Summer is a season of abundance on the homestead. Whether your garden is overflowing with tomatoes, herbs, berries, or cucumbers, the kitchen table is bound to fill up soon. From preserving herbs to making fresh desserts and supper entrees, we’ve rounded up some of the best farm-to-table summer harvest recipes that celebrate the season’s bounty.

Summer Harvest Recipes

When the summer garden begins producing in earnest, the question quickly changes from “When will it be ready?” to “What are we going to do with all of this?”

Tomatoes cover the counter. Cucumbers hide beneath their leaves until they are twice the size you expected. Zucchini seems to grow overnight, and several dozen ears of corn may become ready within the same week.

A productive garden needs more than one kind of recipe. Some vegetables are best eaten fresh. Others can be frozen in a few minutes, fermented in a crock, dried for the pantry, or canned for winter. There are also times when the most useful choice is simply to turn the day’s harvest into supper.

These summer harvest recipes are grouped by crop so you can begin with whatever is ready now. You will find preservation guides, vegetable dishes, drinks, desserts, and full meals for using tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, corn, greens, berries, peaches, and other seasonal foods.

If you are still deciding which preservation method suits your harvest, read 5 Ways to Preserve Food Like a Farmer.

Summer Harvest Recipes for Tomatoes

Ripe tomatoes can become juice, paste, jam, soup, pie, or a rich conserve. Green tomatoes can be frozen or baked while you wait for the rest of the crop to ripen.

1. Canned Tomato Juice

Homemade tomato juice can be used in soups, chili, sauces, and drinks. HOA’s guide to canning tomato juice explains the basic process.

Tomato juice must be acidified and processed according to current tested directions. Consult the NCHFP tomato-juice recipe for acidification amounts and altitude adjustments.

2. Canned Whole Tomatoes

Whole tomatoes are one of the most versatile foods to keep in the pantry. Use them for soup, chili, pasta sauce, casseroles, and stewed dishes.

This guide to canning whole tomatoes demonstrates how to prepare and process the fruit.

3. Pressure-Canned Stewed Tomatoes

Stewed tomatoes provide a ready-made beginning for soups, sauces, and casseroles. This pressure-canned stewed tomato recipe combines tomatoes with vegetables and seasonings.

Adding vegetables changes the acidity of a tomato product. Do not change the listed vegetable amounts, jar size, processing pressure, or processing time.

4. Homemade Tomato Paste From Tomato Peels

Do not throw away the skins left behind after processing tomatoes. Dry them and grind them into powder to make this homemade tomato paste.

Tomato powder takes up little pantry space and can also add tomato flavor to soups, sauces, dry rubs, and seasoning blends.

5. Tomato Jam

Tomato jam brings together ripe tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, and spices in a savory-sweet condiment. Try this tomato jam canning recipe with sandwiches, burgers, cheese, or roasted meat.

6. Fermented Italian Tomatoes

Small cherry or grape tomatoes work well in this HOA recipe for fermented Italian tomatoes with garlic and basil.

Measure the brine carefully, keep the tomatoes submerged, and follow the recipe’s fermentation and refrigeration directions.

7. Herbal Tomato Conserve

This herbal tomato conserve combines tomatoes with rosemary, sage, and smoked garlic. Serve it on fresh bread, over cooked meat, or as a pizza topping.

8. Homemade Roasted Tomato Soup

Roasting concentrates the flavor of freshly picked tomatoes. This roasted tomato soup is a practical meal for tomatoes that are ripe and ready to use.

Refrigerate the soup promptly or freeze it for longer storage. Do not can a soup recipe unless it was specifically developed and tested for home canning.

9. Heirloom Tomato Pie With Sausage and Basil

Use ripe slicing tomatoes in this heirloom tomato pie. Sausage and basil make it substantial enough for supper.

Cook the sausage thoroughly and refrigerate leftovers within two hours.

11. Frozen Green Tomatoes

Freezing green tomatoes allows you to prepare fried green tomatoes after the growing season has ended. This guide explains how to freeze green tomatoes.

