Every first week of the month, I bring you a seasonal produce guide for Switzerland so that you can make smarter choices at the supermarket by buying the tastiest fruits and vegetables available!  In my monthly guides I round up Savormania recipes for each of the ingredients as well as favorites found across the web. As seasonal produce varies from country to country, I chose to stick to Switzerland — my home country and where the majority of my readers are. If you’re one of my International readers, don’t worry, I’m sure you will find lots of great recipes listed below both from my blog and from other great food bloggers out there. With no further ado…here are August’s seasonal fruits and vegetables!

APPLES

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I love the crunchiness of apples and the surprises they hold — sometimes they’re sweet, other times they’re more sour. Depending on the varieties you pick, some apples are great for sweet desserts and breakfast foods while sourer versions are perfect for salty dishes, like stuffing chicken or including in a salad. I cook a lot with apples, with my favorite way to use them being in muffins, cakes and breads.

Best way to store: In the fridge inside a vegetable drawer, covered in a slightly wet paper towel

Shelf life: 3 to 5 days on the kitchen counter, 3 to 4 weeks in the fridge 

Apple recipes found on Savormania:

Haroset – jewish date paste

Apple and all-bran muffins 

Apple cinnamon bread

Apple recipes found elsewhere:

• Handmade In The Heartland: French onion & apple crostini
• Love Bakes Good Cakes: Fried apples and cracker barrel
• The Magical Slow Cooker: Slow cooker apple butter

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APRICOT

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Just as delicious in pies as in poultry dishes, apricots are gorgeous  orange fruits to include in your cooking if you haven’t already. Apricots depend on warm weather to grow, which is why you can’t really find any available during the winter. They come from the same family as peaches, nectarines, cherries and plums, with their juicy sweet flesh packed with vitamins A and C, potassium, phosphorus, fiber, iron and calcium.

Best way to store: Refrigerated in a plastic bag once ripe

Shelf life: 4 to 5 days once ripe

Apricot recipes found elsewhere:

• A Tasty Love Story: Raw apricot crumble
• Platings & Pairings: Apricot ginger bellini
• Sifted Not Stirred: Cranberry apricot oatmeal bars

ARUGULA

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I always have some arugula in my fridge to include in my salads. With its pungent, peppery taste, arugula is a great addition to salads and contains an incredible amount of vitamin A and vitamin K, all while being extreme low-cal. I love adding arugula to a mozzarella and tomato salad, or serving it as a salad tossed with toasted pine nuts, balsamic vinegar and tomatoes. Recipes will come, I promise!

Best way to store: If your arugula comes with roots, wrap them in a slightly wet paper towel and keep in a plastic bag in the fridge’s vegetable drawer. If your arugula comes just with the leaves, store in a plastic bag in the fridge’s vegetable drawer.

Shelf life: 2 to 3 days

Arugula recipes found elsewhere:

• Amuse Your Bouche: Corn and artichoke vegan pizza
• Petit World Citizen: Watermelon salad with courgette and fennel
• Pinch Of Yum: Arugula salad with grapes and black pepper vinaigrette

BEETS

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Beets are great in salads or juices, and can be combined with salty or sweet ingredients! I promise I’ll get to cooking with them one day, but for now here are some great recipes from other food bloggers.

Best way to store: Cut the leaves from the beets and store them unwashed in separate plastic bags in the fridge’s vegetable drawer

Shelf life: Leaves are good for 2 to 3 days, the beets for 2 to 3 weeks when refrigerated

Beet recipes found elsewhere:

• Curry Trail: Beetroot hummus
• Tasty Ever After: Paleo pickled eggs with fresh beets
• Veggie Primer: Blender borscht

BELL PEPPERS

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I always have bell peppers — or what I like to simply call peppers — in my fridge, whether the red, yellow, orange or green variety. I love adding them raw to salads or chopping them up into sticks to nibble  on during the day, but if you ask me my favorite way to cook them it’s going to be adding them to Asian stir-fries. All bell pepper varieties come from the same fruit but they are of different colors depending on their level of maturity. Green bell peppers are the ones that are harvested first and are the least mature, then yellow and orange and then finally red. Red bell peppers have the highest amount of beta-carotene and vitamin C, making them the best choice among all.

