How to Use Your Home Grown Vegetables

Versatile Vegetables

Few foods are more nutritious than vegetables and fresh picked vegetables from the garden lend themselves to endless possibilities for use. Freshly picked salads can begin with lettuces or spinach and hundreds of combinations can be built with fresh carrots, red or sweet onions, cabbages, strawberries and even fresh sprouts so that no two daily salads are the same.

Image Credit: comprock

Steamed vegetables retain their nutrients and colorful beauty best when just tender to the fork. Whether used individually, or combined as a blend, their flavor and texture compliment every entrée. Clever chefs place broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and brussel sprouts together in a steamer for a hearty, mixed side dish. When a root vegetable like carrot or parsnip is added for a hint of sweetness, and seasoned with fresh roasted garlic, the mix is delicious!

Adding Vegetables to Entrees

When combined with cooked pasta, broiled chicken or shrimp and flavored vinaigrettes, favorite steamed vegetables become the entrée, the recipe for which is mixing the flavors that please the palate. Vegetable casseroles are also a warm, comfort on a cool evening--even in summer. An easy favorite is summer squash casserole. In one tempered glass bake a layered dish prepared with instant stuffing, zucchini, summer squash, sliced sweet onion, cream of mushroom soup mixed with equal parts of sour cream and repeat all. Baked at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes and top with cheese when removed from the oven. Guests will beg for the recipe.

A special treat for get-togethers is a pickled vegetable mix. This tangy delight will also keep vegetables from the garden preserved for extended periods of time. To make, simply place favorite vegetables, seasonings, onions and garlic into hot, sanitized canning jars. Cover with the specific recommended amounts of hot liquid of vinegar, sugar, salt and water, or follow the directions on a commercial pickle packet. Seal the jars and keep for weeks in the fridge to pull out for snacks and parties.

Veggies as Desserts

Most of us have a collection of recipes on hand (to accommodate the perennial excess of zucchini) for moist, sweet zucchini cake, zucchini cookies, carrot cake and rhubarb pie. But Red Beet Velvet Cake surprises everyone by substituting 2 cooked red beets, pureed for the red food coloring in a typical red velvet cake recipe, creating a naturally nutritious and utterly delicious vegetable dessert!

Consider also blending vegetables and fruits mixed for tasty smoothies that will astound. These delicious and cool desserts are perfect for a warm evening. Though they usually require a high power blender.

Take all these tips into consideration for your garden this year, and don't let a single veggie go to waste. All it takes is a little creative thinking to find a use for all your hard earned vegetables.

Rizwan Ahmad

About the Author:
This article is contributed by Brooke Chaplan and posted by Rizwan Ahmad Author and founder of myfoodforu blog He is a blogger from India and he loves to share his thoughts by writing articles on  the different topics related to humanity,