LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – If you’ve planted a summer garden, it won’t be long before tomatoes, zucchini and the like will be bursting forth from their vines, perhaps in such abundance that you won’t know what to do with them all.

To help out, I’ve compiled a quartet of vegetable-forward recipes that will enable you to (hopefully pleasantly) consume such garden bounty.

Featured in the recipes are some of the most commonly grown summer vegetables – tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, eggplant and bell peppers – as well as favorite garden herbs like basil and parsley.

The first recipe featured is gazpacho, a cooling, tomato-based soup that originated in the southern region of Andalusia in Spain. This chock-full-of-veggies dish is sometimes referred to as a blended or liquid salad, and when you see the recipe, you’ll understand why. It utilizes summer garden bounty or farmers’ market fare quite handily.

There are a number of theories about the origin of gazpacho, with the most prevalent being that it’s based on a soup of bread, olive oil, vinegar and garlic that arrived in Spain with the Romans. Many current recipes include the use of stale bread as part of the base.

With the introduction of tomato and cucumber from the New World and Asia respectively, gazpacho became a standard Spanish dish first in the province of Andalusia. Popular then with all classes of people, it’s still widely served as cold refreshment during the heat of Spanish summers.

There are many versions of gazpacho, not all with tomatoes. The most popular and well-known, however, are those which make full use of this luscious fruit and thankfully so, as tomatoes are an absolute powerhouse of nutrition!

Gazpacho was once considered to have healing properties, especially as a remedy for stomach issues. As Miguel de Cervantes wrote in Don Quixote, “I’d rather have my fill of gazpacho than be subject to the misery of a meddling doctor.”

Next up is Panzanella, a bread and tomato salad that hails from Tuscany. Sixteenth-century Florentine poet and artist Agnolo Bronzino sang the praises of a dish interpreted to be a version of it, making it very likely that this salad has been a staple there for more than five centuries.

The name Panzanella is thought to be a portmanteau of the Italian word for bread, pane, and zanella, the name of the deep plate in which it’s typically served.

A traditional Panzanella utilizes stale bread soaked in water and squeezed dry, but I enjoy using a rustic loaf of bread that can stand up to the dressing and the juices of the tomatoes. Wait an hour or so before eating so the bread has time to absorb all the liquid deliciousness.

It was interesting to learn that until the 20th century, Panzanella was based on onions, not tomatoes. While onions continue to be used in the salad, tomatoes are truly one of the stars.

Tomatoes that are ripe, juicy and full of flavor should be used. Feel free to mix colors and types. If garden or farmers’ market tomatoes are not available, heirloom tomatoes or those sold on the vine are recommended.

A full two cups of a sliced chiffonade of basil are included in the recipe. An easy way to do this is to roll a group of leaves up cigar style before slicing.

While traditionalists in Florence may not approve, olives, capers and other tangy ingredients are often added to enhance the flavor of the salad. I use a combo of kalamata and green olives, but feel free to use what you like best.

Ratatouille, a stewed vegetable dish from the French region of Provence (specifically Nice), is a wonderful way to use many vegetables at once. Though recipes and cooking times vary, tomato, garlic, onion, zucchini, eggplant, bell pepper and some combination of herbs common to that region are typically included.

The name of the dish is derived from a French verb meaning “to stir up,” and if you’ve ever cooked ratatouille, you’ll know that a lot of stirring is involved!

Despite its relatively recent genesis (1877), there are numerous methods of preparation. Julia Child and others recommend that each type of vegetable be cooked individually prior to combining. One reason for this is the belief that the taste of each vegetable will stand out.

Another method, one which I employ in the recipe below, is to stagger the addition of each vegetable to the pan according to its cooking time. This encourages a wonderful marriage of flavors and lessens the complexity of preparation.

Eggplant, utilized in ratatouille, provides a platform for a plethora of flavors, changing like a chameleon when paired with different sauces and spice combinations. The flesh of eggplant is spongy and somewhat bitter in its raw state, though more recent cultivated varieties are not quite as bitter as their ancient counterparts.

Salting eggplant prior to cooking rids the flesh of bitterness, as well as collapsing cell walls to close up the spongy holes that would otherwise absorb endless amounts of oil. To do this, peel and slice (or, depending on the dish, cube) the eggplant and generously salt it as you layer the slices into a colander. Allow it to drain over a bowl or the sink for 20 to 30 minutes, rinse, pat dry, and prepare as usual.

Our final recipe is tzatziki, a refreshing Greek salad made from cucumber and yogurt and flavored with herbs, typically either dill, mint, thyme or parsley.

In addition to a salad, tzatziki can also be in the form of a dip, sauce or cold soup.

The term “cool as a cucumber” is more than a cliché. Cucumbers truly are a cooling food, which is one reason why it’s especially nice to have them around in the midst of the summer heat. They’re commonly featured in the cuisine of countries throughout the world with hot climates.

Versions of the cooling combination of cucumber and yogurt are found in a variety of places, including Turkey, India, the Balkans and throughout the Middle East.

Not only do cucumbers have a cooling effect when consumed internally, they cool the skin externally, such as when they’re used to treat sunburn.

