Food Fruits & Vegetables Garden-Fresh Vegetable Recipes By Midwest Living editors Midwest Living editors Midwest Living's experienced editors create best-in-class travel, lifestyle, food, home and garden content you won't find anywhere else. We're loudly, proudly Midwestern, and we're passionate about helping our audience explore and create through award-winning storytelling. Midwest Living's Editorial Guidelines Updated on April 3, 2023 Trending Videos Photo: Blaine Moats Summer's bright and bountiful veggies—corn, beans, tomatoes, zucchini and more—flavor these appetizers, main dishes, salads and sides. 01 of 32 Eat-Your-Greens Pizza We threw pizza convention out the kitchen window in this utterly delicious (and beautiful) recipe. Frozen puff pastry pinch-hits for traditional pizza dough, yielding a flaky, crisp crust. A salad's worth of vegetables covers the top, along with just a bit of smoky ham and nutty Gruyere cheese. And say good-bye to marinara sauce. Instead, a drizzle of flavorful creamy garlic salad dressing moistens the pizza and adds big flavor. Homemade Pizza Recipes View Recipe 02 of 32 Corn Off the Cob Brie Passano This recipe is so simple: Just shave the kernels off boiled sweet corn, then toss with lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, red onion and a dash of hot sauce. It tastes great at any temperature. Sweet Corn Recipes View Recipe 03 of 32 Grilled Squash in Cilantro, Lime and Fish Sauce Carson Downing Minneapolis chef Yia Vang draws on his Hmong heritage in this simple side, dressing charred zucchini and yellow squash in a sweet-tart dressing that has funky umami notes from fish sauce. (Use it again in winter on your roasted Brussels sprouts.) Easy Zucchini Recipes View Recipe 04 of 32 Green Bean Tabbouleh Blaine Moats This is a perfect salad to take to a summer picnic or potluck since it is best at room temperature. View Recipe 05 of 32 Two-Bean Salad with Tarragon Brie Passano Don't stop at beans. You'll want to use the lemony vinaigrette from this recipe all summer long on lettuce salads, asparagus or boiled baby potatoes. View Recipe 06 of 32 Swiss Chard Crostata with Fennel Seed Crust Dried herbs, garlic and fennel give this rustic tart a familiar Italian sausage-like flavor. The olive oil-based pastry comes together in a snap in the food processor. The recipe comes from The Vegetable Butcher cookbook, by Cara Mangini. View Recipe 07 of 32 Suncrest Gardens Farm's Pesto Pizza Heather Secrist uses kale in her pesto for this fresh tomato creation, though you can substitute arugula, spinach or basil if you prefer. "Pesto can be frozen in ice cube trays for use throughout the year," says Heather, owner of Suncrest Gardens Farm in Cochrane, Wisconsin. "Once frozen, place the cubes in a freezer bag to pull out as you need them." View Recipe 08 of 32 Blistered Green Beans with Fried Onions and Basil-Mushroom Cream Carson Downing At Trattoria Stella in Traverse City, Michigan, a farmer's bumper crop of fresh green beans inspired chef Myles Anton's twist on the classic casserole. View Recipe 09 of 32 Vegan Gumbo If you usually walk past the okra at the farmers market, stop—and make this nutritious meat-and dairy-free take on the New Orleans classic. The recipe comes from Lachelle Cunningham, who is a chef and advocate for the Twin Cities soul food scene. View Recipe 10 of 32 Italian Roasted Snap Peas You expect to find Italian seasoning with tomatoes—but snap peas? The combo works surprisingly well. Try this hands-free side dish with roasted or grilled chicken. View Recipe 11 of 32 Squash Ribbons with Parmesan and Crisp Prosciutto This toss-together recipe from BelGioioso Cheese in Wisconsin makes a pretty side dish in summer, when zucchini and yellow squash abound. View Recipe 12 of 32 Sweet Corn and Black Bean Succotash This cilantro-flecked confetti salad, with a Southwest-inspired dressing, can be served at any temperature. View Recipe 13 of 32 Peacock Vegetables Balsamic vinegar, olive oil and herbs coat roasted vegetables in this colorful side dish. View Recipe 14 of 32 Green Beans with Bacon and Onion Picky eaters in your family? Bacon-dressed beans will surely tempt them to eat their veggies. View Recipe 15 of 32 Quinoa Salad with Roasted Zucchini, Almonds and Feta Caramelized zucchini, crunchy almonds, salty cheese and hearty quinoa