Garden centres are open which has allowed me to start planning our vegetable gardens.

We got our hands on some fresh herbs that we’ve already been cooking with AND they’ll eventually get planted once it warms up just a bit more. So with that in mind, let’s chat what’s in season and May recipe inspiration!

The first gardening I really did was planting herbs each summer. I love that I can go outside and grab some parsley for the finishing touch to a recipe when I need it. Or, any other herbs for that matter!

I started small by planting a round planter of herbs each summer just like my Mom did (& still does) to this day. I find it’s the easiest way to grow them when you don’t have a lot of space too.

How to Use Fresh Herbs in Recipes

Parsley:

We use parsley as a garnish a lot. However, it’s so great mixed into fresh summer pastas – think baby tomatoes, parsley, parmesan cheese, garlic and squeeze of lemon. YUM!

Thyme:

Fresh thyme is delicious in my Sweet Potato & Cheddar Drop Biscuits. These are great for Spring weekend breakfast or brunch.

Rosemary:

Chop fresh rosemary and mix with olive oil, salt & pepper for the perfect potato ‘marinade.’ Bake chopped potatoes with this mixture at 425F for about 40-50 minutes for a crispy & delicious side.

Basil:

One word – pesto. I basically harvest all of my basil, make a batch of pesto & freeze it. Then, wait for the basil to grow back to start this process all over again! Pesto is SO versatile; I love it on pasta or in pasta salads. Also, basil is a delicious herb to use in cocktails.

Dill:

I love making my own yogurt-dill dip using fresh dill, garlic and a squeeze of lemon. Plus don’t forget pinches of salt & pepper! Delicious with salmon or on sandwiches. You could also try adding some fresh dill to this yogurt dip that goes with my parsnips fries; just limit the garlic a bit so that the dill flavour comes through!

Cilantro:

If you’re on ‘team cilantro,’ it is so fantastic for tacos and asian-inspired dishes.

In general, whether you’re buying fresh herbs from the grocery store or market or pulling them from the garden, take a little extra time when you bring them home so they last longer in the fridge.

Tips for Storing Fresh Herbs

• Soft herbs like parsley, basil, cilantro and dill have ‘soft’ stems so store them like you would fresh flowers. For parsley, cilantro and dill, cut about 1 inch off the stems, place in a jar with water, cover with a plastic produce or ziploc bag and store in the fridge. Keep in the fridge and replace the water every couple of days. These can last about 2 weeks so when ready to use, take the amount you need, wash and they’re ready!
• Basil is a bit of a tricky one as it’s very delicate. If purchased from the grocery store, it’s like grown in a greenhouse and comes already packaged. I usually leave this at room temperature and use within a couple of days. If I’m cutting basil from the garden, I’m generally going to use it right away. However, you could follow the same instructions as the soft herbs BUT leave it in the water at room temperature.
• Hard herbs like rosemary, thyme and sage store well when wrapped in a slightly damp paper towel, then wrapped in plastic and put in the fridge. They will last 1-2 weeks. My best tip for these herbs is to
• Mint is technically a hard herb because of it’s stem, however, I’ve found I can store either way mentioned above and it still does well.
• And, the best way to clean any herbs that you’re using is get a bowl of cool water and dunk the herbs in a couple times so that any dirt sinks to the bottom. Refresh the bowl with clean water before moving on to another herb.

With all of this fresh herb talk, let’s get to the recipes to make in May! Many of which feature some favourite herbs like mint & basil:

Cucumbers – Minty Cucumber Gin Spritz

Fresh Herbs – Easy Basil Pesto

Radishes – Spring Toast with Radishes, Pea Shoots & Feta

Rhubarb – Rhubarb Cake

Strawberries – Easy Strawberry Jam

Tomatoes – Roasted Tomato, Arugula & Halloumi Salad with Pesto

I hope that the Spring season reaches you wherever you are if it hasn’t already! And, that these recipes inspire you in the kitchen this season.

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post What’s In Season – Recipes to Make in May appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

At the farmer’s market I’m starting to see a lot more fruit come in from British Columbia and much more seasonal vegetables too.