Best way to store: Refrigerated in a plastic bag

Shelf life: 1 to 2 weeks

Bell pepper recipes found on Savormania:

Cooked bell pepper and green olive salad

Bulgur red lentil salad

Salmon fillets in red pepper sauce

Bell pepper recipes found elsewhere:

• Baked By An Introvert: Roasted red pepper almond hummus
• Connoisseurus Veg: Roasted red pepper soup
• Crumby Cupcake: Tropical avocado salsa

BLACKBERRIES, BLUEBERRIES & RASPBERRIES

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I really like adding berries to baking, although they’re just as good eaten raw as they are cooked! Bursting with vitamin C, berries’ benefits are numerous: they’re powerful antioxidants, have cancer-fighting properties, improve your digestive health and boost your immune system among others. When choosing berries, look for plump ones that are not too mushy or moldy.

Best way to store: Refrigerated in a shallow container covered with plastic wrap

Shelf life: 2 to 3 days (for blackberries and raspberries) and 1 to 2 weeks (for blueberries)

Blackberry, blueberry and raspberry recipes found on Savormania:

Mixed berry and banana baked oatmeal

Blueberry muffins

Raspberry blackberry coconut loaf cake

Blackberry blueberry and raspberry recipes found elsewhere:

• My Little Expat Kitchen: Blackberry ice cream
• Samantha’s Kitchen Table: Blueberry peach smoothie pops
• Tutti Dolce: Berry cream scones

BOK CHOY

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Bok choy, also known as pak choi, is a Chinese cabbage that you’ll mainly find added to Asian stir-fries. It has a spinach-like flavor and is just as delicious steamed as it is stir-fried. To pick the best pak choi, look for firm stems and unblemished leaves.

Best way to store: Refrigerated in a plastic bag, unwashed until ready to use

Shelf life: 3 to 4 days

Bok choy recipes found elsewhere:

• Choosing Raw: Adzuki bean noodles with bok choy, edamame, and miso sesame sauce
• Healthy Nibbles & Bits: Easy cauliflower fried rice with baby bok choy
• Shockingly Delicious: Two-bite potato salad cups

BROCCOLI, CAULIFLOWER & ROMANESCO

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I’ve grouped broccoli, cauliflower and romanesco under the same heading because they’re all cruciferous vegetables that happen to be some of the healthiest veggies to add to your diet. Broccoli, cauliflower and romanesco have huge detox benefits for the body, given that they’re full of disease-fighting minerals and vitamins. They’re are so many ways to cook them, ranging from steamed, boiled and roasted to even eating them raw. I always have one of the three in my fridge ready to be cooked during the week.

Best way to store: Mist the heads and wrap in dampened paper towel. Keep in the refrigerator.

Shelf life: 2 to 3 days

Broccoli, cauliflower and romanesco recipes found on Savormania:

Broccoli and cauliflower salad with mayonnaise dressing

Crispy cauliflower cashew soup

Roasted cauliflower with lemon and parsley

Broccoli, cauliflower and romanesco recipes found elsewhere:

• Highgate Hill Kitchen: Roasted broccoli, barley & feta salad
• Steph In Thyme: Purple potato and romanesco vegan pizza
• The Brewer & The Baker: Chipotle-lime roasted cauliflower

CABBAGE

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Cabbage is one of my favorite vegetables to include in slaws, with either a sweet dressing or an Asian-style vinaigrette. Cabbage can be eaten raw or cooked, although I always prefer it in its raw state. I haven’t featured any cabbage recipes on Savormania yet, but have lots of them to share with you in the coming months!

Best way to store: In a plastic bag in the fridge, kept unwashed until ready to use

Shelf life: Up to one week

Cabbage recipes found elsewhere:

• Food Done Light: Superfood crunch salad
• No Thyme To Waste: Pickled slaw
• Sugar Et Al: Five spice chicken and red cabbage noodles stir-fry

CARROT

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Carrots are one of my favorite vegetables to cook with! They’re great puréed in soups for their sweetness and consistency, and are so deliciously crunchy in salads. I use them in a wide variety of recipes ranging from Spanish cuisine to Asian. They can be kept for 3-4 weeks in the fridge, which makes them the perfect vegetable to have on hand to quickly add to a recipe.