come dressed in honey-basil vinaigrette. The recipe comes from Columbus, Ohio, chef Cara Mangini. Hearty, Healthy Salad Recipes View Recipe 16 of 32 Roasted Carrots Carrots' natural sweetness shines in this recipe from Urban Roots Farm in Springfield, Missouri, so shop your farmers market for the freshest ones, even if they aren't heirloom. Good-For-You Carrot Recipes View Recipe 17 of 32 Grilled Eggplant and Mozzarella Hero with Spicy Tomato Sauce and Basil Pesto This scrumptious mess of a sandwich is every bit as satisfying as a classic Italian sub—and if you prepare the tomato sauce and pesto in advance (or use purchased pesto), the sandwiches come together super fast. View Recipe 18 of 32 Sweet and Spicy Cabbage and Peanut Slaw Fresh ginger and red pepper flakes add welcome zing, but the real surprise here is napa (aka Chinese) cabbage. Cara Mangini, in Columbus, Ohio, likes it for slaws because it's more tender than ordinary cabbage but still holds up better than lettuce. Fresh Slaw Recipes View Recipe 19 of 32 Snap Pea Succotash with Basil and Cumin Basil and cumin are an unexpected flavor pairing, but they work great with in this simple 15-minute summer side dish. View Recipe 20 of 32 Fingerling Potato Salad with Honey-Thyme Vinaigrette The addition of fresh haricots verts gives this potato salad fresh-from-the-garden taste. The recipe is from chef Myk Banas. Potato Salad Recipes Your Guests Will Love View Recipe 21 of 32 The Stone Barn's The Modena Sweet onion, mushrooms, snap peas, marinated chicken and feta top an oiled crust in this pizza recipe from The Stone Barn in Nelson, Wisconsin. View Recipe 22 of 32 Roasted Cherry Tomato Chutney on Squash Annie France of Mission, Kansas, invented this beautiful summer dish. Juicy cherry tomatoes are roasted and served over spaghetti squash with herbs and mozzarella balls. Serve as a side dish or meatless main. View Recipe 23 of 32 Sauteed Swiss Chard and Pine Nut Bruschetta If you've never tried Swiss chard (a dark leafy green similar to kale and spinach), this pretty appetizer makes a good introduction. Garlic, red onion, currants, vinegar and honey balance its earthiness. The recipe comes from Urban Roots Farm in Springfield, Missouri. View Recipe 24 of 32 Heirloom Tomato and Onion Quiche The recipe was developed for heirloom tomatoes such as Cherokee Purple or Brandywine, but if those aren't available, use whatever kind of tomatoes you like. Drain sliced tomatoes on a paper towel before adding them to the quiche, and they won't release as much water. Quiche Recipes For Any Meal View Recipe 25 of 32 Arugula Pesto Peppery arugula pinch-hits for basil in this memorable pesto from Nebraska chef Kevin Shinn. Try it as a spread on baguette slices or as a pasta sauce. View Recipe 26 of 32 Sugar Snap Peas with Sesame Seeds We gave this veggie a new twist with a hint of ginger, some kick from black pepper and a finish of nutty sesame oil and seeds. View Recipe 27 of 32 Panzanella (Bread Salad) with Summer Vegetables A backyard garden's worth of colorful summer veggies fill this beautiful potluck salad. The toasted bread chunks absorb the dressing and juices from the tomatoes; you won't believe how delicious they taste! Summer Salad Recipes View Recipe 28 of 32 Zucchini and Tomato Frittata Zucchini gets a flavor boost from mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and chopped walnuts in a colorful frittata. View Recipe 29 of 32 Grilled Green Beans with Shallots Wrapped in a foil packet, fresh green beans—seasoned with onion, soy sauce, basil, mint, sesame seeds and your choice of nuts—grill alongside your meat entree. Fast-and-Easy Grilling Recipes View Recipe 30 of 32 Oven-Roasted Squash and Beets with Arugula This calicolike blend is as nutritious as it is pretty. The veggies roast separately so the beets don't dye the squash pink. View Recipe 31 of 32 Napa Cabbage Spring Rolls Spring rolls are a great way to use fresh vegetables as they become available at the farmers market—or in your backyard garden. View Recipe 32 of 32 Turkish Carrot Yogurt Dip White dips don't have to be humdrum. In this recipe from The Vegetable Butcher cookbook, Cara Mangini sautes grated carrot, pine nuts and garlic in olive oil, then stirs the mixture into Greek yogurt. Easy Dip Recipes View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit