Under the Median: Let's Go "Nuts" With Seasonal Produce

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Let's Go "Nuts" With Seasonal Produce

Every week during the growing season I share with you ideas for planning your weekly menu around readily available, fresh, delicious, local produce. It's literally one of the least expensive means of saving money on your grocery bill.

This week, I decided to"go nuts".

That's right! Every single one of these recipes features fresh farmers market produce paired with some kind of nut.

Zucchini, basil, chickpea soup

This soup was amazing! It features a puree of basil, nuts, and garlic. That's right! You make a simple pesto and then stir it in to the soup at the very end. The finished soup is bursting with fresh flavor that will keep you coming back again and again for another bowl!

20-Minute Vegan Creole Green Beans

Easy, 20-minute, vegan, Creole green beans

This is an exclusive, Under the Median, Cheap Eats recipe. Growing up, I begged my mother to make Creole green beans. I loved the smoky, salty flavor of the ham or bacon. As a vegan, I wanted to recreate that experience without the meat. So, the 15 year old sous chef and I got to work this week in our kitchen. This recipe gives you all the flavor you remember, without added fat, cholesterol, or salt.

Scalloped Carrots Topped With Almonds

Scalloped carrots topped with almonds

I introduced you to scalloped carrots in last week's CSA post, when I talked about 5 ways to scallop vegetables. My version used the Allrecipes version for inspiration and topped it with a sprinkling of chopped almonds for extra crunch.

Carrot Top Pesto

Carrot top pesto

Pesto is always a good idea! Having it in the freezer is an even better idea! I make a large batch and freeze it in small yogurt containers. Just fill the containers, freeze, pop out the pesto cubes, and throw them in a labelled freezer bag. One cube will nicely cover 8-10 ounces of cooked pasta.

Almond Tomato Spread

Almond tomato spread

This recipe comes from Martha Stewart. I didn't add the olive oil, but the finished spread was absolutely perfect for dipping with tortilla chips or raw veggies.