It’s Not Too Late to Cool Down With Fresh Produce

With summer winding down you may want to shed a tear over the departure of your favorite delicious, fresh summer produce from your farmer’s markets tables. It is not too late though.

Late summer watermelons are delicious and are still available at the Pasadena Certified Farmers Markets.

“Watermelons are a go-to right now for these really hot days,” says Gretchen Sterling of the Pasadena Certified Farmers Markets.

Another late summer treat? A variety of fresh herbs. They are still abundant and using fresh as opposed to dried can make all the difference in a recipe.

“We can find marjoram and we can find oregano and thyme and different flavors of thyme. Lemon thyme is really good on chicken or in a salad.”
How does a delicious cucumber and watermelon salad sound?

“You wouldn’t think cucumbers and watermelon go together but they’re really excellent,” exclaims Sterling.

Refreshing, cool, and made up of ingredients you can buy fresh from the market, this salad is a great late-summer treat. Learn how to make it, as well as a fresh basil pesto, below and celebrate an endless summer!

Watermelon Cucumber Salad
Serves 6
This is the perfect salad for your weekend get-togethers throughout the month of September.

1/2 of a watermelon- balled or cubed
1 cucumber- thin chopped
½ cup red wine vinegar
½ cup olive oil
1 basil leaf-minced

1. Chop or ball watermelon with a melon-baller
2. Thin slice a cucumber
3. Mix in red wine vinegar and olive oil
4. Mince a basil leaf and add to mixture
5. Toss it all together and chill

A delicious entrée to go with this salad would be pesto pasta. Pesto is scrumptious and making it yourself is quick and easy.

Homemade Pesto Pasta
Serves 6
This recipe can be tweaked depending on your love of garlic, you can add more or less. You can also omit the walnuts if there is a nut allergy in your home.

1 cup fresh basil leaves
½ cup parmesan cheese
¼ cup walnuts
1 clove fresh garlic
Enough canola oil to reach a smooth consistency

1. Remove the stems from the basil leaves
2. Put ingredients, except oil, in a food processor, one at a time, for best consistency
3. Add oil a little bit at a time until you reach a consistency that will cover pasta. Can be thicker to spread on bread
4. Mix with freshly cooked pasta and Enjoy!

You can visit Pasadena’s Farmer’s Market at www.pasadenasfarmermarket.org.