10 Easy End of Summer Dinners to Use Up Garden Vegetables
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Late summer produce is at its absolute peak right now and I want to make the most of every last bit of it. Zucchini is everywhere, tomatoes are at their sweetest, and corn is begging to be used before the season is gone. These are the dinners I turn to every single August and September to celebrate that incredible end of summer haul from the farmers market or the grocery store. Simple, delicious, and the best possible way to eat what the season has to offer.
Cherry Tomato Pasta
A handful of cherry tomatoes, a little garlic, fresh basil, and mozzarella pearls all tossed through pasta in 20 minutes. This is genuinely one of the recipes I have made most in my life and I never get tired of it. When tomatoes are this good there is no reason to do anything more complicated. Full recipe: Cherry Tomato Pasta
Heirloom Tomato Tart
When the heirloom tomatoes are coming in thick and fast this is the recipe to make. A buttery flaky crust, creamy herbed ricotta, and gorgeous jewel-colored tomatoes on top. It is stunning, it is easy, and it tastes as good as it looks. Full recipe: Heirloom Tomato Tart
Sauteed Corn and Zucchini
Sweet summer corn and tender zucchini cooked until lightly golden in a skillet, finished with Parmesan and fresh herbs. The best 15-minute side dish of the season and the one that quietly steals the show at every dinner it shows up to. Full recipe: Sauteed Corn and Zucchini
Roasted Tomato Pasta
Slow roasting transforms garden tomatoes into something deeply sweet and jammy that store-bought tomatoes could never replicate. Toss them with pasta, fresh herbs, and a handful of parmesan and you have one of the best dinners of the whole summer. Full recipe: Roasted Tomato Pasta
Zucchini Chicken Stir Fry
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A quick 30-minute skillet dinner that is basically made for the weeks when zucchini is taking over the garden. Tender chicken, fresh zucchini, and a savory sauce served over rice. This one has been on repeat at my house from July through September. Full recipe: Zucchini Chicken Stir Fry
Caprese Chicken with Roasted Tomatoes
Pan-seared chicken breasts topped with melty fresh mozzarella, blistered roasted tomatoes, fresh basil, and a balsamic drizzle. Seven ingredients and it tastes like the absolute best of late summer on a plate. Full recipe: Caprese Chicken with Roasted Tomatoes
Zucchini Tomato Tart
A rustic flaky tart with a creamy whipped feta base, topped with fresh zucchini and cherry tomatoes. It looks like something from a fancy brunch spot and is honestly one of my most made summer recipes every single year. Full recipe: Zucchini Tomato Tart
Balsamic Pasta Salad with Grilled Vegetables
Fire up the grill one last time and throw on whatever vegetables are coming out of the garden. Toss them through pasta with crumbled feta and a punchy balsamic vinaigrette. Make it ahead and it only gets better as it sits. Full recipe: Balsamic Pasta Salad with Grilled Vegetables
Roasted Poblano Corn and Potato Soup
Smoky roasted poblanos, sweet fresh corn, and buttery potatoes blended into the most silky, creamy soup that works just as well in the height of summer as it does on the first cool nights of fall. Full recipe: Roasted Poblano Corn and Potato Soup
Chicken Pasta Primavera
Tender chicken and a colorful mix of late summer vegetables tossed through pasta in a light creamy sauce. The perfect catch-all recipe for using up whatever is looking best at the market this week. Full recipe: Chicken Pasta Primavera
