A big inviting garden tomato sat on the kitchen counter and a fresh mozzarella ball waited patiently in the fridge. With those for inspration, I put together these caprese veggie patties with basil walnut pesto.

Besides that, I had leftover quinoa and rice pilaf. And, I’d made a fresh batch of basil walnut pesto. I thought hmmm, I could make veggie burgers with the quinoa and rice, and top them with slices of the mozzarella, followed by a thick slice of that beautiful homegrown tomato! Caprese with a twist!

Fresh fennel, with its faint licorice flavor, sliced very thinly and served raw, is uniquely delicious, and this orange, fennel, and pickled onion salad is absolutely stunning. Orange citrus and sweet-tart pickled red onions provide a lovely balance for the delicate fennel flavor. 

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You’re thinking beets would be perfect on your menu but you don’t want to dial up the oven or watch a pot on the stove for an hour? The solution? Bring out the pressure cooker. This post explains how to cook beets in 20 minutes–in an Instant Pot or stovetop pressure cooker!

Pressure cookers are the pots that spare the cook. Not only do they conserve time and energy by requiring minimal liquid, pressure-cooked ingredients retain more nutrients and the flavor is more concentrated.

Click here to PIN How to Cook Beets in a Pressure Cooker.