We are starting to transition from the Spring to Summer season so there are so many recipes to make in June!
I noticed at my local farmers market there is MUCH more colourful produce; it’s hard not to buy all of it.
So, let’s chat what’s in season for this month plus tips for planting a vegetable or herb garden at home.
I pretty much did a happy-dance when I found rhubarb at the market just a few weeks ago. When it’s rhubarb season I am ALL IN. If you’re a rhubarb fan, a couple of my favourite ways to enjoy it are:
In a cocktail: Rhubarb simple syrup is easy to make and keeps in the fridge for 2 weeks. Mix it with some gin and soda for the perfect patio cocktail.
In dessert: This Rhubarb Cake is so easy to make and honestly just delicious. Or if you want to make something simpler, try ice cream sundaes with a strawberry-rhubarb sauce.
What else is there to make this month?! Here are more recipes to make in June:
Asparagus – Market Spring Vegetable Salad
Blueberries – Blueberry Bliss Smoothie
Peas – Easy Pea Soup
Peppers – Peanut Chicken Power Bowls
Rhubarb – Berry Rhubarb Kombucha Sangria
Strawberries – Strawberry Rhubarb Toasted Oat Sundaes
Are you growing any of your own herbs or vegetables at home? There’s definitely been an uptick in growing your own food this Spring and into Summer. At our house we have two container gardens along with a few smaller pots with herbs and tomatoes.
Here are my top tips to starting a vegetable garden at home
Look up what growing ‘zone’ you’re located in. Here’s one plant map, if you scroll down a bit you’ll find each Canadian province listed which you can click on and find out the zone you’re in. This can help inform what you may try to grow in a vegetable garden. I’ve had great success with a variety of lettuces, peppers, tomatoes, radishes, carrots and beets – we’re in zone 4.
Experiment. Honestly the fun part of gardening is just trying different seeds to see what works! Last year I even tried my hand at growing potatoes in a very deep container and it worked. A friend of mine bought a strawberry plant in a hanging basket and is already getting delicious berries!
Start small. When I first started a backyard garden I tried a bit of everything. Depending on your space, you could start with a pot or two of herbs. Or, try your hand at tomatoes which do well in containers too. Since we tried a ton of different vegetables in our first year, now we know what grows well from Spring to Summer.
Growing your own food is absolutely so satisfying. Once we’re in the midst of the summer I love being able to go outside and pick what I need for the recipe I’m cooking. Whether its jalapeños for tacos, herbs for making cocktails or carrots towards the end of summer, it’s so neat to enjoy the food you’ve grown.
I’d love to know which herbs or vegetables you’re growing this year; let me know in the comments below OR if you have any questions!
Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess
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