The Memorial Day and the Fourth of July holidays serve to honor the men and women who died while serving the United States military and the establishment of the country respectively. Memorial Day marks the “unofficial” beginning of the summer season, which also means the beginning of more widely available fresh and healthy fruits and vegetables.
As the Fourth of July approaches, vegetables such as tomatoes and onions start to take center stage.
Enjoy some fresh locally grown “in season” produce such as strawberries, tomatoes and onions with possibly some of your own grown basil to make this nutritious snack below. This could possibly become one of your family’s favorites this summer, combining fruit and vegetables for a great addition to a summer cookout.
Tomato Basil Strawberry Salsa
2 large fresh Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 ½ fresh strawberries, diced
1 small red onion, chopped
½ cup chopped fresh basil
Juice of one fresh squeezed lime
¼ teaspoon sea salt and ground pepper
To make the tomato basil strawberry salsa: Add all ingredients to a large serving bowl and toss gently until well combined.
Refrigerate the tomato basil strawberry salsa for at least one hour before serving, to let the flavors combine.
Give a quick stir when serving because the juices tend to set at the bottom. Enjoy!
County Extension Director and Family and Consumer Science Agent of Lenoir County Tammy Kelly contributed to this article. For more information and recipes, contact me at 586-4009 or 488-3848 or email at “robert_hawk@ncsu.edu.”
Rob Hawk is the director of the Jackson County Extension Office.