Best way to store: In the fridge

Shelf life: 3 to 4 weeks

Carrot recipes found on Savormania:

Honey soy glazed baby carrots

Vegetarian paella

Carrot parsley soup

Carrot recipes found elsewhere:

• Mummy’s Fast & Easy: Coconut carrot & coriander pecan soup
• Petite Canteen: Thai chicken chopped salad
• Tasty F. Stops: Crazy easy pan roasted carrots

CELERY

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I should cook celery much more than I actually do, besides adding it to soups and broths. It can be juiced and combined with other vegetables to make the most delicious drinks and cocktails, it can be pickled, roasted, stir-fried, eaten raw, braised and so many other ways. Its benefits are numerous; celery is low-cal, promotes weight loss, decreases inflammation, soothes the body, controls the body’s alkaline balance and helps digestion among others. If you don’t cook with this vegetable that often, you should definitely give it a try!

Best way to store: Wrapped tightly in aluminum foil or plastic wrap and refrigerated

Shelf life: 1-2 weeks

Celery recipes found on Savormania:

Chicken celery salad with spiced mayonnaise

Celery recipes found elsewhere:

• Cubes In Juliennes: Celery pepper chicken
• Kevin Is Cooking: Matchstick apple and celery salad
• Summerfield Delight: Summer celery salad

CHERRIES

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Summer fruits are my favorites! Bursting with flavor and so much color, cherries are one of the fruits that contain the least calories while being packed with so many nutrients, vitamins and minerals. They have anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and disease-fighting powers, and contain zinc, iron, potassium, manganese and copper. Eat them on their own or add them to smoothies, desserts and fruits salads!

Best way to store: Refrigerated in a plastic bag

Shelf life: 4 to 7 days

Cherry recipes found elsewhere:

• Life Made Sweeter: Fresh cherry berry crumble bars
• Not Starving Yet: Small batch sweet cherry and peach preserves
• The Road To Honey: Chocolate cherry banana bread

CHIVES

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Chives have a delicious onion flavor, making them great additions to bring extra punch to a dish. Their vibrant green color automatically dresses up a recipe as well, and turn them into perfect garnishes for soups, salads and quiches. I always have dry chives in my pantry, but love to buy fresh chives whenever they’re in season.

Best way to store: wrapped in a slightly wet paper towel and kept in a plastic bag in the fridge

Shelf life: Up to 2 weeks

Chive recipes found on Savormania:

Mushroom truffle oil risotto

Goat cheese and sun-dried tomato quiche

Potato and egg salad

Chive recipes found elsewhere:

• Peach & Plenty: Lemon & herb potato salad with pickled celery
• Superman Cooks: Cheddar and garlic scape biscuits
• Warm Vanilla Sugar: Avocado and roasted corn salsa

CORN

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Summer barbecues are synonymous with grilled corn on the cob, but there’s so much more one can cook with this powerful ingredient. From popcorn and salads to quiches and burritos, corn can be used in a variety of ways, whether fresh or canned. I always have come canned corn in my pantry ready to add to salads or other dishes. I hope the recipes below will inspire you!

Best way to store: Uncovered in the fridge

Shelf life: 1 to 2 days

Corn recipes found on Savormania:

Sweet corn quiche

Corn recipes found elsewhere:

• Cooking And Beer: Crustless corn and zucchini quiche
• Handle The Heat: Steak burrito bowls
• Spicy Southern Kitchen: Grilled corn with chipotle cream

CUCUMBER

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If I had to pick my favorite vegetable above all, it has got to be cucumber. I love chopping it up and including it in a salad, and adore it even more just cut in sticks and seasoned with salt. Cucumbers are praised for their myriad of health benefits, as they protect your body from many nutritional deficiencies. They’re packed with vitamins, C, K and B, as well as manganese, copper and potassium.

Best way to store: In the refrigerator in a plastic bag, unwashed until ready to use

Shelf life: 1 week

Cucumber recipes found on Savormania:

Cumin-spiced edamame salad

Quinoa vegetable salad

Bulgur mint salad

Cucumber recipes found elsewhere:

• Dash of Texas: Savory refrigerated pickles
• Nutrionicity: Sweety drop pepper cucumber salad
• Real Simple Good: Simple cucumber salad

FENNEL

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I love munching on raw fennel slices as a healthy snack, or chopping it and mixing it with diced shallot, olive oil and fleur de sel for a fresh summer salad. Fennel tastes just as delicious when roasted with chicken or fish or when puréed in a soup. I haven’t featured any recipes with fennel on the blog yet, but I’m sure you’ll find some inspiration below!

