Kohlrabi, sweet and hot peppers, broccoli, kale, spinach, cucumbers, summer squash (including tatume, eight ball, light and dark green zucchini, light and dark yellow zucchini), radishes (red, white and striped), skinny green beans, wax beans, beets, turnips and assorted onions.
Oops. I just typed in my farmers market shopping list for the week.
All to be supplemented by the lettuces, herbs and tomatoes plucked from our garden. Oh, and a CSA (community supported agriculture) box later in the week.
This is the time of year vegetable lovers embrace. Now, the challenge is to enjoy everything while the produce remains in top-notch condition with peak nutrients. For me, that means cooking most of what I buy a day or so after my splurge. Then, containers of vegetable sides and mains are at the ready all week long — or until the next market trip.
The first thing I love to assemble: veggie toasts. No recipe required. Simply top hearty slabs of toasted whole grain bread with a smear of soft cheese, thick slices of tomato and a shower of chives. Or, smear the toast with a nut butter and quickly sautéed sweet onions and spinach.
Speaking of quick sautés, most summer vegetables take well to this fast, high-heat cooking. A few tips I've learned: Prep the vegetables first; use a heavy pan and heat it thoroughly; add flavorful oil and heat it; add veggies in an uncrowded layer to promote browning; turn off the heat a few seconds before the vegetables are done — residual heat will finish the cooking. If working in advance, spread the cooked vegetables out on a sheet tray to cool before spooning into storage containers.
Sautéed vegetables make great additions to weeknight pastas, cooked brown rice and scrambled eggs. Spoon them over a hearty green salad with fresh cheese and a sprinkling of nuts.
All summer long, I've been enjoying a wide variety of radishes. Thinly sliced, heavily salted, they add great crunch to a piece of buttered baguette. Lightly sautéed tiny striped radishes make a crunchy side for grilled fish. Quartered and tossed with ribbons of carrots and a lemon Parmesan vinaigrette they make a great summer salad. When it's too warm for radishes to thrive in the garden, I turn to tiny turnips or crunchy kohlrabi as in the accompanying recipe.
I love garden-fresh broccoli and usually blanch it to keep it bright green and crisp for weekday enjoyment. I detest the smell of burnt broccoli — it reminds me of my early days learning to cook. However, a bowl of charred broccoli salad with cashews at Superiority Burger in New York changed my thinking. This summer, I'm enlisting the help of my cast-iron skillet to sear broccoli pieces without burning. I'm adding an equally flavorful balsamic dressing (seasoned with capers, anchovies and fresh basil) to complement the dark char flavor. With a sprinkle of nuts, you have a great vegetarian main dish.
Curry and vegetables make the perfect match. For fast cooking, I purée a can of unsweetened coconut milk with some bottled Thai curry paste (red or green works) and keep the blend on hand. Then add a few splashes of the sauce to a panful of sautéed vegetables. Chilled, the mix keeps for several days. Reheat and serve warm over steaming hot brown rice or cooked udon noodles.
Summer veggies all week long. Enjoy them, then repeat.
Summer Crunch Salad
Serves 4 to 6.
Note: Use multicolored carrots and radishes for an attractive salad. Small turnips can stand in for the kohlrabi. From JeanMarie Brownson.
• 1 garlic clove
• 3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
• 1/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp. crème fraîche or heavy whipping cream, optional
• 1/3 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
Salad:
• 4 small kohlrabi bulbs, about 1 1/2 lb. total, trimmed
• 2 medium orange or yellow carrots, trimmed, peeled
• 6 radishes of various colors, trimmed, very thinly sliced
• 4 green onions, trimmed, thinly sliced
• Chopped chives
Directions
For the vinaigrette: Turn on the blender and drop in the garlic. Add the lemon juice and zest and the pepper; blend.
With machine running, stream in the oil and crème fraîche through the lid of the blender until smooth. Add the cheese; process until smooth. Refrigerate, covered, up to several days; use at room temperature.
For the salad: Peel the kohlrabi bulbs. Cut the bulbs in half. Cut each half into thin slices. Put into a large microwave-safe bowl. Add 3 tablespoons water. Cover with plastic wrap vented at one corner. Microwave on high (100 percent power), stirring once, until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain and let cool completely.
