The Last Taste of Summer: 6 Foods to Savor Before Fall
There’s something special about visiting the farmers market as summer begins to wind down. The tables are still filled with beautiful tomatoes, colorful peppers, zucchini, and fresh herbs, but you can already feel the seasons beginning to change. I love this time of year because it reminds me to enjoy these wonderful ingredients while they’re still at their best. A perfectly ripe tomato, a handful of fresh blueberries, or zucchini tossed on the grill needs very little preparation to become something delicious. These foods also bring a variety of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and beneficial plant compounds to our meals. And while no single food can promise healthy aging, enjoying a colorful variety of fruits, vegetables, and herbs is a delicious way to support our health over time.
Before we welcome fall, I’d like to share six of my favorite summer foods, what makes them nutritious, and some simple ways to enjoy them.
1. Tomatoes: A Taste of Summer
Nothing says summer quite like a juicy, ripe tomato. I love them sliced with a little olive oil and fresh basil, tossed into salads, or roasted until their natural sweetness becomes even more delicious.
Tomatoes provide vitamin C, potassium, and lycopene, a carotenoid that gives red tomatoes their beautiful color. Lycopene is an antioxidant, and cooking tomatoes with a little olive oil can help the body absorb it.
Grace’s kitchen idea: Roast tomatoes with garlic, olive oil, and fresh herbs. Serve them over whole grains, alongside grilled fish, or as a simple pasta sauce.
FoodTrients recipe: Couscous Salad with Tomatoes
2. Colorful Bell Peppers: Bring on the Rainbow
Red, yellow, orange, and green bell peppers add beautiful color, crunch, and natural sweetness to almost any meal.
They’re especially rich in vitamin C and provide a variety of carotenoids and other plant compounds. Their nutritional composition varies with color and ripeness, so I enjoy using a mixture whenever I can.
Grace’s kitchen idea: Grill several colors of bell peppers with zucchini and onions, then serve them alongside chicken or fish. For another colorful combination, try my Papaya Salsa.
3. Summer Squash: Simple and Versatile
Zucchini and yellow squash are two of my favorite vegetables to keep on hand because they’re so easy to prepare. Their mild flavor works beautifully with garlic, lemon, herbs, and olive oil.
Summer squash provides water, fiber, vitamin C, and carotenoids, including lutein and zeaxanthin, which are also found in other foods that support eye health.
Grace’s kitchen idea: Slice zucchini and yellow squash lengthwise, brush them with olive oil, and grill until tender. Finish with fresh lemon juice, parsley, and a little black pepper. It’s a simple side dish that goes with almost anything.
4. Blueberries: Little Berries with Big Flavor
Fresh blueberries are one of my favorite additions to breakfast, salads, and simple desserts. Their natural sweetness makes them delicious on their own, and their deep blue color makes any dish more inviting.
Blueberries provide fiber, vitamin K, and polyphenols, including anthocyanins—the plant pigments responsible for their beautiful color. These compounds are being studied for their potential roles in supporting health as part of an overall nutritious diet.
Grace’s kitchen idea: Sprinkle blueberries over plain yogurt with chopped walnuts and cinnamon, or toss them into a green salad with a light citrus vinaigrette. If fresh blueberries are becoming harder to find, frozen unsweetened blueberries are a convenient way to enjoy them year-round.
5. Cucumbers: Cool, Crisp, and Refreshing
On a warm afternoon, there’s something especially refreshing about a crisp cucumber. Cucumbers have a high water content and provide nutrients including vitamin K. They’re a wonderful addition to salads, chilled soups, and refreshing drinks. I especially enjoy pairing cucumbers with fresh herbs and citrus. The flavors are light, clean, and perfect for those warm days that linger into early fall.
Grace’s kitchen idea: Toss thinly sliced cucumbers with fresh dill or mint, lemon juice, and a little plain yogurt for a cooling side dish. Or add cucumber slices, lime, and mint to a pitcher of cold water for a refreshing drink.
6. Fresh Herbs: Small Additions, Wonderful Flavor
Fresh herbs are one of my favorite ways to bring a dish to life. A handful of basil can transform ripe tomatoes, mint adds a refreshing touch to drinks and salads, and parsley brightens everything from grilled vegetables to fish. Herbs also provide small amounts of vitamins and a variety of aromatic plant compounds. We may not eat them in large quantities, but they’re an easy way to add flavor and variety without relying on extra salt.
Grace’s kitchen idea: Make a simple herb dressing by blending fresh basil, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, and a little garlic. Spoon it over grilled vegetables, chicken, or fish. And if you have more fresh herbs than you can use, chop and freeze them in small portions so you can enjoy their flavor in the months ahead.
I have one more little secret for making the most of summer vegetables—my Golden Summer Drizzle! This simple combination of extra-virgin olive oil, rice vinegar, fresh lemon, garlic, and herbs adds just the right amount of brightness to grilled zucchini, bell peppers, tomatoes, and just about anything else you bring home from the farmers market. It’s a delicious way to turn the simplest vegetables into something special.
Grace’s Secret Recipe: Golden Summer Drizzle
Makes: About ½ cup Prep time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
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¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
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2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
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1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
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1 teaspoon honey (optional)
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1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
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1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil or parsley
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1 small garlic clove, finely grated
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A pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, and garlic. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until combined. Stir in the fresh herbs and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Drizzle over warm grilled or roasted summer vegetables just before serving. It’s also delicious over a fresh tomato and cucumber salad or a bowl of whole grains and vegetables.
Grace’s Tip: Use unseasoned rice vinegar so you can control the sweetness. If your tomatoes are especially ripe and sweet, you may not need the honey at all!
Make the Most of the Last Summer Harvest
Before summer produce gives way to the flavors of fall, I encourage you to visit your local farmers market, pick up a few seasonal favorites, and prepare something delicious. You don’t need an elaborate recipe. Sometimes the best meals begin with a ripe tomato, a handful of fresh herbs, a little olive oil, and the pleasure of sharing good food with people you love.