Package the slices in recipe-sized portions and label them with the date and intended use.

12. Baked Fried Green Tomatoes

If you would rather use green tomatoes now, make these baked fried green tomatoes. Baking provides a crisp coating without standing over a skillet of hot oil.

Cucumber, Zucchini, Cauliflower, and Broccoli Recipes

These vegetables can go from a manageable harvest to a crowded kitchen counter very quickly. Preserve some, but save plenty for fresh salads, grilled dishes, and easy suppers.

13. Sweet Zucchini Relish

Oversized zucchini can become a useful condiment in this sweet zucchini relish.

14. Refrigerator Dill Pickles

For a smaller cucumber harvest, make spicy refrigerator dill pickles.

These are refrigerator pickles, not shelf-stable canned pickles. Keep them refrigerated and follow the stated storage timeline.

15. Bread-and-Butter Pickles

Sweet, tangy bread-and-butter pickles are useful on sandwiches, burgers, and relish trays. This old-fashioned bread-and-butter pickle recipe provides a way to preserve a larger cucumber harvest.

16. Kosher Dill Pickles

These kosher dill pickles offer a savory alternative to sweet pickles.

Use fresh, firm cucumbers and follow the specified vinegar strength, headspace, jar size, processing time, and altitude adjustment.

17. Fresh Cucumber Salad

When cucumbers are crisp and newly picked, turn them into this simple cucumber salad.

This is a good choice for cucumbers that you want to use immediately rather than preserve.

18. Pickled Cauliflower

Cauliflower can be difficult to use all at once when several heads mature within the same week. This pickled cauliflower recipe provides another option.

19. Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Larger zucchini make a natural vessel for these stuffed zucchini boats.

Scoop out the center, add the filling, and bake until the zucchini is tender and any meat in the filling is thoroughly cooked.

20. Grilled Zucchini Salad

This grilled zucchini salad is a fresh way to serve zucchini at summer meals and cookouts.

Grilling adds flavor without requiring a long baking time in a hot kitchen.

21. Buffalo Cauliflower

Turn a head of cauliflower into a snack or side dish with this buffalo cauliflower recipe.

Serve it with a cooling dip and fresh vegetables.

22. Broccoli, Cheese, and Wild Rice Casserole

This broccoli, cheese, and wild rice casserole can use freshly harvested broccoli or broccoli that has already been blanched and frozen.

23. Roasted Broccoli With Breadcrumbs and Pine Nuts

Give freshly harvested broccoli a crisp, savory finish with this roasted broccoli recipe.

Summer Harvest Recipes for Sweet Corn

Sweet corn begins losing quality soon after harvest, so have a plan before bringing several dozen ears into the kitchen.

24. How to Freeze Sweet Corn

This guide explains how to freeze sweet corn on or off the cob.

25. Homemade Creamed Corn

Use five cups of fresh or frozen kernels in this homemade creamed corn recipe.

26. Cast-Iron Skillet Cornbread

This cast-iron skillet cornbread makes a useful side for beans, summer vegetables, barbecue, or a bowl of fresh corn chowder.

27. Fresh Corn Chowder

This corn chowder puts sweet summer corn at the center of the meal.

Cabbage and Green Bean Recipes

Cabbage and beans can be fermented or served fresh, while larger leaves provide a useful wrapper for hearty fillings.

28. Homemade Sauerkraut

This guide explains how to ferment cabbage and make sauerkraut.

29. Hawaiian Sauerkraut

This Hawaiian sauerkraut includes pineapple and ginger.

Added fruit changes the sugar content and activity of a ferment, so follow the complete recipe rather than adding fruit to a different sauerkraut formula.

30. Lessons From a First Sauerkraut Ferment

This account of a first sauerkraut ferment helps beginners understand bubbling brine, changing aromas, and the importance of keeping cabbage submerged.

Use it as practical background alongside a tested fermentation recipe.