Although a variety of herbs may be used to flavor tzatziki, our version contains dill.

If you don’t have Greek yogurt on hand, other yogurt can be strained to produce a similar consistency. To do this, place the yogurt in a strainer lined with paper towels or cheesecloth atop a bowl several hours or overnight. Refrigerate it during the process. This allows liquid to drain off, leaving behind a thickened, richer yogurt. You’ll be surprised at the amount of water that appears in your bowl.

If you’re using this method, be sure to strain enough yogurt as it reduces in size by about half. Since the recipe calls for two cups of Greek yogurt, strain four cups to be sure you’ve got enough.

I hope you enjoy the summer’s bounty through these recipes or otherwise. And remember, a simple sandwich with garden tomatoes can make for an amazingly delicious lunch. To this end, as a bonus, I’ve included a recipe for basil aioli that can be slathered on good bread to pair with fresh tomatoes.

Enjoy!

Gazpacho

While some gazpacho recipes call for blending the entire batch of veggies into a puree, I prefer to puree only half of it to maintain an interesting texture and satisfying crunch.

3 large tomatoes, diced
1 cucumber, peeled and diced
2 bell peppers, chopped (combine red, green, yellow or other colors)
1 red onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups tomato juice
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Tabasco sauce and salt and pepper to taste

Combine vegetables in a large glass bowl.

Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Add half the mixture to a food processor and blend until smooth.

Combine puree with original mixture and chill for 4 hours before serving.

Garnish with diced avocado or cilantro, if desired.

Serves four.

Tuscan Bread Salad with Summer Vegetables (Panzanella)

The trick to this salad is being sure all ingredients are bite sized. Choosing the bread is also key. A rustic bread that will hold up well is recommended, and day-old bread is fine, if you’ve got it. Sliced bread will not work well. Feel free to sub cucumber for the zucchini.

About 6 cups of bite-sized pieces of bread
2 cups sliced basil leaves
1 cup red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup zucchini, cut lengthwise into quarters and sliced (roughly one medium zucchini)
2 cups diced ripe tomatoes (garden, heirloom or those sold on the vine are recommended)
½ cup pitted kalamata olives, cut in half
½ cup pitted green olives, cut in half (or quartered, if large)
1 cup bite-sized pieces of fresh mozzarella
Pine nuts for garnish (optional)

Dressing:

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Fresh ground pepper and coarse salt to taste

Make dressing by whisking ingredients together. It’s best to do this first so flavors have an opportunity to combine.

Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss with dressing.

Allow to sit for an hour before eating so bread can soak up liquid.

If using pine nuts, sprinkle over top of salad. (You may toast them first.)

Serve immediately.

Serves four.

Ratatouille

Olive oil for the pan, about 2 tablespoons
2 or more cloves garlic, crushed and minced
1 large onion, sliced
1 small eggplant, cubed
2 bell peppers, any color, chopped
4 large garden tomatoes, coarsely chopped
3 to 4 small zucchinis, sliced into ¼ inch rounds
Fresh herbs, such as basil, oregano, thyme and rosemary
A nice handful of chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Salt the cubed eggplant and allow to drain for 20 to 30 minutes, then rinse.

Heat oil over medium heat in a 4-quart Dutch oven or heavy saucepan.

Add onions and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes or more.

Add garlic and stir.

Add eggplant and pepper, stir to coat with oil, then cover and cook for about 10 minutes.

Add tomatoes, zucchini and herbs (except basil and parsley); cover and cook about 15 minutes, or until eggplant is tender, but not too soft.

Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

Stir in basil and parsley just before serving.

Serves four to six. While not traditional, I enjoy serving with rice or quinoa.

Greek Cucumber-Yogurt Salad (Tzatziki)

To make a dip or sauce rather than a salad, finely chop, rather than slice, the cucumber. More lemon juice and/or yogurt may be needed to create a thinner consistency.

2 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced
2 cups plain Greek yogurt
2 cloves garlic, smashed then minced
Juice of half a lemon
Fresh dill springs (or fresh mint leaves)
Freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste

Combine yogurt, garlic and lemon juice in a bowl.

Add cucumber to yogurt mixture and stir to combine.

Using kitchen scissors, cut small pieces of dill leaves into bowl. If substituting mint, thinly slice leaves and add to bowl. Use more or less depending on your taste. Stir to combine.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves four as a side salad.

Basil aioli

Combine one large egg, 1 clove crushed garlic, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a food processor. Process for a few seconds until mixture is emulsified.

Keep the motor running as you drizzle in just under a cup of extra virgin olive oil. Add 1/3 cup roughly chopped fresh basil and pulse a bit until combined. Scrape the aioli into a container and refrigerate.

Makes about 1-1/2 cups.

All recipes by Esther Oertel.

Esther Oertel is a writer and passionate home cook from a family of chefs. She grew up in a restaurant, where she began creating recipes from a young age. She’s taught culinary classes in a variety of venues in Lake County and previously wrote “The Veggie Girl” column for Lake County News. Most recently she’s taught culinary classes at Sur La Table in Santa Rosa, Calif. She lives in Middletown, Calif.