Best way to store: Refrigerated in a plastic bag

Shelf life: 7 to 10 days

Fennel recipes found elsewhere:

• A Fork & A Pencil: Fennel baba ghanoush
• SippitySup: Fennel-edamame chicken salad sandwich
• Vegan Miam: Root vegetable & fennel soup

EGGPLANT

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I absolutely love eggplant roasted and drizzled with tahini or fried coated in breadcrumbs to include in Italian dishes. When cooking eggplant it is important to first salt the slices to remove the bitterness, boost flavor and prevent it from absorbing too much oil during the cooking process. Begin by slicing the eggplant and placing the slices in a colander. Sprinkle over a generous amount of salt and let sit for 20 to 30 minutes. You’ll notice a lot of liquid dripping from the colander during the process, and that’s completely normal. After the 30 minutes, rinse out the salt and pat the slices dry with paper towel.

Best way to store: Wrapped in plastic and refrigerated

Shelf life: 5 to 7 days

Eggplant recipes found on Savormania:

Fried eggplant casserole with tomatoes and olives

Eggplant recipes found elsewhere:

• Cook With Manali: Vegetarian puff pastry tart
• My Indian Taste: Eggplant and spinach coconut curry
• Well Plated: Summer eggplant pasta with red pepper and tomatoes

FIGS

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Figs are only available here in Switzerland during the warm summer months. Perfectly ripe figs are a great sweet snack to have on hand. You can also use them in your cooking to top crostini, to bake with, or to add to salads. Pick figs that are soft — not mushy,  but quite tender — and make sure that the stems are still in place.

Best way to store: Refrigerated in a plastic bag

Shelf life: 1 to 2 days

Fig recipes found elsewhere:

• Beets ‘n Bones: Nut and fig tart
• Flavour & Savour: Grilled salmon salad with blueberries and figs
• Kale & Caramel: Fig, mint & nectarine mini yoghurt tarts

KALE

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Part of the cabbage family, kale owes its incredibly healthy reputation to all the vitamins it contains–ranging from A and C to B6 and K–and to its good omega-3 fatty acid. Kale comes in different colors, such as green and purple, and can be used in a variety of ways. I promise to try cooking with kale in the months to come, but meanwhile here are some other food bloggers’ great recipes.

Best way to store: Do not wash until ready to use and keep in the fridge in a plastic bag

Shelf life: 5 to 7 days

Kale recipes found elsewhere:

• Joyful Healthy Eats: Cherry summer kale salad with balsamic vinaigrette
• Planima: Forza smoothie

KOHLRABI

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Available in green or purple varieties, kohlrabi can be eaten raw or cooked and tastes slightly like broccoli as it is part of the same family as other brassicas, such as cauliflower and cabbage. You’ll generally find sliced kohlrabi in a raw vegetable platter served with a dip, but it is also a good vegetable to steam, roast or boil. I haven’t cooked with kohlrabi yet, so here are a couple of delicious recipes below from other food bloggers to try!

Best way to store: Refrigerated in a plastic bag

Shelf life: 4 to 5 days

Kohlrabi recipes found elsewhere:

• Inspiralized: Kohlrabi spaghetti and kale-mushroom bolognese 
• Know Your Produce: Sweet potato and kohlrabi fries with spicy roasted red pepper mayo
• Lean Green Nutrition Friend: Kohlrabi & zucchini fritters

LEEKS

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Leeks are my new favorite substitute for onions! Belonging to the same family as onions, leeks have a slightly stronger taste that becomes sweeter the longer you cook them for. Only the white part of the leek can be eaten, which means that this is a vegetable that requires quite a lot of prepping. Cleaning leeks is also of utmost importance, as dirt lodges itself in between the leaves. The best way to clean leeks, in my opinion, is to slice them in half, part the leaves and let them sit in cold water for 15 minutes. The dirt will easily drop to the bottom of the bowl.

