15 recipes using August produce

Food made with in-season produce is practically a work of art. It’s also cheaper, tastier, and fresher. It’s too hot to cook in August, so all the following recipes are no-cook, or use only the stovetop.

All of our shopping and nutrition info comes from the USDA website or in the case of the carrots, the University of Maine.

Peaches

Choose peaches with firm, fuzzy skin that yields to gentle pressure. If it doesn’t yield, it’s not ripe yet. You can let peaches ripen on your counter; after that, store them in the fridge for up to seven days.

• Fresh Peach Salsa (Veggie Inspired). Sweet and juicy, with a subtle heat.
• Grilled Peaches (Food 52). The grill is not only for meat!
• Peach and Goat Cheese Tartine (AllRecipes). If you have fresh thyme, great. If not, dried thyme will work or you could improvise with whatever fresh herbs you have on hand. Basil, oregano, or mint would all work.

Raspberries

Choose berries that are dry, full, firm and free of mold. Use them within one to two days of purchase; they go bad quickly.

• Fresh Raspberry Iced Tea (Feel Good Foodie). Fruit adds the perfect touch of sweetness and tartness to this classic summertime drink.
• Peach Raspberry Overnight Oats (Forks over Knives). Start your day with this vegan breakfast that has not one but two seasonal fruits in it.
• Raspberry Soy Sauce (Lifehacker). Make this sweet-savory umami-bomb sauce and dump it on everything.

Carrots

The freshest carrots are firm and well-colored with bright greens on top. Avoid wilted, flabby, or cracked carrots. Smaller carrots are usually more tender than the large ones.

• Carrot Parsnip Latkes (Weelicious). Pretty much anything grated, formed into a patty, and fried in oil will taste delicious, so try this variation on the traditional potato pancake.
• Spicy Summer Corn Soup (Veggie Inspired). This recipe calls for an immersion blender, which we think is a helpful kitchen tool. (Here’s a video of us using one if you aren’t familiar; also Crip Up the Kitchen: Tools, Tips, and Recipes for the Disabled Cook is a great book.) It takes up way less space than a traditional blender and blending stuff in its own cooking pot cuts down on dishes. There are some pricey options out there, but the cheaper ones will absolutely get the job done. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender for this soup. Just let it cool a bit before blending; safety first. Alternately you skip blending altogether and enjoy your chunky and delicious soup.
• Thai Noodle Salad (PlantYou). This recipe is great for meal prep. Make it on Sunday and you’ll have lunch for days, cutting down on your take-out budget.

Blueberries

Buy blueberries that are dark blue with a silvery bloom. They should be plump, firm, uniform in size, dry, and free of stems and leaves.

• Blueberry Baby (Grilled Cheese Social). What if grilled cheese, but sweet and on a bagel?
• Blueberry Slushie (Feasting at Home). This vegan, gluten-free, no-sugar dessert/drink is perfect for a hot day.
• Super Summer Kale Salad (AllRecipes). Make this huge salad and invite some friends over to eat it. Congratulations, you just threw a dinner party.

Cucumbers

Choose firm, dark green cucumbers that feel heavy for their size.

• Cucumber Edamame Salad (Two Peas & Their Pod). Don’t sleep on the soy-ginger dressing here.
• Cucumber Sandwiches (Spending with Pennies). A great chance to use up fresh herbs if you buy them for one recipe and have leftovers.
• Smashed Cucumber Salad with Chili Crisp (It Doesn’t Takes Like Chicken). So refreshing.