The peak of the summer produce season makes it easy to eat lots of fresh vegetables, but an abundant harvest can also lead to culinary fatigue for gardeners in northern climes.

Cooks who aren't into canning and don't have the extra freezer space need creative ideas to keep all that food from going to waste. The first step is to look for new dishes and times (such as breakfast) to add vegetables to the menu.

An omelet loaded with diced tomatoes, peppers, zucchini and onions is an obvious choice. But there are plenty of other options.

Try making an open-faced breakfast sandwich by topping a piece of toast with sliced tomato, melted reduced-fat Cheddar cheese and even an egg, if you like. The amount of vitamin C in tomatoes rivals that of the traditional glass of orange juice.

Grilled slices of eggplant have a smoky flavor that makes them a perfect stand-in for bacon in a lightened version of eggs Benedict.

This egg-topped summer vegetable casserole calls for plenty of tomatoes and zucchini. The recipe serves eight, so it's well suited for a brunch with friends, but also makes a great supper for a warm summer evening.

Join the discussion

The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. In order to post comments, you must be a registered user of MiamiHerald.com. Your username will show along with the comments you post. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.

     Showing: Oldest first Newest first Most-recommended first Least-recommended first

@Nyx.AuthorDisplayName@ wrote on @Nyx.PostedAtTime@:

@Nyx.repliedToText@

@Nyx.replyAnswerText@

Reply to this Comment @Nyx.Recommender@ @Nyx.AbuseReporter@