Summer recipes deserve a category all their own. One of my new recipe organization methods this year was to pull my strictly summertime recipes as I came across them, and I put them all in a manila folder marked “Summer Recipes.” It lives in storage along with phone numbers for my u-pick fruit places and my canning books, out of the way of the hustle and bustle of the kitchen until they’re needed.

Now that summer is truly underway – or practically over, depending on how you’re feeling about it today – here’s a list of the Kitchen Stewardship summer recipes, some in the “summer” category because they’re light and refreshing or use a grill, some because they capitalize on fresh, in-season produce that I like to buy at my Farmer’s Market.

• Easy Deviled Eggs Eggs really are a seasonal food, most abundant naturally in spring and summer, but deviled eggs are great summer food because of picnics and parties.
• Potato Salad My ultimate favorite party dish to pass, potato salad with hamburgers and corn on the cob is the quintessential meal that said, “Summer is here!” in my childhood.
• Pasta Salad Variations: Traditional, Pizza, Spicy Red Pepper and Greek Another easy, inexpensive way to feed a crowd.
• Two Cold Beet Salads Beets are easy to find at the Market, and other seasonal vegetables make this a light, unique beginning course for any summer meal.
• Cooked Spelt Salad Cold side dishes can be hard to come by, but this one fits the bill and is a great travel companion for picnics or camping, too.
• Cream of Vegetable or “End of Garden” Soup The fresher the veggies, the better this soup tastes. I’m never afraid to make soup in the summer!
• Chicken Barley Leek Soup Leeks are always more expensive at the grocery store than the Farmer’s Market, at least around here, and chickens are slaughtered in the summer.
• Garlic Soup My garlic is getting ready to harvest; I may have to make some of this blended soup as a side dish to a light summer salad or grilled chicken.
• Katie’s Simple Cabbage Soup with Secret Super Food The secret super food may be a fall veggie, but you can watch for cabbage any time now. I like to buy some in season, lightly steam it and freeze for the winter.
• Lazy French Fries in Tallow or Coconut Oil Nothing better than french fries with your grilled burgers!
• Mashed Cauliflower Trick For the low-carbers among you, a side dish that seems to fit better in the summer than the comfort food mashed potatoes.
• Jamaican Meat Marinade Utilizing in-season peppers, this unique homemade marinade is a must-have for grilled chicken and gets rave reviews every time I serve it.
• California Chicken Wraps Another way to avoid turning on your oven or stovetop in the heat of the summer while still getting a hot meal on the table.
• Sausage Zucchini Bake I watch for the zucchinis to come in just to make this low-carb, tastebud tantalizing meal. We’re having it this week, finally!
• Sausage, Beans and Kale Soup I always find kale tempting at the Farmer’s Market, and discovering this soup gave me the opportunity to buy some. The grilled tomato, basil and mozzarella sandwich we dip into the soup can only properly be made with fresh, local tomatoes and basil that was picked this week. Who says soups aren’t for summer?
• Green Smoothies With the leftover kale from your bunch or two you bought for the soup, lightly steam and freeze in ice cube trays for green smoothies all season long (or beyond).
• 100% Whole Grain Healthy Fruit Pizza The season’s best berries make fruit pizza a dazzlingly bold summer dessert choice, perfectly light and airy.
• Summer Fruit Dips Very basic, simple dipping options for your strawberries, blueberries, even melon.
• Fresh Salsa It always takes forever in Michigan for the bulk tomatoes to be ready, but I can almost taste the fresh salsa. Don’t even bother making salsa with grocery store tomatoes!
• Lacto-Fermented and Canned Garlic Dill Pickles I’m determined to get the perfect crunch this year!

By the way, I didn’t think I’d have more than five recipes that fit summer just right to share with you. I put stars by my ultimate favorites, the ones that I literally wait for the right produce to come around just so I can make them.

Goals to add to this list include frozen desserts, including popsicle types and ice cream, and more grilling recipes. Got any for me?

What summer recipes can you not live without?

Note: Be sure to see my other post today, where you could win a $96 enrollment in a new eCourse for healthy fertility.

Works for Me Wednesday at We are THAT Family has a summer recipes theme this week.

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Kitchen Stewardship is dedicated to balancing God’s gifts of time, health, earth and money.  If you feel called to such a mission, read more at Mission, Method, and Mary and Martha Moments.

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I’m also entered in:

• Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed With Grace
• Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam
• Tuesdays at the Table at All the Small Stuff
• Top 10 {Tuesday} at Oh Amanda (I know, I know, I had 20…just multiply!)