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The following is the bruschetta recipe our family loves. It is absolutely fabulous and we seldom have any leftovers.

The FRESH in this recipe refers to the fact that the ingredients are all fresh rather than deep fried. I first tasted these delicious spring rolls with my special friend, Judy. I enjoyed them so tremendously that I searched until I found this recipe in the New Canadian Basics Cookbook by Carol Ferguson. These uncooked rolls, simply wrapped in rice paper and dipped in the luscious Peanut Sauce, are a fresh-tasting alternative to the deep-fried version most people are familiar with. Vary the filling according to what you have on hand and what is in season.

A garlic scape is the seed pod that grows out of a head of hard-neck garlic. If the scapes aren't removed, the garlic puts its energy into growing seeds instead of cloves, so we harvest the scapes before the flower opens.

Garlic scapes will keep in the fridge for at least a month, though they will get tougher as they age, so trim the ends as needed. They have a milder garlic taste, so scapes can be used in most recipes in place of fresh garlic. The stalks can be used in pesto, pasta sauce, chopped into slivers and frozen to use in biscuits and soups throughout the winters. The flowers are particularly delightful in soup.

Garlic Scape Cream Cheese

4 garlic scapes
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
1/2 tsp pepper or to taste

Using an knife and cutting board, chop the garlic scapes into fine pieces less than 1/4 inch long. Put garlic scapes, cream cheese, salt and pepper into a food processor and blend until smooth. Serve cream cheese with crackers, flat bread, bagels or use a vegetable dip.

Green onion cakes are a bit tedious to make but the flavour is wonderful and a great way to get through the green onion bounty.

This is my go-to for a quick and delicious accompaniment to soups and stews. The trick to crispy, unburned biscuits is the parchment paper; since I have started using it my biscuits are finally edible. Each sheet or parchment paper can be reused 4 or 5 times or until they become dry and crumbly.

This is the hot, cheesy dip that I prepared for a couple of the lunches after the weeding, last summer. It is my version of a hot dip we enjoyed at Montana's restaurant. It is again an "out of my head" recipe and we like to serve it with Nan bread that has been covered with garlic butter and warmed in the oven.

This recipe comes together quite quickly and results in the a full delicious, flavoured hummus.

Okay, so the green onions are the only ingredient you will get from the garden for this dip but it is one of those fun foods that we make and I want you to be able to enjoy it too!

This vividly flavored and textured mezze dip is particularly popular in Syria and Turkey, the two places famous for their hot red peppers. Some variations of Muhammara include tahini and feta cheese.

This has become one of the staple foods at our house especially during the busy summer months. Our favorite way to eat it is to split pita bread open so that you have two thin round pieces. Spread these with the Orange Hummus, place a long cucumber spear over this and wrap the pita into a roll. YUUUMMM! And so good for you!

This makes a very portable snack that often comes along on our family picnics. It is easy to prepare, delicious and very addictive.