Top 10 in-season fruit and vegetable recipes

With an abundance of fruits and vegetables at their peak right now, eating fresh, healthy produce couldn’t be easier. Fill your basket with these five nutrient all-stars, and try them in our easy recipes.

Tomatoes
Rich in vitamins A and C, tomatoes are packed with folate, potassium and lycopene, a potent antioxidant. Mix things up and look for heirloom ones in different sizes and colours, including purple, green and yellow.
- For an effortless side dish, drizzle extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar and coarse sea salt over tomato wedges.
- Use fresh tomatoes to make our Great Gazpacho, a chilled Spanish-style soup made with tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers and onion.

Corn
While often thought of as a vegetable, corn is actually a whole grain. When it’s not smothered in butter and salt, fresh corn on the cob is a healthy choice; one piece of corn has less than 80 calories and is an excellent source of beta-cryptoxanthin, an antioxidant thought to protect against lung cancer.
- Skip the artery-clogging butter and salt. Instead dip a lime wedge in freshly ground black pepper and rub onto hot corn on the cob.
- Make your own rub for corn on the cob by combining extra-virgin olive oil, coarse sea salt, black pepper, cumin seeds and chili powder. Rub onto corn just before serving.

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Blueberries
Grab these while you can: they have a short growing season in Canada.  Their intake helps fight aging and protect against Alzheimer’s, cancer and heart disease.
- Use fresh blueberries in place of croutons on salad for a boost of nutrients.
- Quench your thirst with an antioxidant packed smoothie: blend ½ cup each low-fat milk, cranberry juice and fresh blueberries with 1 tsp grated fresh gingerroot.

Peaches
This quintessential hot-weather food is sweet, juicy and refreshing, at less than 40 calories per peach. Look for freestone ones – their flesh peels easily away from the stone, so they’re ideal to eat fresh. 
- Make a zesty salsa by combining equal parts diced peaches and sweet red pepper.  Toss with sliced green onions and chopped jalapeno, to taste. Season with extra-virgin olive oil, lime juice, chopped garlic, salt and pepper.
- Serve chilled peach soup as a starter or for dessert.

Swiss Chard
Swiss chard is a real head-turner with its vibrant yellow, red, orange and white stalks.  It’s packed with nutrients too, including vitamins K, A and C, magnesium, potassium, iron and fibre.
- Sauté crushed garlic in olive oil; add washed and trimmed Swiss chard; cover and steam for five to six minutes or until greens are wilted. Season with balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.
- Toss whole grain pasta with steamed Swiss chard, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.