10 healthy summer veggies

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Here are 10 healthy summer vegetables -- along with delicious recipes for each -- that will offer a definite boost to your nutrition lineup.

Carrots
By now you've probably heard that carrots are an excellent source of beta-carotene, an antioxidant that your body converts to vitamin A. Vitamin A is vital for healthy hair, skin, eyes and bones and also helps protect your immune system. It's essential to include antioxidants, such as beta-carotene, in your diet for their cancer-fighting properties, so eat up!

Recipes:
• Carrot and Lots of Garlic Soup
• Creamed Fiddleheads and Carrots
• Glazed Carrots with Thyme

Broccoli
To retain most of the vitamin C and other cancer-fighting phytochemicals that broccoli has in abundance, it's best to eat it raw, or steamed or stir-fried just until tender-crisp. Broccoli is also a good source of vitamin A and folate and is high in fibre and low in calories. Wonder vegetable? We think so.

Recipes:
• Crunchy Broccoli and Feta Salad
• Broccoli and Cheese Soufflé
• Orange Broccoli Couscous

Zucchini
Also known as summer squash, the zucchini comes in both green and yellow varieties. It's low in calories and when cooked, it is a good source of folate and potassium and high in vitamin A.

Recipes:
• Corn and Zucchini Pancakes
• Zucchini, Red Pepper and Feta Frittata
• Individual Zucchini Lasagnas

Cabbage
Studies have drawn a connection between the consumption of cruciferous vegetables, such as cabbage, and a lower incidence of certain kinds of cancer. No wonder high-fibre, low-calorie cabbage is a staple around the world.

Recipes:
• Stir-Fried Cabbage with Chilies
• Comforting Cabbage Rolls
• Beef and Cabbage Borscht

Peas
As peas mature on the plant or sit at the store or in the fridge, their natural sugars turn to starch, making them chewy and less flavourful. For the best flavour, use peas the day you buy them, or refrigerate in a perforated plastic bag for up to two days.

Recipes:
• Snow Peas and Carrots with Sesame and Garlic
• Curried Potatoes and Peas
• Spinach and Green Pea Pasta

Read about Homemakers magazine's picks for the top 10 superfoods!