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By Jodi Brown, the Ultimate Kitchen Commandofood

This is the first summer in over 20 years that I havehad a vegetable garden, and as a chef who leanstowards being a bit more particular about myingredients than the average consumer, I cannot tell youhow excited I am to witness the fruits of my labor. Inaddition to my small garden area, I have seven papayatrees that I cultivated by doing nothing more thantossing a handful of seeds off my second story porchinto a sunny corner of the yard. All seven trees havesmall fruit on them and I can’t wait to be using thesejewels to make papaya batidos. For now, I’m buyingthem ripe and ready at the market. Hot tip: I’ve alsoadded the peppery black seeds from the fruit into theblender when making salad dressing. I really hate towaste anything.

In keeping with my mantra of striving to constantlyupgrade your food choices whenever you can, gardenitems of exceptional quality don’t require much fuss andare already at the top of the list if you are growingorganically. Try to keep it simple and enjoy the limitedavailability of fresh, local, organic foods given the

opportunity to mature on the vine and become theirvery best. A warm tomato, plucked directly from theplant and consumed in the yard, will leave you wipingits juices off your chin. Wallow in it.

The Palafox Market has quickly grown in size, and thevendors have spectacular offerings. This week, heirloomcucumbers were a big surprise for me; I’d never seen around cucumber before and I just had to use them in asalad. I use a lot of cucumbers in my world for juicingand smoothies, so it was great fun to see a new variety.They were so crunchy and refreshing. Berries are nowplentiful too, and you’ll be disappointed if you don’t getsome while they are at their peak deliciousness. Havingbeen a lifelong blueberry junkie, I was shocked to learnthat there are many varieties of these berries, and onevendor even allows you to taste, then choose, thevariety you want to purchase.

Buy what’s beautiful and in season and play with it.Yes, you read that correctly: play with your food. It’s thebest way to come up with new ideas. I promise, youwon’t regret it.

Fresh From The Garden

Palafox Salad

Papaya BatidoBlue Basil Marinated Watermelon Salad

Fresh Produce

Before we get into recipes, here is a great way to prepyour basil to compliment many of your favorite dishes. Chiffonade of Basil• Stack 5 or 6 large dry basil leaves• Roll the stacked leaves from front to back into a longcylindrical form.• Hold in place with one hand and cut into very thinslices across the entire length of the roll. • Discard stem ends that remain in your hand.• Fluff with your fingers. • Use as a garnish on any of your favorite summerdishes or incorporate into your salad greens.

Palafox Salad 2 medium – large heirloom tomatoes, sliced in rounds2 heirloom cucumbers, sliced in rounds.1/4 pint (box) of yellow cherry tomatoes, cut in half.Extra virgin olive oilBalsamic vinegar (good quality)Sea saltFresh, finely ground, black pepperChiffonade of basilOn a large plate, place alternating slices of cucumbersand heirloom tomatoes along the outside edge. Pile theyellow tomatoes in the center. Drizzle the entire platewith extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Finishwith sea salt, finely cracked black pepper and achiffonade of basil to taste. Serve at room temperature.

Blue Basil Marinated Watermelon Salad 3 cups bite sized watermelon pieces (seeds removed)3/4 cup of organic sweet blueberriesFor the vinaigrette – combine all of the ingredients belowin a high-speed blender:1 tbsp. lime juice1 tbsp. raw honey1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil10 large mint leaves1 tbsp. chiffonade of basil1/4 cup blueberries1/4 cup watermelon2 Tbsp. waterAfter blending the vinaigrette, toss with the cubedwatermelon and blueberries. Best if allowed to marinatefor 2-3 hours before eating.

Papaya BatidoThis is my personal twist on a very popular CentralAmerican favorite.3 cups payaya, peeled and cubed.1 cup almond milk1 tbsp. honey1/4 tsp. vanillaJuice of 1/2 a lime¼ cup water Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender. Add alittle more water if necessary to achieve your desiredconsistency. Serve in a fabulous glass.

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About the Author:Jodi Brown is the Ultimate KitchenCommando and loves to turn peopleon to delicious and healthy foods.She assists people with foodtransitions and teaches healthycooking classes. She shares her timebetween New Orleans andPensacola. To learn more, visitwww.ultimatekitchencommando.com.

stack basil leaves

roll basil leaves

cut basil leaves