Best way to store: In a plastic bag in the fridge, unwashed until ready to use.

Shelf life: 1 to 2 weeks in the fridge

Leek recipes found on Savormania:

Cumin-spiced green lentils

Zucchini leek soup

Creamy potato leek soup

Leek recipes found elsewhere:

• Gluten Free With L.B.: Leek frittata
• Jessi’s Kitchen: Grilled leek and roasted bell pepper salsa
• The Unmanly Chef: Fried leeks

LETTUCE

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Just like arugula, lettuce is a vegetable that I almost always include in salads. Lettuce comes in a myriad of varieties, ranging from curly to flat and from green to red. Always choose lettuce with leaves that aren’t wilted or browned.

Best way to store: Refrigerated in a plastic bag, unwashed until ready to eat

Shelf life: 1 week

Lettuce recipes found on Savormania:

Green salad with orange vinaigrette

Lettuce recipes found elsewhere:

• KetoDiet: Healthy mackerel salad
• No Spoon Necessary: Slow cooker strawberry rum chicken lettuce wraps
• Vegan A La Mode: Tofu lettuce cups

ONION

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Onions are in season all year round in Switzerland, which is great news given that I cook with them 90% of the time. Onion gives my dishes great flavor and can be used in a variety of cuisines. They come in red, yellow and green varieties which can all be used in different ways. I tend to cook with yellow onion the most often, reserving the red and green onions for salads. There are exceptions to this and I often experiment with cooking with red and green onions too!

Best way to store: in the pantry or in the fridge, but keep them far away from the potatoes! Their rot much quicker when placed next to each other

Shelf life: 2 to 3 months in the pantry or in the fridge

Onion recipes found on Savormania:

Spanish potato tortilla

Stir-fried ginger beef

Wheat berry caprese salad

Onion recipes found elsewhere:

• Foraged Dish: Overstuffed sweet potatoes
• Green Healthy Cooking: Green healthy guacamole
• Oh My Veggies: Vegan french onion dip

NECTARINES & PEACHES

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Bursting with flavor and vitamins, nectarines and peaches are some of my favorite summer fruits. I honestly can’t wait until summertime comes along to bite into them again! Did you know that peaches were first cultivated in China? These glorious fruits, couple with their relative nectarines, are praised for their health benefits which include maintaining skin health, aiding weight loss, preventing cancer and reducing hair loss among many others.

Best way to store: On the kitchen counter until ripe, then in the fridge in a plastic bag

Shelf life: 1 to 3 days until ripe, then 3 to 5 days in the fridge

Nectarine and peach recipes found on Savormania:

Summer peach berry salad

Nectarine and peach recipes found elsewhere:

• Gather For Bread: Fresh peach lemonade
• Just A Little Bite: 5 minute peach mango sorbet
• Kevin Is Cooking: Easy nectarine blueberry fruit roll ups

PARSLEY

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Parsley is one of my favorite ways to top a dish — it brings texture and color while intensifying and balancing the flavors of a dish.  There are are two types, flat-leaf (more intense in flavor) and curly (less bitter), with the first variety used more to balance out dishes while the second is used more for decorative purposes.

Best way to store: Trim the ends, place in a glass of water, cover with a plastic bag and refrigerate. Change the water when it becomes cloudy.

Shelf life: Up to one week

Parsley recipes found on Savormania:

Quinoa with pan-roasted artichokes, lemon and parsley

Artichoke and sun-dried tomato bruschetta

Mushroom cheese lasagna

Parsley recipes found elsewhere:

• Feasting At Home: Moroccan watermelon cucumber salad with pistachio
• Healthy Seasonal Recipes: Simple tabbouleh
• Kale Me Maybe: Lemon chickpea skillet with kale, sweet potatoes, tomato and onion

PEARS

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I’ve only featured one recipe with pears on the blog so far; not because I don’t like pears, but simply because it’s not a fruit I tend to cook or bake with. I generally just juice it or add to it smoothies. With that being said, I really love my only recipe using pear — the strawberry mint smoothie you’ll find below — and look forward to adding this wonderful fruit to my summer salads. Pears tend to be harvested when they’re mature but not ripe, and are best eaten when ripe! To pick a mature pear that hasn’t ripened yet, touch the top part of the fruit. If it’s still hard to touch, then it’s not ripe yet. I tend to buy pears and leave them on the kitchen counter for a couple of days until they ripen totally.

