Summer recipes

For as long as I can remember, we've had a garden. Summer was always full of ripe tomatoes and cucumbers and other fresh fruits and veggies. This year, James even has his own tomato plant: he helped plant it and now can eat all the tomatoes he wants (this is really so he won't pick ours and eat them)!

So in honor of my home-grown tomato garden, here are some yummy recipes:

Corn Salad (great for grilling parties)
3 cans shoepeg corn (don't drain)
1 green bell pepper
2 medium tomatoes
1 large cucumber (or 3 pickling cucumbers), seeded
1 small sweet onion
1 tbsp mayo

chop the veggies so they are about the same size as the corn. mix in a bowl with the corn and juice, add mayo, stir, chill, then serve.

Macaroni Salad (my granny's recipe)
8 oz macaroni, cooked according to package
6 eggs, boiled and sliced
1 head romaine lettuce
1 large or 2 medium tomatoes
6-8 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 small sweet onion, diced
1 large or 3 pickling cucumbers, seeded and diced
mayo
salt

after cooking the macaroni, let cool, then add enough mayo to coat it well, and salt to taste. let stand in fridge while you chop and dice the other veggies. add lettuce, tomato, carrots, onion, and cucumber to the macaroni (you may add more mayo if you think it needs it...you want a thin layer on everything else). fold in the sliced egg. chill and serve!

Black Bean Salad (can be served on chips like salsa, on tacos, or as a side salad)
2 cans black beans, drained
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 red onion, diced
2 cans shoepeg corn, drained
1 handful of cilantro, chopped
1 to 2 tbsp olive oil
lime juice (just a squeeze, to taste)
salt and pepper, to taste

in a medium saucepan over med-lo heat, combine ingredients. Let simmer for about 10 minutes. serve immediately, or place in fridge. can be eaten warm or cold.

Try them out this summer. Even if you don't have homegrown, you can always check your local roadside stand or farmer's market for fresh veggies. YUM!