Simple Summer Suppers
Its the height of summer in the Northeast. Our garden is in full production mode, but our house is hot and days of playing outside or juggling work and camp can make us too exhausted to use all of these amazing veggies. My latest quest has been to keep track of simple summer recipes that meet the following rules:
1. They have to be simple to prepare.
2. They have to use a bunch of the veggies from our garden all at once.
3. They can not require much heat.
Whether your garden is producing mounds of produce or you have been enjoying the local farmers' market, I hope these simple recipes can help you to make simple healthy dinners that allow you to get right back outside without killing yourself in the kitchen.
Summer Veggie Pasta Salad
This simple pasta salad is an all-in-one dinner (or leftovers lunch), with a mixture of almost any veggie you have on hand and chick peas and goat cheese to add a little protein.
Ingredients:
1 medium zucchini
1 ear of corn on the cob
1/2 lb pasta, cooked al dente and drained (we like wagon wheel, elbow, or spiral)
1-2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 can chick peas, drained and rinsed
1 small package goat cheese or feta
olive oil
1 bunch fresh basil, chopped.
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven (preferably your toaster oven) to 425. Dice the zucchini and cut the corn off of the cob. Combine these veggies on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes until just beginning to brown.
While the zucchini and corn are roasting, cook the pasta until just al dente. Drain, then return to the pan and add smashed garlic. Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil and give a good stir to mix in the garlic.
Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and add to the pasta in a large bowl. Mix in chick peas, and chopped basil. Add zucchini and corn when they are done roasting. Then crumble the goat or feta cheese and mix into the salad. Salt and pepper to taste and refrigerate until you are ready to eat.
Roasted Corn and Zucchini Burritos
Hint: Double the roasted corn and zucchini from the recipe above and serve these burritos the following night!
Ingredients:
1 medium zucchini
2 ears of corn
1/2 t paprika
2 cloves garlic, diced or smashed
1/2 onion, diced
1 large can black beans
olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 t ground cumin
1-2 T chopped cilantro
Whole Wheat wraps
8 oz monterey jack cheese (shredded)
Toppings: like salsa, sour cream, hot sauce, or chopped lettuce
Directions:
Preheat oven (preferably your toaster oven) to 425. Dice the zucchini and cut the corn off of the cob. Combine these veggies on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and paprika. Roast for about 20 minutes until just beginning to brown.
Meanwhile, heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Add diced garlic and onions and cook for about 5 minutes or until onions start to brown. Lower the heat to low, add the black beans and cumin. Cook on low heat for about 10 minutes or until ready to make the burritos.
Assemble the burritos with black beans, zucchini/corn blend, chopped cilantro, and shredded monterey jack cheese. Add toppings as desired, wrap, and serve.
