🥣 Roasted Vegetable Soup
This simple, nutritious soup is one of our family’s go-to snacks.
Ingredients
Zucchini and tomatoes, coarsely chopped (slightly more zucchini than tomatoes)
Small onion (green tops and all) per casserole dish
Small amount of green pepper (just enough for flavor)
Garlic to taste (fresh or dried)
Olive oil or bacon drippings
Salt & pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Place mostly zucchini and plenty of tomatoes in a casserole dish. Add onion, green pepper, and garlic, then toss everything with olive oil or bacon drippings, salt, and pepper.
Roast uncovered for 35–40 minutes, stirring a few times while roasting, until vegetables are tender and slightly caramelized.
Transfer roasted vegetables to a blender and pulverize until smooth.
Serve straight from the blender.
Family Note: One of our daughters has been eating the leftovers for breakfast and is requesting more—she’s loving this healthy snack!
🍝 Roasted Zucchini-Tomato Spaghetti Sauce
One of our daughters experimented with this recipe last week—it was such a hit we’re making it again today! The house smells amazing while the vegetables roast, and the flavors blend beautifully.
Ingredients
Equal portions of zucchini and tomatoes
Small onion (green tops and all) per casserole dish
Small amount of green pepper (just enough for flavor)
Garlic to taste (fresh or dried)
Olive oil or bacon drippings
Fresh or dried herbs: basil, oregano, marjoram, rosemary, thyme
Salt & pepper
Meat of choice (we usually use sausage or beef)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F.Place zucchini, tomatoes, onion, green pepper, and garlic in a casserole dish. Toss with olive oil or bacon drippings, herbs, salt, and pepper.
Roast uncovered for 35–40 minutes, stirring a few times while roasting, until vegetables are tender and slightly caramelized.
Transfer roasted vegetables to a blender and pulverize until smooth.
Brown meat separately, then stir it into the sauce.
Serve over zucchini noodles or pasta.
🥢 Green Bean, Zucchini & Tomato Stir-Fry
This is an old family favorite that we hadn’t made in a long time—and it’s so good to have it back on the table. Cinnamon plus bacon gives this dish its unique and wonderful flavor.
Ingredients
Equal portions of fresh green beans, zucchini (diced small), and tomatoes (diced medium)
Bacon, as much or as little as you like
Reserved bacon drippings
Cinnamon, generous
Salt, to taste
Cooked zucchini rice (add small diced zucchini to rice while cooking; optionally season with cinnamon, salt, and chicken bouillon)
Instructions
Cook the bacon until crisp. Crumble and set aside, saving the excess bacon drippings.
In the same skillet with a little of the bacon drippings, stir-fry green beans until tender but still fresh. Add most of the cinnamon and salt now, tasting and adjusting as you add the zucchini and tomatoes.
Add diced zucchini and cook until warmed through (still fresh and crisp).
Turn off the heat and add diced tomatoes.
Mix in the crumbled bacon.
Serve over zucchini rice.
Family Note: This last week, one of our married sons stopped by with a question and when he found out what we were having for lunch, he asked if he could join us—it is so delicious!
🥤 Morning Shakes
We love, love, love our morning shakes! They’re packed with nutrition and keep us full and satisfied for a good part of the day. Everyone in the family has their own favorite combinations.
Ingredients (customizable for each person)
Frozen zucchini chunks (used like ice)
Fresh or frozen greens (kale, spinach, finely chopped carrot tops, beet greens, etc.)
Frozen fruit of choice (apples, rhubarb, peaches, bananas, berries, mango, etc.)
Liquid base (water, milk, almond milk, or juice)
Shake powder or protein powder of choice (optional)
Optional daily supplements: collagen, minerals, etc.
Instructions
Place liquid in the blender first.
Add frozen zucchini, greens, and fruit.
Add shake powder or protein powder and any daily supplements if desired.
Blend until smooth.
Adjust thickness with more liquid or zucchini chunks as needed.
Family Note: The kids say Mom’s chocolate shake looks green because it has so many greens! We store a lot of fresh fruits, vegetables, and greens to last us through the year. Last year we ate up every bit of what we had, and these shakes are still a favorite!
✨ Zucchini chunks act as ice, keeping the shake cold and creamy without watering it down, and the mix of greens gives a lasting full and satisfied feeling.
🌻 Closing Thoughts
It’s such a joy to sit down at the table this time of year and know that so much of what we’re eating came straight from the garden. These recipes have been a fun way for us to experiment, revisit old family favorites, savor the flavors, and add a few seasonal harvest dishes to our table.
If your garden is overflowing with zucchini and tomatoes like ours, I hope these ideas give you some inspiration and help you enjoy every bite of your harvest. And if you try any of these recipes—or put your own twist on them—I’d love to hear what you create. After all, the best part of cooking from the garden is sharing the goodness with the people you love. 🌱💛
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