Garden-to-Kitchen Recipes

Master Gardener Sarah here 👋

There are SO many reasons to try your hand at gardening. One of my favorite things about growing fruits and veggies at home is having fresh ingredients around to try out new recipes. But the garden gods can be fickle, and you don't always get what you plan for!

Using what you have

Every year, every season in the garden gives you a unique mix and amount of kitchen staples. One year, I managed to get over 80 pounds of tomatoes out of our small community garden plot! The next year, despite my plans for endless fresh salsas and jarred tomato sauces, we lost most of our Roma tomatoes to early blight. So it goes! As any gardener or farmer will tell you, nothing is certain in nature.

My advice? Make the most of each harvest. Plan for the best, but don’t be too proud to shop the farmers' markets for any missing ingredients that your garden can’t provide.

It’s a fun (and potentially rewarding) challenge to grow everything needed to assemble your favorite dishes. But it’s important to stay realistic about what and how much you want to grow; take on too much and that garden you once loved can feel like just another chore.

When you have too much or too little

At right: This Swiss chard overload made for some excellent soups and stir frys.

In the garden, I’ve learned to look at surpluses and shortages as opportunities to try something new. If the cucumber vines have taken over and you just can’t stomach another cucumber sandwich, share some of that bounty with a neighbor and make something new together for dinner (gazpacho, anyone? Read on below for the recipe!).

If your tomato harvest runneth over, try making something different like a smooth tomato jam. (Trust me, you won’t believe what this homemade condiment can do for an otherwise expected turkey sandwich).

Here are some of my favorite recipes to keep things fresh in your kitchen and make use of excess ingredients (and decrease food waste!).

Unexpected recipes from your garden to the kitchen

Garden Gazpacho

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ripe Roma tomatoes, halved and cored
• 1 small (½ lb) cucumber, peeled and seeded
• 1 medium green bell pepper, cored
• ½ small red onion, peeled
• 2 small garlic cloves (or 1 large clove), peeled
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin

Optional garnishes: croutons, chopped fresh herbs (cilantro makes a divine addition!), a drizzle of olive oil, or any leftover chopped gazpacho ingredients.

Pro tip: Add some minced hot peppers or a dash of hot sauce for some extra kick. 🌶️

Instructions

• Purée. Combine all ingredients together in a blender or food processor. Puree for 1 minute, or until the soup reaches your desired consistency.
• Season. Taste and season with extra salt, pepper and/or cumin or hot sauce if desired.
• Chill. Refrigerate in a sealed container for 3 to 4 hours, or until completely chilled.
• Serve. Serve cold, topped with your desired garnishes.

Chimichurri served with meat, seafood or grilled vegetables

Ingredients

• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 Fresno chile or red jalapeño, finely chopped
• 3-4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced or finely chopped
• ½ cup red wine vinegar
• ½ teaspoon salt, plus more for taste
• ½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro (leaves and tender stems; compost the rest)
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (leaves and tender stems; compost the rest)
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
• ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

• Mix. Combine shallot, Fresno chile or red jalapeño, garlic cloves, red wine vinegar, and salt in a medium bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes. Stir in finely chopped cilantro, flat-leaf parsley, and oregano. Using a fork, whisk in extra-virgin olive oil.
• Reserve. Transfer ½ cup chimichurri to a small bowl; season with salt and reserve as sauce.
• Marinate. If using your chimiccuri as a marinade, place beef, chicken, vegetables, or a variety of seafood (like Cod, Halibut, Tilapia, Salmon, or shrimp) in a dish (glass, stainless-steel, or ceramic all work) and toss with remaining chimichurri. Cover and chill at least 3 hours or up to overnight. Remove from marinade, pat dry, and grill to perfection.
• Dish it out. Spoon the reserved chimichurri over grilled meat, seafood, vegetables, or whatever you're dressing it with.

Pro tip: Chimichurri can be assembled up to 3 days in advance and keeps well in a refrigerated, airtight container. Save any leftovers for another meal!

Serve with wild rice or with green veggies like zucchini, green beans, or broccoli.

Other Favorite Recipes

The following recipe collections are also great for when you have a little too much of a particular ingredient and don't want it to go to waste. The more ingredients you have on hand, the more license you have to experiment in the kitchen!

• Roasted Carrot Dip: This tasty recipe calls for a full pound of carrots; perfect for springtime in the garden!
• Tomato Jam: This one is an excellent accompaniment for sandwiches or as an unexpected condiment at the dinner table
• 47 Radish Recipes: For too long radishes have been unfairly confined to salad. Dress them up with one of many creative recipes!
• Lemon Posset Dessert: If you’re lucky enough to have lemon trees in your yard, this dessert is a heavenly way to make use of them.