Organic blueberries from The Produce Box combined with garden fresh mint and sparkling water is one of my strategies for beating the heat. Disclosure: I have received a Produce Box free of charge and  I was not expected  to write this post. I was not financially compensated for my time.  Opinions are my own.

How are you surviving the scorching June temperatures? My strategy includes getting out extra early for a run, wearing an updo, drinking lots of cold water beverages and doing less cooking. This week’s produce box, delivered to my doorstep on Thursday, has been the perfect accoutrement to my heat beating strategy.  Here’s a pic of my garden box delivered from The Produce Box:

 The first thing I do when I get my box is review the storage tips (included in every box) and note which items  are the most perishable. This way I can prioritize the order I use my produce, so nothing gets wasted and everything gets eaten when flavor is at its peak.

The storage tips included in my box suggested corn is best eaten right away, so I steamed  3 ears last night and served them along with my  Tuna Salad with Citrus Herb Vinaigrette. BTW, this corn was down right delicious!

Did you notice that beautiful fennel in my box?   I cut  into it this morning; the bulb got sliced for eating raw (my family loves it this way), the fronds will go into salads, and the stalks will get used in a stock.

Broccoli is my daughter’s favorite vegetable. There are soooo many ways my family enjoys this vegetable, but because I’m cutting back on cooking,  I’ll  simply blanch the flowerets and add them to a tossed salad, along with the cherry tomatoes, croutons and a mustard vinaigrette. The stalks will get used in a broccoli slaw. YUM!

Blueberries are a great fruit for hot summer days because they freeze well and are smoothie friendly. I’m also going to use my organic blueberries for a  low sugar thirst quencher.  Here’s how you can do it: add 1/4 cup of  organic blueberries and a few springs of mint to a liter bottle of sparkling water. Seal it up and refrigerate for 24 hours.

The zucchini looks so marvelous and if it wasn’t so hot I’d  be making a zucchini bread .  Instead, I think I’ll use mine in a salad by using a julienne peeler to make zucchini noodles, aka zoodles. You can also use a regular peeler and make ribbons. A great low carb alternative to pasta.

Join me in meal planning around your Produce Box and using some of my heat beating tips with summer produce! Don’t forget to enroll (NC residents only) .