We’re heading into the most magical Summer month as the bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables is absolutely amazing!
Farmer’s markets are bursting with an array of seasonal food and I seriously cannot wait to dig in.
I’m definitely ready to cook allll the things with What’s In Season for August; so, come on over for all of the August recipe inspiration plus an update on my summer adventures and vegetable garden!
This past month Scott and I have been on a variety of summer day-trip adventures. One of our goals this summer was to get out and explore Alberta more; so far we’ve done just that!
We headed out to the Turner Valley Region for lunch at the Chuckwagon Café and then a tour of Eau Claire Distillery. The Chuckwagon Café was bumping so we sat at the counter for a classic diner experience. We both enjoyed burgers, fries and gravy; the gravy was something everyone told us we MUST have and it did not disappoint!
Next, we walked right next door to Eau Claire Distillery, makers of my favourite gin; the Parlour Gin. We took a tour of the facility and learned a bit more about the area; many of their ingredients for their gin, vodka and other spirits are harvested from surrounding farms.
We also enjoyed some time on the patio in the beautiful sunshine and tried a cocktail too.
We’ve also been golfing a few times since the weather has been pretty fantastic!
In between summer adventures, we’ve been cooking a lot at home, trying new summer recipes. Can we just talk about noodle salads for a moment!? I’m seriously digging these Spicy Peanut Noodles with Garlic Chili Oil from Half-Baked Harvest and Ambitious Kitchen also has this Peach, Corn & Arugula Pasta Salad that’s on my list to make this month. I find they’re so perfect for summer weather because most can be served at room temperature and many of the recipes involve minimal cooking.
Another fav dish we’ve been making from the blog is my Chickpea Taco Bowls which involves pretty minimal cooking too and lots of fresh vegetables! Perfect for #tacotuesday and can easily be meal-prepped for August.
So, let’s get in the kitchen and make all of the delicious things with What’s In Season for August!
Peaches – Peach & Prosciutto Summer Focaccia
Plums – Plum Tarts
Spinach – Mojito Smoothie
Strawberries – Easy Strawberry Jam
Tomatoes – Roasted Tomato, Arugula & Halloumi Salad with Pesto
Watermelon – Watermelon Mason Jar Salad
And of course I can’t forget a garden update! We’ve enjoyed out first batch of radishes and planted another. Our carrots and beets are coming along nicely so we should be able to harvest those in the next couple weeks.
And, we’ve also been successfully growing jalapeños! I’m also trying to grow potatoes this year and that is a process for the patient ones.
But, I recently heard that you should wait until either 2 weeks after the first frost (let’s hope that’s still far away) OR once the plants flower, 2 weeks after that. So I’ll keep you updated on those spuds!
Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess
