These recipes use fresh, seasonal ingredients you can grow yourself, or easily get your hands on, including fresh fruits and vegetables. The best part? Their simplicity makes them easy to make with your kids – and two of these recipes actually come from a 4‑H’er.
Read on for these four delicious, healthy summer recipes.
#1: Chocolate Avocado Pudding
This recipe comes from 19-year-old Elisabeth Watkins, the Farm Girl Chef and former 4‑H’er. Avocados are not typical ingredients in chocolate pudding, but there are a few good reasons to try them out: First, summer is avocado season. Second, they have lots of health benefits. Third, and most importantly they have a rich, creamy texture. Watkins says this dish is super chocolatey with the same texture as a typical chocolate pudding (but with added nutrients).
Preparation/Assembly Time: 10 minutes
Inactive Time: 2 hours
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 2 medium avocados
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup milk (or nondairy alternative)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Cooking Instructions
- In the bowl of a blender or food processor combine all ingredients on high for 30 seconds. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl and process for 1 minute more.
- Transfer mixture to a bowl and cover. Allow to chill in the refrigerator to get cold, about 2 hours.
#2: Summer Corn Salad
Produce doesn’t get much more “summer” than fresh-off-the-cob corn and flavorful tomatoes (homegrown, ideally). This summer salad classic sits perfectly next to your grilled meats but will disappear fast.
Preparation/Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 6 ears corn, husked and cleaned
- 3 large tomatoes, diced
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Cooking Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook corn in boiling water for 7 to 10 minutes until tender.
- Drain, then set to cool for five minutes.
- Once cool, cut the kernels off the cob with a sharp knife.
- In a large bowl, toss together the corn, tomatoes, onion, basil, oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
- Serve warm, or chill in the refrigerator 2 hours before mealtime – whichever you prefer.
#3: Frozen Strawberry Lemonade
Another creation of the Farm Girl Chef, this frozen strawberry lemonade was inspired by Watkins’ life in California, with its 100-degree summer days. Her innovation on this popular summer drink? Using frozen apple juice cubes, which add sweetness and flavor without watering down the drink.
Preparation/Assembly Time: 10 minutes
Inactive Time: 6 hours
Servings: 1
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup apple juice
- 1/2 cup fresh strawberries
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons water
Directions
- Pour apple juice into an ice cube tray and freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- When ready to make, rinse and slice strawberries adding them to the bowl of a blender along with frozen apple juice cubes, lemon juice, and water. Blend on high or on a smoothie setting until ice cubes have broken down.
- Serve immediately.
#4: Grilled Garlic Parmesan Zucchini
Zucchinis are one of the joys of summer. If you don’t have a bounty of zucchini fresh from the garden, they’re easy to find this time of year. And the smoky taste of anything off the grill during the summer will appeal to anyone in your family, whether they’re meat eaters or veggie lovers. Don’t have a grill? That’s okay, a grill pan or cast-iron skillet can do similar wonders.
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 3 zucchini
- 3 tablespoons butter, softened
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Cooking Instructions
- Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, and lightly oil the grate. Use a cast-iron skillet or grill plate as an alternative, if you don’t have a grill.
- Cut the zucchini in half crosswise, then slice each half into 3 slices lengthwise.
- Mix the butter, parsley and garlic in a bowl, then spread the mixture on both sides of each zucchini slice.
- Sprinkle one side of each slice with Parmesan cheese, and p
- Place the slices on the grill crosswise on the preheated grill to keep them from falling through.
- Grill until the cheese has melted and the slices are cooked through and show grill marks, about 7 minutes.
