Panzanella Green Bean Salad By Beth Dooley, chef and author. Panzanella—the word is said to have come from the Italian “pane” (bread) and “zanella” (soup bowl). What it really means is a salad-sandwich, with fresh garden vegetables, great bread, and terrific olive oil. Though it’s most often associated with tomatoes, this summer toss-up is open to any interpretation—including zucchini, summer squash, and cucumbers—and it’s terrific with green beans. Make this ahead so the flavors mingle and the bread softens; it’s perfect picnic or beach fare.
Baked Zucchini Stuffed with Chouriço and Cream Cheese by Jen Miller of Jen Reviews. This particular zucchini dish uses young, tender zucchinis. Just a little trim on each end and a quick scrape with a spoon to remove the seeds, and they’re ready to be filled and popped into the oven.
Spring Ricotta Salad by Nonesuch restaurant, Oklahoma City, dubbed “America’s Best New Restaurant 2018” by Bon Appétit magazine “The idea behind this dish is to make a fresh, versatile base of ricotta to highlight wonderful springtime vegetables,” says Kyle Kern, general manager of Nonesuch. “Feel free to substitute any vegetables in the base recipe for your own seasonally available favorites. The only ‘special equipment’ you will need is cheese cloth and a thermometer.”
Pork-Stuffed ‘Ausilio Thin Skin Italian’ Peppers by Chad Ogle-Riccelli, donor of the ‘Ausilio Thin Skin Italian’ pepper, inspired by grandparents, Nicholas Domenico “Nick” Riccelli and Theresa Grace Ausilio Riccelli. “This is an amazing dish, and you will want more and more—make, bake, and serve with a nice bottle of Chianti wine,” says Chad. “This dish was inspired by a recipe from our grandfather, Nick Riccelli’s, recipe box.
These bite-sized greens are members of the species Brassica oleracea which includes broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and cabbage. They will flower and produce seeds in their second growing season after experiencing cold weather.
Cabbage varieties come in a spectrum of colors, from light green to dark purple. Sow cabbage seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before transplanting seedlings outdoors.
Beets are tasty and easy to grow, and both the roots and leaves can be used in cooking. Plant in early spring, as soon as soil can be worked. You can plant successive plantings until midsummer.
Although watermelon requires a long growing season, if you start this sprawling plant early enough in the year, you can enjoy its fruits from late summer to early fall. Watermelons, like other vining plants, need plenty of space to grow.
Tomato plants can be either determinate or indeterminate. Determinate plants will produce tomatoes that all ripen around the same time, while indeterminate plants will continue producing new growth and new fruits throughout the growing season.