We are in the middle of summer, and in Virginia that means a lot of heat, a lot of humidity, and also a lot of delicious summer vegetables. Last week my summer bounty included hand-picked green beans, butter lettuce, summer squash, the beets I featured in this post, and teeny tiny potatoes. Best part? Each of these required short prep time and ingredients you probably already have in your fridge. Here’s a quick how to:
For the potatoes: preheat oven to 425, put the a rimmed baking sheet into the oven while you preheat. Half the potatoes and toss in olive oil, S+P, and cumin (all ingredients to taste, but if you are a fan of measurements, I would say 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 1/2 TBSP olive oil, 1 tsp cumin per pound of potatoes). Bake for about 25 minutes.
For the squash: cut squash lengthwise into wedges. Toss in olive oil and salt and pepper, grill on the stove top using a grooved pan (preferably cast iron). I added a few slices of sweet onion for flavor.
For the beans: blanch beans in salted boiling water for 3-5 minutes. Put directly into ice bath. Sautee garlic (or in my case, garlic scapes) and a swirl of olive oil over medium heat. Add beans and a squeeze of lemon for five more minutes.
For the salad: I used a homemade mustard vinaigrette, loosely adopted from Frank Stitt. I macerate a mix (1-2 TBSP)of vinegars (ideally sherry and red wine) with a few thyme sprigs and salt and pepper. Add a dollop of dijon, whisk in 4 TBSP of olive oil. For these butter lettuces, I added feta and cherry tomatoes.
For the beets: I used Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.
Summer perfection! What are your best easy veggie recipes?
the jennie wren 