A lot of my inspiration for dishes come from What’s In Season so let’s chat what’s fresh for June plus my favourite recipes, cookbooks and a peak at my backyard garden too!

I absolutely adored this cookbook I took out from the library, Bake the Seasons, mostly classic baking recipes based on each season and some savoury recipes too. I didn’t have nearly enough time with this book so I’ve added it to my list to take out again.

We also made this tasty Spicy Noodle Salad from Food by Maria, a local blogger from Calgary! She also has a beautiful vegan cookbook, and even if you’re not vegan you can totalllly enjoy her recipes – many of them are just simple and delicious!

With some beautiful almost summer-like weather in May, we started planting our vegetable gardens! So far we’ve planted golden and candy cane beets, carrots, breakfast radishes, onions, garlic and arugula. Out of all of the vegetables, the breakfast radishes grow super fast so we can plant them almost 3 times throughout the summer.

If you like radishes I’d highly recommend trying them out! Radishes are such a great ingredient in salads and I also love them on toasts with feta or goat cheese. They’re such a great vegetable to plant when you’re starting out; whether you have a container garden or backyard garden, both are great!

This weekend I’m planting herbs, kale and jalapenos (they grew SO well last year, who knew!?)

So with all that said, let’s check out What’s In Season for June!

Cherries – Cherry Bourbon Lemonade Smash

Cucumbers – Summer Vegetables & Grains Salad

Fresh Herbs & Greens – Swiss Chard, Goat Cheese & Leek Frittata

Peppers – Roasted Summer Vegetable Salad

Strawberries – Strawberry Lemonade Rosé Punch

Rhubarb – Strawberry-Rhubarb Hand Pies

I’ve been testing many recipes this last month including a delicious tomato, arugula and pesto salad with fried halloumi cheese (OMG try this cheese if you haven’t yet!)

And, you’ll also see TWO rhubarb recipes coming to you in June; apparently I’m on some sort of a rhubarb kick but hey, it’s the season so why not! So I hope you like rhubarb too 🙂

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

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I can hardly believe it’s the beginning of July but I am in full summer-enjoyment mode!

June went by in a flash; I cooked and photographed a ton of recipes plus planned out my summer recipe calendar. There are SO many recipes coming to the blog that I’m excited to share with you PLUS I’m sharing my favourite recipes to make in July!

We finally setup our vegetable gardens in our backyard and I’m so excited to start to see the vegetables grow. I love being able to pop outside to grab herbs to use when I cook and I can’t wait to see the radishes, beets and carrots grow too! We’re also growing tomatoes, zucchini and kale.

Cooking seasonally is something I try to adhere to so I’m really looking forward to taking a cue from our gardens’ once they start really grow.  For weekly meal planning ideas the FeedFeed has a wicked weekly meal planner which provides wonderful ideas based on the season. Two of our favourite dishes we made this past month were a One Pot Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes & Oregano and a Classic Greek Salad. Both of the dishes were perfect for weeknights too!

The weather in Calgary was just perfect in June as well so I was able to enjoy lovely walks at the park near our house and on St. Patrick’s Island (one of my FAV spots in Calgary!)

And, we also went for a lovely paddle on Lake Windermere on the Canada Day long weekend; it was the perfect way to celebrate our beautiful country!

So, as we head into the throws of summer here is some recipe inspiration for July:

Blueberries: Summer Berries on Toasted Sourdough

Cucumbers: Minty Cucumber Lime Sangria

Peppers & Zucchini: Roasted Summer Vegetable Salad

Radishes: Watermelon Mason Jar Salad

Raspberries: Raspberry Rosé Popsicles

Strawberries: Summer Fruit with Whipped Cream

I’m spending time in Ontario this month, enjoying time in the sun and by the lake and many meals with family and friends.

I look forward to sharing my summer adventures with you and stay tuned for a summer cocktail and sharing board recipe, both which are perfect for summer entertaining! In the meantime, enjoy this Peach & Prosciutto Summer Focaccia at your next summer get-together!

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

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