31. Venison-Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Large cabbage leaves become wrappers for these venison-stuffed cabbage rolls.

32. Coleslaw With Mustard and Apples

This coleslaw with mustard and apples gives fresh cabbage a crisp, tangy treatment.

33. Green Bean Casserole

This green bean casserole turns fresh or preserved beans into a substantial side dish.

34. Lacto-Fermented Dilly Beans

Fresh green beans, garlic, dill, and spices come together in these lacto-fermented dilly beans.

Peppers, Herbs, and Leafy Green Recipes

Peppers, herbs, and greens require different preservation methods, but all three benefit from being used or preserved soon after harvest.

35. Four Ways to Preserve Bell Peppers

This guide to preserving bell peppers covers freezing, dehydrating, pressure canning, and pickling.

Plain peppers are low-acid vegetables and must be pressure-canned. Water-bath can peppers only when following a tested pickling recipe.

36. Sweet Pepper and Basil Pesto

This sweet pepper and toasted garlic basil pesto combines peppers, basil, garlic, and pine nuts.

Pesto is not suitable for home canning. Refrigerate it promptly or freeze it in recipe-sized portions.

37. Roasted Peppers Preserved in Olive Oil

These roasted peppers in olive oil add flavor to sandwiches, pasta, pizza, and meat dishes.

38. Cowboy Candy

Turn jalapeños into a sweet and spicy condiment with this cowboy candy canning recipe.

39. Red Pepper Jelly

This red pepper jelly can be served with crackers and cream cheese or brushed over cooked meat.

40. Herbal Vinegars

Preserve some of the herb garden’s flavor in these herbal vinegars for cooking.

41. Five Ways to Dry Fresh Herbs

This guide covers five methods for drying garden herbs.

42. Frozen Fresh Herbs

Learn how to freeze fresh herbs in water, oil, or other recipe-ready portions.

43. Frozen Leafy Greens

Kale, spinach, chard, and collards can be blanched and frozen for cooked meals. This guide explains how to freeze leafy greens.

44. Herb Salad With Edible Flowers

This herb salad with edible flowers puts fresh garden herbs at the center of the plate rather than treating them only as a garnish.

Use flowers that are positively identified as edible and have not been treated with chemicals unsuitable for food crops.

45. Wild Turkey Salad With Foraged Herbs

This wild turkey salad with foraged herbs combines cooked turkey with seasonal greens and herbs.

Do not eat a wild plant unless you can identify it positively.

46. Potatoes Au Gratin With Collard Greens

Add garden greens to a comforting side dish with these creamy potatoes au gratin with collard greens.

47. Southern Collard Greens

This collard greens recipe turns a substantial bundle of greens into a traditional cooked side.

48. Lettuce-Cup Tacos

Use sturdy lettuce leaves in place of tortillas for these lettuce-cup tacos.

49. Fresh Mint and Ginger Lemonade

Put a handful of fast-growing mint to work in this fresh mint and ginger lemonade.

50. Lavender Lemon Pound Cake

Culinary lavender gives this lavender lemon pound cake a light floral flavor.

Berry, Cherry, Rhubarb, and Peach Recipes

Fruit can be canned, dried, frozen, baked, or served fresh. Set aside the best fruit for fresh recipes and use very ripe or slightly imperfect fruit in cooked dishes.

51. Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie Filling

This strawberry-rhubarb pie filling preserves two early-summer crops together.

52. Raspberry-Jalapeño Jam

This raspberry-jalapeño jam combines ripe berries with fresh peppers.

53. Canned Blueberries, Blueberry Jam, and Pie Filling Ideas

This guide to canning blueberries and blueberry pie filling includes directions for preserving whole blueberries in syrup and making blueberry jam. The preserved berries can later be drained and thickened when preparing a pie.

54. Homemade Strawberry Jam

Preserve part of the strawberry harvest with this homemade strawberry jam.

55. Fresh Blueberry Cobbler

Use several cups of fresh berries in this easy blueberry cobbler.

