Summer time brings so many opportunities for cook outs and picnics with family and friends, and one thing that makes these events even more special is that we can use fresh ingredients. When you get ready to make a salad or a homemade fruit pie, do you ever think about where your ingredients come from?
Growing your own fruits and vegetables can help you ensure that you are getting the freshest and highest quality ingredients possible. Not to mention, in the event of a natural disaster, growing your own food can help to ensure that your family stays fed. By freezing and canning your fresh fruits and vegetables, you will have food for the winter months, and if you have family and friends who also grow their own food, it also gives you the opportunity to trade and share the foods you grow.
If you do not have land to farm on, or if you are otherwise unable to grow your own food, there are still a lot of opportunities to get fresh fruits and vegetables. My husband and I would like to grow a small garden in the future, but till then, we’ve enjoyed a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables from our family members.
You can also find locally sourced fruits and vegetables at your local farmer’s market or at local fruit stands and flea markets. If you are buying from a farmers market or flea market, you should get to know the vendors; sometimes people visit the local grocery store and buy fruits and vegetables, which they then re-sale at the farmers market, claiming that they were homegrown. Because the produce at the grocery store is cheaper than produce at the farmer’s market, it’s easy for them to purchase it and then make a profit at the farmer’s market, by undercutting the price of farmer’s who actually grew their own vegetables. For this reason, I’d say, if you actually know someone or if you find someone who grows good items, you should continue to buy or trade with that person.
One of the things that I LOVE to eat that’s homegrown is corn! I love making corn on the cob, and I also love making skillet corn.
And other recipe that’s great for cookouts and holiday events is corn casserole.
I also have a great recipe for Tomato, Corn, and Veggie Dip. This recipe not only gives you a chance to make good use of your corn, but it’s also a great way to use tomatoes and other vegetables. The dip goes really well with chips and crackers. If you are having a cook out, it makes a great appetizer or side item. And it is also perfect to serve at football parties and tailgates! (Football season is just around the corner!)
My mother and father-in-law also grow their own cucumbers, okra, banana peppers, and jalepeno peppers. I personally LOVE dill pickles, and my husband will eat just about any food that is pickled, so these crops give us the opportunity to make our very own homemade pickles, pickled okra, and pickled peppers. (Recipes coming soon!)
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