Lots of new vegetables (plus basil and parsley and garlic!) this week - cherry tomatoes, green & yellow beans, carrots, broccoli and cumcumbers. Natalie reports that all the tomatoes and other "hot crops" (those that need heat to thrive) are slow this year from the funky/cold weather but predicts a bumper crop of turnips in the fall. Ah, a CSA, isn't the surprise half the fun?!

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


Basil - Search 'basil' in the Search box in the header for recipe ideas using parsley. But a few ideas include Summer Orzo with Radicchio or Easy Cheesy Zucchini.

Parsley maybe as well, says Natalie - Search 'parsley' in the Search box in the header for recipe ideas using parsley. But a few ideas include a yummy No-Cook Tabbouleh or Herbed Grape Tomatoes from my cousin Laura or a lovely Grilled Pepper Salad, also from my cousin Laura! And this one may sound a little weird -- it's a fruit and vegetable gazpacho -- but it's magnificent. (Not finding what you're after? Check the 'parsley recipes' at Wolf Pine Farm.)

Swiss Chard - I've been slow to experiment with chard, shame on me! A friend reported this week that she quick-cooked chard in a skillet with shallot, then used leftovers the next with an omelette - and declared it way better than spinach. So given that breakfast idea, maybe Baked Eggs? Otherwise, see the small number of chard recipes.

A few Potatoes - The classic treatment for small just-out-of-the-ground potatoes is with browned butter. But oh my -- my very favorite way to treat new potatoes is with butter, rosemary, good salt and a surprise ingredient. (I loved these potatoes so much that I created a whole meal around the same secret ingredient!) If you don't have access to, um, that secret ingredient above, these simple herbed potatoes would be wonderful with dill and/or parsley (see below). Need more ideas? Check all the potato recipes. (Or check the potato recipes at Wolf Pine Farm's site.)

A few Cherry Tomatoes - See all the recipes (yes, there's a category!) for cherry or grape tomatoes. The first thing you do, of course, is to eat a few out of hand, just to really taste them. I really love these Herbed Grape Tomatoes and for an appetizer, there's no beating the recipe in last week's Kitchen Parade column, Herbed Ricotta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes. For a light lunch, think about Cherry Tomato & White Bean Salad.

Green & Yellow 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. This 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).

Carrots - See all the Carrot recipes but I'd be tempted to tuck some (along with potatoes and maybe beans) into this salmon chowder. For something rich, there's the ultra-dreamy Creamy Carrot Puree. You could also do the very gorgeous Mashed Potatoes & Carrots.

Broccoli - See all the broccoli recipes. My favorite broccoli recipe on the site is Broccoli with Pancetta & Parmesan but I recently remade this BBQ Oriental (don't be put off by the name, it's grilled vegetables) and it was delicious.

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.

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!

Fresh Garlic - 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!

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