There is no doubt that summer is my favourite season of the year. It’s warm, the sun’s out, salads and BBQ’s are in full swing and Christmas is just around the corner!
School is nearly over, we spend more time in the water, and we get to eat summer foods!
Since my decision to not be reliant on the supermarket, I have become more intentional about seasonal eating, which means I haven’t bought lettuce, tomatoes or cucumbers all winter, except for just a couple of times.
I’m quite proud of how I have been able to think outside the box and use foods I probably wouldn’t really have used had I not been consciously thinking about it.
And since summer fruits and vegetables are my absolute favourite foods, my excitement is almost uncontrollable at the thought of being able to eat them again. It definitely makes me appreciate them all the more!
When I’m putting my summer meal plan together there’s a few things I take into consideration to make the most out of the warmer weather and the wide range of foods and available.
Green salads are really easy to put together, and with so many options for greens as a base, there are no shortage of flavours to work with!
Rocket, mesclun, iceberg, looseleaf and even the leaves of beetroot make great green mixes for the plate. From there I will add a variety of other fresh vegetables including tomatoes, radishes, cucumbers, carrots, beans, peas, melons and strawberries.
By adding a simple dressing on top, it leaves the salad full of flavour and so easy to eat!
Since the weather has not been conducive to using the BBQ or being outside for a number of months, I try to utilise it as much as I can in summer.
That means that steak, sausages and burgers are mostly reserved for the summer months, and that first bite of summer barbecued steak just melts in the mouth. Amazing.
Summer means there are ample vegetables available to choose from, so I feel like I’m really not making the most of it if I eat vegetables I can also grow in winter.
Some cool weather vegetables don’t grow well in summer anyway, so it’s best to keep them for when the weather cools down again, and the fun summer vegetables are done for the year.
Because Christmas is in summertime, a big chunk of the season is taken up with holidays. You might be eating leftovers A LOT, or you might be cooking at a campside or at someone else’s home.
I try block out, or even pre-plan these dates so I know I have to think about them differently and include them in my ‘grocery budget’ when it comes time to buy the food.
I use these messy, holiday-filled, routineless months to plan in a few favourite meals that my family raves about during the year. It’s usually a relaxed, fun month that doesn’t require much from them in terms of having to stretch their palettes and try new foods.
These are the things I take into consideration when I’m putting together my summer meal plan.
It’s a little bit messy because our usual routines have gone out the window, and holidays take up a big chunk of the time. But it’s the perfect time to eat all those delicious summer vegetables that become a lot more expensive at other times of the year.
Grab my FREE seasonal vegetables chart so you can make the perfect summer meal plan too!