How to Cook Summer Recipes On A Budget

It’s just about that time of year to get started with cooking summer recipes! With graduation parties, holidays like the 4th of July, and time off to vacation, there’s a lot of cooking and eating to be done. It’s a fun time to experiment in the kitchen and cook with an abundance of the local produce that’s available. This season supports a bountiful supply of fruits and vegetables that bring nutrients and freshness to your plate!

Seasonal & Affordable Summer Recipes

When considering summer recipes to cook, foods like corn, tomatoes, zucchini, strawberries, and grilled meat might come to mind. And while it’s nice to cook these foods as they come into season, it’s easy to get carried away with a variety of summer foods. You might save the more top shelf ingredients like garlic spears and steelhead salmon for date night. But summer recipes with always affordable ingredients are good to cook for a crowd— Feeding a group of people or hosting a backyard barbecue with friends and family works with tasty, budget-friendly recipes like potato or pasta salad, burgers, grilled veggies, and fresh fruit. Tacoma Boys has a variety of quick and easy recipes to help inspire you, like Turkey Provolone Pinwheels, Charred Summer Corn Salsa, and Simple Greek Pasta Salad,

And when it comes to grilling during the summer, check out our blog full of grilling tips and tricks to get started! Grilling outdoors is popular in the summer because it keeps the house as cool as can be. Using the crockpot or instant pot can be nice in the summer, too. All the heat stays in the appliance and it takes some time and effort away from cooking over a hot stove. Some more examples of summer recipes on a budget include:

• Instant Pot Barbacoa Tacos by Latina Mom Meals
• Pesto Potato Salad by Cupful of Kale
• Lazy Sunday Kitchen Sink Frittata Flavorpalooza 
• Crockpot Chicken and Rice by Well Plated
• Grilled Vegetable Salad by A Farmgirl’s Dabbles

Cooking on a Budget

This time of year when vacations and activities are abundant, many people are cooking on a budget. This means watching for food sales and maybe cooking more at home. It’s also a season full of delicious fruits and vegetables to take advantage of. It’s fun to get creative, but if you’re cooking on a budget, there are ways to keep that grocery bill down. Think outside the box from what you usually shop for and cook. 

For example, try making your own veggie burgers to avoid the cost of meat. White bean burgers like this recipe by Plant Based on a Budget are easy and satisfying. Or, check out a variety of different veggie burger recipes here. Read on for some more tips for affordable summer cooking.

Budget Friendly Shopping and Cooking Tips

• Shop the sales. Rather than heading to the store with a list of specific ingredients, keep your mind open to what items might be on sale and grab that instead.
• Reduce food waste. Eat the most perishable items first. Freeze what’s going bad to use in a soup later and check out more sustainable tips in our blog here.
• Utilize pantry staples. Make use of what you already have, like rice, beans, tomato sauce, pasta, soup mix, or whatever else is on hand.
• Do a little research. Depending on your needs, there is a whole wealth of information about budget-friendly shopping and cooking on the internet. Do a little research and you’ll find dozens of more tips that are relevant to you!
• Shop seasonally and locally. Pay attention to what’s in season and on sale, as it’s likely to be similar. Purchasing produce that was grown and harvested recently, locally, is often cheaper than imported goods.

Local & Seasonal Cooking

It’s finally that time of year when it’s extra fun to experiment with seasonal cooking because there is so much local produce available! When the produce is harvested nearby, it travels fewer miles to reach you and sometimes there is an abundance that is sold for a low price. The spring and summer is a great chance for seasonal cooking because the growing season is strongest.

 Each season means a whole new crop of delicious fresh produce to choose from. And, shopping locally means you’re supporting your community and economy. Just swing by Tacoma Boys to see what’s in season: Summer produce includes stone fruit like nectarines, berries, zucchini, corn, tomatoes, radish, chard, and more!

In addition to all this fresh summer produce, Tacoma Boys offers a variety of affordable pantry staples, specialty products, and meat and seafood to help you build your meal. To stay up to date on insider deals and specials, sign up for Tacoma Boys’ text list. Just text (253) 246-1661 to tell Paul you want to be on the list!