The garden is coming into peak harvest here in Jaroso, CO, for everything except tomatoes. Lots of green fruit slowly changing color, though!

Here are couple recipes created on the fly and now keepers. Gluten-free, vegetarian, yummy.

Quinoa Tabouleh: makes almost 2 Cups

Ingredients: quinoa, fresh parsley, walnuts, pinon seeds (pine nuts), tomatoes, olive oil, juice of a lemon , salt and pepper.

Pre-cook 2/3 C quinoa and set aside. Well chop a handful of de-stemmed fresh parsley, such that you end up with around 3/4 C. Dice enough tomatoes to equal about 3/4 C. Chop . 1/4 C of walnuts. 1/4 C pine nuts do not need chopping.

In a mixing bowl, put all ingredients plus lemon juice of half a lemon, up to 2 T of olive oil, a sprinkling of good salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly. Taste. Add more lemon juice if necessary.

Massaged Kale with Colorado Peaches: makes four servings

Ingredients: 4-6 fresh kale leaves – not Lacinto; 1 good quality juicy peach, raw sunflower seeds, olive oil, salt.

De-stem the kale and rip into medium pieces. In a large bowl, place the kale, drizzle with olive oil and a slight sprinkling of good salt. Massage mindfully, thoroughly, and gently. Taste it. The kale should not taste salty or oily, but should melt in your mouth.

Undo your peach however you want, skin on or off, then dice it. Retain as much juice as possible. Fold into the kale. Sprinkle with sunflower seeds. Toss fully. Serve.

Chunky Salsa (so called!): makes 4 servings as a side dish or salad

Ingredients: 2 medium size avocado, equal or slightly more of the same amount of tomatoes, less than 1/4 red onion, 1/2 bunch of cilantro or slightly less, juice of lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper.

First, while your cutting board is dry, finely chop the cilantro. Some stem is fine, but not a lot. Put in a holding bowl and set aside. Next, dice the red onion. Put in your mixing bowl. Dice the tomatoes and avocado. Toss in the bowl and stir together. Juice half of a lemon. Add it and less than 1/4 C olive oil, a little salt and pepper. Toss again. Now add the cilantro. Fold in thoroughly. Taste. Add lemon juice, salt or pepper as needed. Do not over power the lightness of the intended taste.

This can be served as a salsa with tortilla chips or as a side vegetable. I eat this and the quinoa tabouleh as meals unto themselves at any meal time.