My vegetable garden

This is my vegetable garden. Last week I was out there everyday hoeing the heck out of it. How back breaking that was! I'm glad to be done with that. I'm getting tons of zucchini and yellow squash at the moment. It's so nice to be eating veggies out of the garden again. How I will miss summer once it's gone.
One of my summer squash plants basking in the hot midday sun.

Arugula Dip

Arugula also known as rocket is an edible plant. This leafy green is native to the Mediterranean region. It has been grown since Roman times and was believed to be an aphrodisiac.
Arugula looks like a longer leafed lettuce. It's rich in vitamin C and potassium. This vegetable has a rich peppery taste and a very strong flavor. Arugula can be used raw in salads, cooked slightly in pasta dishes, added to pesto, used as a topping on pizza and used in dips.
Every summer I grow arugula in succession in my garden, because I use it often. One of my favorite ways to make arugula is as a dip. If you don't grow arugula at home, many grocery stores and farm markets carry it. Below I have listed this tasty arugula dip for those who want to try something different.

Ingredients;

3 cups lightly packed arugula leaves

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

3 large cloves of garlic, halved

1/2 tsp salt

1 15-oz, can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped

Toasted baguette slices

In a blender combine arugula, oil, lemon juice, garlic, and salt. Cover and blend until nearly smooth. Add beans and blend just until coarsely chopped and mixture is combined. Transfer to a serving bowl and add the chopped and seeded tomato it it. Stir until combined. You can serve this arugula dip immediately or chill up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, spread over slices of toasted baguette bread.

Tropical Salad

Tropical fruit is so exotic and tasty. One big benefit of consuming a variety of tropical fruits is the high amount of vitamin C they contain. This past weekend I made a refreshing fruit salad, that was very quick and easy to put together. Below is the recipe.

Ingredients;
2 ripe mangos, peeled and cubed
1 large ripe papaya, peeled and cubed
1/2 fresh pineapple, peeled and chopped into chunks
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
12 fresh mint leaves thinly sliced

Add coconut flakes to a dry pan and place over medium heat stirring frequently and let get golden brown. be careful not to burn the flakes. Combine all the fruit together in a large bowl. Add the lime juice and coconut flakes. Stir well. Once everything is mixed together, cut the fresh mint leaves into thin slices by rolling each leaf up before cutting. Garnish with the cut mint and serve.