Best way to store: On the kitchen counter until ripe

Shelf life: 1 to 4 days on the kitchen counter until ripe. They can then be kept in the fridge up to one week in a plastic bag.

Pear recipes found on savormania:

Strawberry mint smoothie

Pear recipes found elsewhere:

• Bear Naked Food: Poached pears with osmanthus and red dates
• Hungry Couple: Bourbon pear lemonade
• Just J. Faye: Pear gorgonzola tart

PLUM

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Believe it or not, I’ve never actually cooked plums…let’s just say they’re not my favorite fruits. I love stone fruits in general, but plums is just not one of them. Nevertheless, they’re easy to bake or poach and vary from sweet to tart. When looking for ripe plums, make sure that they don’t have any bruises on their skin and are smooth and firm.

Best way to store: Store on the kitchen counter until ripe then refrigerate in a plastic bag

Shelf life: 2 to 3 days until ripe, 3 to 5 days once ripe

Plum recipes found elsewhere:

• Downshiftology: Nectarine panna cotta with roasted plums
• For Bacon: Maple roasted plum crostini
• Rooting The Sun: Plum compote with basil

PUMPKIN

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I couldn’t be happier than pumpkins are back in season! It took me a while to learn to love pumpkin, but now that I do there’s no way back. Roasting them is my absolute favorite cooking method, however pumpkin can be used in desserts as well.

Best way to store: If whole, it should be kept in the pantry or kitchen counter until ready to use. If it is sliced, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate

Shelf life: 1 month in the pantry, up to 4 days in the refrigerator

Pumpkin recipes on savormania:

Pumpkin coconut soup

Roasted pumpkin soup

Pumpkin recipes found elsewhere:

• Crazy For Crust: Pumpkin nutella bars
• My Organized Chaos: Mini pumpkin pies
• Treat Yourself Sweeter: Pumpkin and spinach lasagne

QUINCES

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Quinces have smooth golden skin but hard flesh, making them edible only once cooked. When cooked, the flesh softens and becomes less bitter, releasing all the sweetness of the fruit. Given the high pectin content present in quinces, they’re the perfect fruits to convert into jellies and jams.

Best way to store: On the kitchen counter until ripe, then in a plastic bag in the refrigerator

Shelf life: Up to 5 days until ripe, then up to 2 or 3 weeks in the refrigerator

Quince recipes found elsewhere:

• Gourmantine: Quince tarte tatin
• Heinstirred: Spiced quince ice cream
• The Unmanly Chef: Baked apple quince jam crisp

RADISH

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Radishes are also often seen as part of a raw vegetable platter served with dips, but there are many other ways to cook this pinkish vegetable, such as roasting or stir-frying. They’re packed with folic acid and potassium, as well as vitamin B6, riboflavin, calcium and magnesium. Always look for firm radishes to get the best crispness out of the vegetable, and make sure to soak them in ice water for a couple of hours before cooking them so that their retain their texture. Radishes need to be eaten just after being sliced.

Best way to store: Refrigerated in a plastic bag

Shelf life: Up to 2 weeks

Radish recipes found on Savormania:

Classic israeli salad

Radish recipes found elsewhere:

• A Salad For All Seasons: Radish & snap pea slaw
• Heavenlynn Heathy: Watermelon, radish and cherry tomato salad
• Naked Cuisine: Summer quinoa salad

REDCURRANTS

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Redcurrants are often served with other berries such as strawberries and blueberries in fruit salads or desserts. They are slightly acid and less sweet than strawberries due to their high levels of vitamin C, but are delicious when served with some sugar sprinkled on top. I haven’t cooked with redcurrants yet, but given my ultra-sweet tooth, I’m bound to try one of the amazing recipes below!

