Garden recipes!

Check out these recipes submitted by Michelle Jorgenson!

I love summer eating, because I try and use as much from the garden as I can. You can tell your readers that if they don't have a garden, try talking to their neighbors who do. Often crops get out of control and gardeners throw away produce before they can get to it. I just found a neighbor that has a HUGE patch of spinach and leaf lettuce. It's farther along than mine, and they weren't using hardly any of it. I asked if I could keep it picked so it won't go to seed as quickly, and they agreed! So I go pick it every third day or so, and it covers us for green smoothie ingredients.

Here are two of the standout harvest recipes I've come up with so far:

Salvadoran Radish Salsa

Ingredients

• 1 bunch radishes (any kind)
• 3 tomatoes
• 1 small onion
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 1/4 tsp salt
• juice from 1 lime

Optional ingredients

• 1 can of black beans, rinsed
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 cup jicama, chopped
• 1 cucumber, chopped
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• juice from 1 additional lime
• salt to taste

Chop all vegetables from the first list and mix with cilantro, salt, and lime juice. Add optional ingredients for a hearty meal.

Radish Leaf Pesto and Noodles

Ingredients

• 2 large handfuls radish leaves (from 2 bunches radishes), stems removed
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup almonds or pine nuts
• 1 clove garlic, cut in four
• 2 tbsp olive oil, or more to get consistency you like
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 package whole wheat pasta (penne or rigatoni is best)

Directions

1. Put all ingredients other than pasta in a high powered blender and process in short pulses. You will have to scrape down the sides to get it all mixed in. Add more oil if it's too thick.
2. Boil a package of whole wheat pasta. Cook for 2 minutes less than the package says.
3. Drain noodles but keep some of the cooking water.
4. Cook noodles in a pan over medium heat. Add pesto and stir to coat the noodles. If the mixture is too dry, add some cooking water.
5. Cook until pasta is done (1-2 more minutes).

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