Summer is here! Many mark the beginning of summer with Memorial Day weekend, the first barbeque or the opening of the pool. For me? Summer has started when I resume my weekly Saturday visits to my favorite farmers’ market.
On my first 12 mile journey to my favorite market this past weekend, I thought about all of the fresh fruits, vegetables, cheese, breads, eggs and meats that grace the tables every year and all of the wonderful opportunities for that are available for a delicious meal.
Here’s to a delicious summer!
Search by county to find your favorite market, stand or farm. This site also has information about when specific fruits and vegetables are in season.
It is a sad day when you pull the last jar of tomatoes from the cupboard or bag of cauliflower from the freezer. The flavors of last summer that once occupied your winter pantry are gone and the cabinet is patiently waiting for this year’s crop. Here are a couple of new canning and preserving favorites as they focus on small batches – you can do this on a Saturday afternoon.
Food in Jars by 
Pickled by 
Pickles and Preserves by 
Saving the Season by For many summers when I was growing up, there would be a couple of crocks in the dining room under the windows. If you carefully pulled back the linen dish towels from the top, you may have been lucky to catch a glimpse of cucumber becoming a pickle or cabbage become sauerkraut. I now make pickles in the refrigerator and only small batches of sauerkraut.
However, my favorite was the fresh warm yogurt my pulled from the oven once a week. My sister and I would have it for breakfast with a spoonful of homemade strawberry jam. It was best when it was still warm. Unfortunately, I do not make my own yogurt but I have gotten hooked on the fresh cheeses from the farmers’ market that I have ventured into cheese making territory. (By the way, I am going to try making beer before the summer is out – supposedly, it is a little easier than wine.)
Artisan Cheese Making at Home by 
Making Great Cheese by 
Home Cheese Making by Interested in making a little bit of sausage for that cheese? Many farmers’ markets have a farmer that offers meat. Instead of putting it on the grill try grinding it for sausage! I am not a meat eater, so my father (son of a butcher) chose these title as they have a great variety of flavor profile and proteins. I like that they both contain a vegetarian option!
Sausage by
Think Beyond the Linknbsp; nbsp; You don't have to be an expert cook or have a fancy kitchen to make sausage at home. If you simply think beyond the link, you'll find a whole world of sausage possibilities. Patties, meatballs, fish balls, veg balls, meat loaf--these are all sausages without casings that are every bit as savory and satisfying as their linked cousins. And, since they do not require special equipment, they are a snap to make at home. nbsp; In Sausage, Victoria Wise shares more than 75 recipes for easy-to-make, no-casing-required pork, beef, lamb, poultry, seafood, and even vegetarian sausages, including innovative recipes that turn them into sophisticated meals. An inviting and wonderfully diverse collection from all around the globe, this compendium features European classics, American mainstays, Asian favorites, Middle Eastern inspirations, and sausages African in origin. You will find dishes for every meal and occasion, such as Rustic Cornmeal Pancakes Dappled with American Breakfast Sausage and Slicked with Maple Syrup; Lunch Pie, aka Quiche, with Toulouse Sausage and Spinach; Vietnamese-Style Beef Sausage and Vegetable Spring Rolls with Mint Dipping Sauce; and Merguez and Apple Tagine over Couscous with Harissa. For those who like their sausage in traditional links, Wise offers expert direction for stuffing sausage into casings. nbsp; Beautifully written and photographed, Sausage is the only book of its kind. Its array of inventive sausages and sausage-centric dishes are inspiration for both the new and the well-seasoned cook. Making sausage at home has never been so easy--nor the results so delicious.
Sausage! by
You don't have to be a kitchen connoisseur to make homemade sausage. As the saying goes, if you can make a hamburger, you can make a sausage. And now, with this book - the exciting new reference for all things sausage - creating any dish from corndogs to cheesedogs, flying tandoori to cider chicken sausages, is easy for any chef with a mixer and an appetite.
When I am seeking inspiration for a wonderful summer meal, I will most likely search my personal library for one of the following cookbooks for a few ideas. These are my favorites and they either present very seasonal recipes or they gently remind of the best of summer.
Eating Local by 
Cooking from the Farmers' Market by 
The Way We Cook by 
The Beach House Cookbook by 
The Nourished Kitchen by Donna Perkosky
Public Relations & Adult Programming Coordinator, Paramus Public Library