Best way to store: Refrigerated in a container covered with plastic wrap

Shelf life: 1 to 2 days

Redcurrant recipes found elsewhere:

• Domestic Gothess: Mixed summer berry charlotte russe
• Nirvana Cakery: Redcurrant, almond and buckwheat cake
• Renée Kemps: Redcurrant lemonades

STRAWBERRIES

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If I had to pick my favorite fruits, strawberries would be part of the top 5. Strawberries are truly a superfood; they’re high in antioxidants, boast more vitamin C than an orange, and are packed with manganese and potassium among many other goodies. I love eating them raw, including them in smoothies, and using them in cakes. I’ve cooked a lot with strawberries already on the blog and look forward to sharing even more recipes with you now that they’re in season!

Best way to store: In a container covered with plastic wrap and kept in the refrigerator

Shelf life: 2 to 3 days

Strawberry recipes found on Savormania:

 

Summer berry crumble

Red berry fruit salad with passion fruit dressing

Big strawberry jam sandwich cookies

Strawberry recipes found elsewhere:

• Begin Within Nutrition: Skillet strawberry s’mores
• Florida Coasting Cooking & Wellness: Refreshing summer strawberry and cucumber yogurt bowl
• My San Fransisco Kitchen: Frozen strawberry lemonade

STRING BEANS

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String beans, also known as green beans, are delicious vegetables that go amazingly well with a wide range of seasonings. Cook them in a thick tomato sauce, dress them up in a mustard-lemon vinaigrette or decorate them with almonds — whatever way you prepare them, they’ll always taste delicious! Make sure to chop off both ends before cooking them though.

Best way to store: In a plastic bag in the refrigerator

Shelf life: 3 to 5 days

String bean recipes found on Savormania:

Syrian string beans with spiced tomato sauce

String bean salad with mustard vinaigrette

String bean recipes found elsewhere:

• Kaluhi’s Kitchen: Garlicky french beans and carrots
• Simple Sweet & Savory: String bean chicken stir-fry with toasted almonds
• Kitchen Riffs: Summer green bean salad

TOMATOES

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If there’s one vegetable you’ll always find in my fridge, it’s got to be tomato. I love that there are so many varieties of tomatoes to choose from, ranging from cherry and beefsteak to roma and heirloom. Besides the fresh vegetable, I always have cans of crushed tomatoes somewhere in my pantry, ready to be used to whip up some of my favorite dishes.

Best way to store: In the kitchen at room temperature until ripe, then in the fridge in a plastic bag

Shelf life: 2 to 3 days once ripe in the fridge

Tomato recipes found on Savormania:

Surprise ingredient tomato gazpacho

Za’atar spiced cod patties in tomato sauce

Quick homemade tomato sauce

Tomato recipes found elsewhere:

• Avocado Pesto: Avocado pesto stuffed tomatoes
• Imagelicious: Tomato salad with blue cheese dressing
• Simply Sated: Roasted tomato bruschetta

WATERCRESS

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Just as nutritious as cabbage and broccoli, watercress is full of vitamins and can be eaten both cooked and raw. Watercress is a leafy aquatic plant which has been ranked as the healthiest vegetable in the world, as it is packed with over 15 vitamins and minerals, beating spinach in iron levels, milk in calcium levels, and oranges in vitamin C levels.

Best way to store: Wrap stems in dampened paper towel and refrigerate

Shelf life: 2 to 3 days

Watercress recipes found on Savormania:

Smoked salmon and watercress quiche

Watercress recipes found elsewhere:

• Drum Beets: Chilled cucumber & watercress soup
• A Fork & A Pencil: Edamame and three-pea salad
• Season and Suppers: Watercress, cherry, sautéed shallot and feta salad

ZUCCHINI

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I cook zucchini year-round, but it’s at its tastiest when it’s back in season during the warm summer months. This summer squash can range from green to yellow and is the perfect vegetable to add to a low-cal diet. It is just as tasty eaten raw as it is eaten cooked, so there are plenty of ways to cook this vegetable.

Best way to store: Refrigerated in a plastic bag

Shelf life: 4 to 5 days

Zucchini recipes found on Savormania:

Savory zucchini bread

Zucchini leek soup

Sautéed zucchini with basil and almonds

Zucchini recipes found elsewhere:

• Give Recipe: Best skinny zucchini casserole
• The Mediterranean Dish: Easy skillet zucchini
• Veggie and the Beast: Caprese quinoa grilled zucchini boats 

Are you looking for recipes with another ingredient that may not be seasonal? Check out my Recipe Index for inspiration.