery is perhaps the 'most exciting' (and to my mind, celery's an under-appreciated vegetable) but oh my, it's time for the glory that is the summer tomato!!

Tomatoes - Now I know that for the next week or so, the 'only' way to enjoy these very first tomatoes is out of the hand, maybe sliced, all alone or in salads. But then, once that first tomato lust is satiated, you'll love the section for recipes for summer tomaotes. If you've not yet had panzanella, now's the time, early, so you can make it again and again throughout the rest of the tomato season. And there are two versions of tomatoes with fresh mozzarella -- one with good vinegar, the other with good olive oil.

Celery - See all the celery recipes for ideas but my own favorites include braised celery, for the leaves, this gorgeous celery & apple salad and the very low-brow but delicious broccoli, celery & pepper salad. Plus -- how to store celery to keep.

Beets - There are (so far) 41 beet recipes on A Veggie Venture. Yes, I love beets for their flavor but more than that, once they're cooked, they're the most amazing convenience food. In fact, all the recipes that call for cooked beets are noted with this little pan. Several make my list of five-minute vegetable recipes. Last year, I learned from a farm wife in western Missouri what to do with the first beet. And when I taught a class at a church for twenty-something girls learning to cook, this simple beet dish was their favorite recipe, all summer. Most had never even tasted beets before! And if you've not tried Natalie's beet pesto, it's much recommended, maybe my favorite new recipe of the summer, so far.

Kale - for recipe ideas, see the Leafy Greens recipes but if you can't use the greens for a day or so, I really recommend doing a quick cook right away as in Greek Greens

Cilantro - For a list of recipes using cilantro, just search on 'cilantro' in the Search box at the top. Favorites include quick appetizers made with green chutney or almond cilantro spread, veggie burritos with cilantro sauce and for a vegetable, a Mexican flavor profile from Rick Bayless, green beans with tomatillo salsa dressing.

Green Beans - This summer, I'm falling in love with green beans for the first time. More recipes to come but for now, check the bean recipes. Last week I remade the oh-so-simple Green Beans with Lemon & Pine Nuts (though pine nuts are completely optional) and was in heaven. I'm also especially fond of garlicky green beans and the classic green beans with onion & almonds. One thing I'm concluding, have roasted, steamed, skillet-fried and microwaved green beans in the last month, cooking them in a lot of very well-salted water is really the best way to go. Per pound of beans, use 2 quarts of water and 1 tablespoon table salt (or 2 tablespoons kosher or sea salt).

Lettuce Mix See all the recipes using lettuce and other salad greens, plus, do you know how to make salad dressing?

Garlic or Onion - Presumably, you'll have no trouble using up fresh garlic. But if you've not had it before, what a treat you're in for! There are some ideas for cooking onion in the onion recipes.

Summer Squash - See all the summer squash recipes. But for starters, you might think about shredded zucchini with thyme or Easy Cheesy Zucchini -- or better still, Roasted Zucchini with Lemon (and be sure to check out the maple glazed salmon that also uses a 500F oven). Oh so many choices!

Cucumber - Check all the cucumber recipes. For something traditional, there's cucumbers in sour cream or cucumbers in vinegar. For something more unusual, think about cucumber lemonade or fruity gazpacho which has gorgeous color and wonderful flavor.

That's all for the week! Let me know how this works for you by leaving a comment, below! Otherwise, see you next week! ~ Your Friend in Vegetables, all the way in Missouri, Alanna