During the last few months of social distancing and staying home, we have all had a little extra time on our hands and we have all been working on finding fun and productive ways to entertain ourselves and pass the time.
One of the most common past times we have seen our friends and online Randall Beans family and followers take up is gardening from home! Growing a home garden can be both a fun and rewarding pastime. It gives you a good excuse to get outside and enjoy some sun and fresh air when you would otherwise be cooped up. Plus, you get the benefit of being able to enjoy garden-fresh fruits and vegetables at home!
If you took up gardening as a quarantine past time, pretty soon you’ll be able to enjoy the fruits (and vegetables) of your labors. But as nice as it is to have all that fresh produce on hand, you’ll need to find plenty of ways to use it up so it doesn’t go to waste or you get sick of eating the same thing!
Randall Beans are the perfect pairing with ingredients straight out of your garden like cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes, and herbs like basil, rosemary, and thyme. Use these garden recipes as some inspiration on exciting and fresh ways to use these ingredients this summer.
Mediterranean White Bean Salad
Having too many cucumbers around the house isn’t an issue if you love a good Mediterranean style salad! Those cucumbers you have been growing are an essential part of Greek salads when combined with some fresh tomatoes (bonus points if they’re from your garden too!). Toss it all together with some Randall Great Northern Beans and you have a rich and creamy bean salad with crunchy fresh veggies and a homemade zesty Mediterranean dressing that will have you craving more to top it off with.
Sausage, Zucchini, and Penne
This recipe from The Complete Savorist is a simple and delicious way to use another common home garden vegetable, zucchini, in a crowd-pleasing pasta dish. Zucchini and any tomatoes you have been growing pair perfectly with creamy white beans and zesty sausage in a heaping casserole-style pasta recipe that isn’t just great for using up your zucchini but also for making something kids and adults alike will be clamoring for seconds for.
Heirloom Tomato Bean Pie
Nothing tastes better than a great big juicy tomato straight out of your garden. If you are lucky enough to have some fresh tomatoes growing in your garden this year, you MUST give this tasty summer bean pie a try! This recipe has everything you want out of a garden-fresh summer recipe, from huge slices of fresh tomatoes, bright rosemary, and thyme from your herb garden, and a rich and creamy filling made with Randall Great Northern Beans that makes it healthier than the traditional mayo or cheese filling that tomato pies use. Somewhere between a meal and a dessert, all we know is there is nothing better than enjoying a slice on the porch of a cool summer night.