56. Mixed-Berry Iced Tea

This mixed-berry iced tea is a refreshing use for a small amount of mixed fruit.

57. Blackberry Crumble

A blackberry crumble works well with freshly picked berries or blackberries that have been frozen.

58. Mixed-Berry Muffins With Lemon Sugar

Use whatever combination of berries is ripe in these mixed-berry muffins with lemon sugar.

59. Homemade Strawberry Shortcake

Serve ripe berries fresh in this homemade strawberry shortcake.

60. Cherry Lemonade Popsicles

These cherry lemonade popsicles offer a simple summer treat without artificial dyes.

Remove every cherry pit before blending, especially when serving the popsicles to children.

61. Cherry-Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

Use sweet cherries in a savory recipe with this cherry-chipotle barbecue sauce.

62. Homemade Cherry Fruit Leather

Dry pureed fruit into a compact snack with this homemade cherry fruit leather.

63. Chunky Cherry Jam

This chunky cherry jam provides another way to preserve a large cherry harvest.

64. How to Preserve Peaches

This guide to canning and freezing peaches covers canned peaches, frozen slices, peach puree, freezer jam, and frozen pie filling.

65. Roasted Peaches and Cream Popsicles

Roasting brings out the flavor of ripe fruit in these peaches and cream popsicles.

66. Homemade Peach Fruit Leather

This peach fruit leather turns peach puree into a portable snack.

67. Peach Barbecue Sauce

This peach barbecue sauce pairs ripe peaches with savory seasonings.

For shelf-stable storage, do not change the fruit, vegetable, acid, or liquid proportions.

68. Old-Fashioned Peach Cobbler

Make the most of ripe fruit with this old-fashioned peach cobbler.

69. Homemade Peach Pie

This peach pie is another way to serve ripe peaches at the height of the season.

70. Southern Peach Tea

Fresh peaches flavor this Southern peach tea.

Cool and refrigerate the finished tea rather than leaving it at room temperature for extended periods.

71. Rose Berry Simmer Pot

A rose berry simmer pot offers a nonfood use for fragrant berries, herbs, citrus, and flower petals.

Summer Meat, Poultry, and Wild Game Recipes

Summer meals often pair meat from the freezer with herbs, vegetables, and fruit from the garden. Grilling also keeps some of the heat outside.

72. Roasted Duck Breast With Ginger-Lime Dressing

This roasted duck breast is served with ginger-lime dressing and can be paired with mixed garden greens.

73. Grilled Quail With Caramelized Peaches and Figs

This grilled quail with peaches and figs brings together summer fruit and home-raised or wild game.

74. Grilled Venison Skewers With Peanut Sauce

These grilled venison skewers are suited to summer gatherings and outdoor cooking.

Slice the venison evenly so the pieces cook at the same rate. Keep the finished meat and peanut sauce chilled until serving when preparing them ahead.

75. Grilled Venison or Beef Kofta Kebabs

These grilled kofta kebabs use venison or lamb with ground beef, peppers, garlic, herbs, and spices.

76. Venison Loin With Herb Butter

Fresh parsley, thyme, rosemary, or other garden herbs flavor this venison loin with herb butter. Beef loin can be substituted when venison is unavailable.

77. Steamed Quail Eggs

Steamed quail eggs can be added to salads, packed into lunches, or served as a snack. This guide explains how to steam quail eggs.

Begin With What Needs Your Attention First

You do not have to preserve the entire garden in one weekend. Start with the crop that will lose quality first.

Cucumbers and sweet corn should be handled promptly. Very ripe berries and peaches can become cobblers, sauces, fruit leather, or freezer packs. Tomatoes may give you a little more time, but even those can pile up quickly when several plants begin ripening together.

Choose one or two recipes, gather the equipment you need, and work in manageable batches. A few jars, freezer bags, dried herbs, and family meals prepared throughout the season can make good use of the harvest without turning every summer day into a preservation marathon.

What is producing most heavily in your garden this week? Begin there, and put that part of the harvest to use.

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