Fresh basil, tomato, and dill take on that classic, comforting grilled cheese for a summer makeover!

We have been go, go, go for the last few weeks as summer kicks off. It has occasionally left me with a big fat question mark in my head for that “what’s for lunch” question that inevitably pops up around 11am!

While some days I seem to scramble, most days can come together quickly if I just lean on what summer offers the best of – fresh produce! After months and months of relying on my freezer stashes and a local grocer, come May and June my meal plans rely almost solely on whatever is in season at the markets. And right now I just can’t get enough of those fresh summer herbs and juicy tomatoes!

We also have a simply amazing local farm family that makes the most incredible raw cheeses you have ever tasted. So when the milk supply goes up to summer production, those raw cheeses are always available in our fridge. I couldn’t think of a better way to use their creamy sweet edam cheese than with fresh herbs and tomatoes to make a summer spin on grilled cheese for lunch one afternoon.

If you have loads of tomatoes, you can even toss those in a pot with some broth for the freshest tomato soup. The stuff in the red and white cans have nothing on homemade tomato soup! Grilled cheese and tomato soup is a match made in heaven.

Take the kids on a trip to the market and see what fresh herbs are in season right now near you. Then have them hop on the computer at quiet time and research what is producing in the growing season you are in right now. Have them build their own fresh take on that classic grilled cheese! I promise you my 5 year old would have totally made a face at something green in her grilled cheese had she not known what it was. But before we made the sandwiches, we hopped out to the garden and smelled the fresh basil. We picked the “best” ones for “her” sandwich. She helped stack it all up on the bread. It is never faster and is always messier, but always worth it to make them a part of it!

For more real food inspired kid lunch ideas, you can follow my Instagram and hashtag #rgnsummerlunches to see what my kids are eating this summer!

Renee blogs at Raising Generation Nourished, and with 3 girls ages 6 and under. She’s passionate about raising the next generation with an understanding where food comes from and how food affects their bodies.