Can you believe that it’s August 31st already? Where in the world did this summer go?! It seems like just yesterday I was pulling out my summer clothes, helping my parents get our pool opened and ready to go, and looking forward to those long summer days where I could relax and do nothing. Unfortunately, summer came and went before I could blink, and now we’re getting into pumpkin and football season. Now don’t get me wrong… I LOVE pumpkin season and I am a die-hard football fan (you can catch me on my couch watching the games every Saturday during the fall), but summer is still my all-time favorite season, and I’m sad to see it go. But even though summer may be coming to an end, I’m certainly not done enjoying all of that fresh summer produce!

Last week, my mom and I drove out to a local farm with the intent to pick some fresh raspberries. However, we didn’t realize that the farm where we were going was also offering pick-your-own tomatoes, as well! We definitely couldn’t turn down juicy red tomatoes, so instead of coming home with just fresh berries, we also came home with an overflowing container of fresh San Marzano tomatoes!

But it didn’t just stop there! The next day, my neighbor brought over a massive bag of fresh peaches straight from the trees in her backyard. I didn’t manage to take a picture of them before digging in, but if I had to estimate, I would have to say that there were probably 25-30 peaches in that bag she brought over. Between the raspberries, peaches, and tomatoes, I think it’s safe to say that I was in fresh produce heaven!

So what did we do with all of this fresh produce, you may ask? Well that’s a great question! The raspberries were so ripe and tasty that I actually ended up eating most of them just on their own. Same with the peaches – they were so fresh and juicy that I cut up a bunch and just munched on them for snacks. I also used both the raspberries and peaches in my smoothies, as well as on top of my morning oatmeal.

Since it’s been insanely hot lately, I’ve been craving a lot of cool and refreshing foods. And what’s more refreshing than some homemade salsa? The night I made this for the first time, I believe I was having a big salad with some shredded chicken, and I wanted a little extra flavor without using salad dressing. As a result, I whipped up this quick and easy salsa with whatever ingredients I had in my fridge. It ended up being so good that my mom and I completely finished it up that day and went on to make several more batches within that same week. That’s how good it is! Plus, we got to use up some of the fresh produce without it going to waste, so that was a double bonus.

This tasty salsa only requires a few simple ingredients and a little bit of chopping, and then it’s all ready to go! Personally, I believe fresh tomatoes taste ten times better than store-bought ones, so I always try to look for tomatoes at farmers markets or local produce stands. However, if you don’t have access to either of those, then no worries… store-bought tomatoes will work just fine. Whatever works best for you!

Once it’s all mixed up, I like to stick it in the fridge for at least an hour to chill and let the flavors blend together. However sometimes I’m not patient enough to wait that long, so I eat it right after it’s made. And it’s still amazing! Personally, I like to spoon this salsa over salads, use it as a dressing for cooked chicken or bean burgers, or serve it with tortilla chips. I guess what I’m trying to say is that really it tastes great on anything!

I’m still having a really hard time believing that summer is coming to an end, so I’m just going to keep eating this salsa and pretend that summer will last forever. (A girl can dream, right?)