Versatile Veggies

After a trip to the local farmers market following right on the heels of taking advantage of the produce specials at my local supermarket, I found I had a fridge full of great veggies vying for star status at the dinner table.

With so much fresh produce, much of it straight from the garden, or grown on my kitchen counter, I had a bit of difficulty deciding what to eat first!

Brussels sprouts, corn with thyme, grape tomatoes dressed with lemon zest and juice.

Fresh radish and broccoli sprouts drizzled with Meyer lemon infused olive oil.


Alfalfa sprouts and garden fresh beefsteak tomatoes with Italian herbs and balsamic vinegar

Separating the leaves from each little Brussels sprouts head is a wee bit tedious, but it really goes quickly and provides a different texture and milder taste than cooking the sprouts whole. I sautéed two sliced shallots in a little olive oil until soft and fragrant then tossed in the leaves with about a tablespoon of white wine and covered them for a little bit to allow them to steam. Then removed the cover and finished cooking until they were just crisp tender and still vibrantly green. A dash of tamari at the finish along with salt and pepper to taste, made a wonderful tasty green accompaniment to the corn and tomato salad.

Cut the corn from the cob and toss with a bit of dried thyme. Sliced grape tomatoes marinated in a little fresh lemon juice and lemon zest are served a top the corn for a wonderful taste treat. The crunchy sweetness of the corn is a perfect partner for the piquant zip of the lemon zest and slightly acidic tomato. Makes a fine salad to serve with any dark green: broccoli, spinach, chard for example.

Growing sprouts on the counter is fast fun and so nutritious. I can't believe I settled for store-bought for years.

Roasted cauliflower certainly satisfies that craving for fried food. The lovely crusty outside with the creamy, mild flavored inside provides a nice occasional cooked treat. After washing and separating the florets, toss with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and roast off in a 450° oven, turn after 10 -12 minutes and continue cooking until tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. The batch pictured above was cooked with a generous sprinkling of crushed Aleppo peppers to provide another flavor layer.

Eating economically and well is simple. Fresh veggies, whether from the garden, the produce stand or the supermarket are the stars at my dinner table, some cooked, most raw.