Kitchen Firsts & Lasts

So much changes in the kitchen this time of year. Out winter stockpile dwindles just as we transplant the new seedlings. We simultaneously welcome fresh ingredients and say goodbye to all those hearty cold-weather recipes. Firsts and lasts abound.

~first corn, last jars of freezer jam and pesto~

~First green smoothie, last frozen blueberries, picked in July~

~first store-bought garlic, last batch of lentil soup~

I am keeping my fingers crossed that this is the year I planted enough garlic to get us though until the next harvest. That this is the year we pick not ten, but twenty pounds of blueberries. That this is the year I jar up double the amounts of jams and tomatoes. That this is the year we rely more on our own food production than ever before. 

What comfort foods are you saying goodbye to for the summer? What things are you welcoming back into your warm-weather kitchen?

20 Must-Eat Summer Recipes

Aimee, of Artsyville, recently wrote about the weekly creative prompt called weekword. This week's word is FLAVOR, so I thought now is the perfect time for me to jump in.

The flavors of summer can't be beat and, luckily, many of them can be prepared with little or no stove usage.

Celebrate the Season:
Pesto (FuoriBorgo)
A Campfire Breakfast (Simple Bites)
Strawberry Jam (Mandy Gerth)
No Need For a Stove salads ( Indie Fixx)

Veggies:
The Perfect Summer Salad (The Baker's Daughter)
Chinese Cabbage, Fennel, and Daylily Salad (So Wabi Sabi)
Green Bean and Cherry Tomato Salad (Smitten Kitchen)

On The Grill:
Spicy Mango-Pineapple Hot Dogs (Coconut & Lime)
Grilled Pizza There's nothing like it! (Serious Eats)
Strawberry Salsa & Burgers (Everybody Likes Sandwiches)

Refreshing Sips:
Raspberry Rosemary Cooler (Maya Made)
Strawberry Lemon Mint Daiquiris (A Foothill Home Companion)
Green Smoothie Cocktails (Shivaya Naturals)
The Porch Swing (Smitten Kitchen)

Sweets and Treats:
Variety of Tarts (Angry Chicken)
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls (Joy the Baker)
50 Homemade Popsicle Recipes Includes great popsicle-making tips (Growing a Green Family)
Ice Cream Sandwich Pops (Living Locurto)

Misc Summer Eats:
Giant Black Bean Salad (101 Cookbooks via Soulemama)
Lots of Noodles Each of these recipes can be eaten cold—perfect! (Which Name?)


Oh! And I can't write a food post without mentioning my new fav cook e-book:
Healthy Snacks To Go. Highly recommended!