Use a peeler to make shavings of the carrots. Add to the kohlrabi, along with the radishes and green onions. Toss to mix. Add dressing to taste; toss to coat everything nicely. Garnish with chives. Serve at room temperature.
Nutrition information per each of 6 servings:
Calories152Fat13 gSodium103 mg
Carbohydrates7 gSaturated fat2 gTotal sugars3 g
Protein3 gCholesterol3 mgDietary fiber3 g
Red Curry Zucchini and Peppers
Serves 4.
Note: This dish is great served over cooked brown rice. The extra coconut milk-curry mixture will keep several days in the refrigerator. If you wish, add peas, edamame or diced green beans. Green curry paste is equally delicious here. Find curry paste in the Asian section of supermarkets. From JeanMarie Brownson.
• 1 (14 oz.) can unsweetened coconut milk or coconut cream
• 1/4 c. Thai-style red curry paste (see Note)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil for high heat cooking (canola or safflower oil, for example)
• 1 large sweet onion, quartered, thinly sliced
• 4 medium zucchini or yellow summer squash, about 1 1/2 lb. total, ends trimmed, halved lengthwise, sliced 1/4 in. thick
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• Several pinches crushed red pepper flakes, optional
• 1 c. cooked shelled peas, edamame or lime beans, optional
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
Directions
Mix coconut milk, curry paste and salt in a blender; process until smooth. (The mixture can be refrigerated, covered, up to a week or so. Use at room temperature.)
Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and heat. Add onion; cook until golden, about 3 minutes. Add zucchini and bell peppers. Cook, stirring, until golden and tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in garlic and pepper flakes, if using; cook 1 minute.
Stir in 1/2 to 2/3 cup of the coconut milk mixture to taste. Add peas if using. Simmer gently to reduce the sauce somewhat and blend the flavors, 2 to 3 minutes. Taste for salt. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with cilantro.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories204Fat12 gSodium762 mg
Carbohydrates17 gSaturated fat2 gTotal sugars5 g
Protein10 gCholesterol0 mgDietary fiber4 g
Seared Broccoli Wih Tangy Dressing and Toasted Nuts
Serves 4.
Note: Not crazy about broccoli? You can substitute green or wax beans (or a combination) for the broccoli; cook them in boiling salted water until crisp-tender, then drain and pat dry. Then continue with searing the beans as directed below. From JeanMarie Brownson.
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 3 anchovy fillets or 1 tbsp. finely chopped anchovy fillet
• 1 small serrano pepper, stemmed, seeded
• 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 1/4 c. thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
• 1 tbsp. drained capers, rinsed
• 1 tbsp. dark raisins
• 1 lb. fresh broccoli (about 1 bunch; see Note)
• 1/2 c. blanched hazelnuts or pecans, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil for high heat cooking (canola or safflower oil, for example), divided
• 1 small red onion, halved, cut into wedges
Directions
For dressing, turn on the blender, and drop in the garlic to chop. Add anchovies, serrano and vinegar. Process until smooth.
With machine running, stream the olive oil in through the lid of the blender until smooth. Turn off the blender; add the basil, capers and raisins. Process with on/off pulses until you have a coarse purée.
Peel the broccoli stalks. Slice the stalks into 1/2-inch thick rounds. Cut the florets into bite-size pieces. You'll have about 6 cups.
Heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot enough to make a drop of water evaporate on contact. Add the nuts; toast until golden, about 1 minute. Do not walk away or they will burn. Transfer to a small plate to cool.
Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to the hot pan along with the onion. Cook over medium-high, stirring often, until onion is nicely tender and charred, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
Add another 1/2 tablespoon oil and half the broccoli (or beans, if substituting) in a single uncrowded layer. Cook until crisp-tender and slightly charred on the edges, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the onions. Cook remaining broccoli in remaining oil until charred. Return all the broccoli and onion to the skillet. Turn off the heat.
Stir the dressing into the pan; toss to coat. Serve sprinkled with toasted nuts.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories323Fat30 gSodium174 mg
Carbohydrates13 gSaturated fat3 gTotal sugars5 g
Protein5 gCholesterol2 mgDietary fiber4 g
