Zucchini and Peppers with Feta

It is so easy to make yummy and visually appealing vegetable side dishes during harvest season.

Last night I reheated a bean and rice casserole for dinner. While it was warming in the toaster oven, I made this colorful vegetable sauté.

While a little olive oil warmed in a small skillet, I chopped a small red onion and slivered a half an orange pepper I found in the salad drawer of the fridge. I added these to the oil with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and let them sauté while I chopped a zucchini and diced a half tomato left over from lunch. These went in too with a little more salt and pepper. Then I cooked it over medium heat until the zucchini skin was tender. (Late season zucchini often has tougher skin, I find.)

As a finishing touch, I sprinkled some feta over the vegetables, turned off the heat and covered the pan. I let it sit while I took the casserole from the toaster oven and set the table.

It was a colorful companion to a delicious but brown rice and bean casserole.

Memorial Day Cookout

We invited Tracie to join us for a cookout on Memorial Day. I wrestled the barbecue away from Larry and instead of the traditional burgers, beans and potato salad, I served up a Mediterranean-inspired lunch.

I grilled tomatoes, garlic, zucchini, onions, peppers, fennel, asparagus, mushrooms - everything I could get my hands on.

And I am proud to say that unlike most barbecued vegetables, these were not burned on the outside and raw on the inside.

Instead, they were delectably juicy and smoky.

The key to barbecuing vegetables is to boost their fat content with marinades and basting sauces. It's the fat in meat that makes it cook so well. (Compare the shoe-leather quality of  extra-lean hamburger to the juiciness of fattier meat.)

Because vegetables are naturally fat-free, they need a little help.

Also, because some vegetables are crunchy, I parboiled them ahead of time and then marinated them so they would cook quickly over high heat. (I measure heat by holding my hand 5 inches over the coals. If I can keep it there 4-6 seconds, it's medium heat. 2-3 seconds is hot - the best for getting grill marks and smokiness.)

In my experience, barbecuing does not stick to a rigid timetable. So I planned a leisurely meal with non-barbecue appetizers to sustain us while the vegetables cooked to perfection. A raw vegetable platter, some good organic mixed olives, and a piece of rosemary-olive oil infused asiago cheese eased the hunger pangs, which grew more intense as the aroma of roasting garlic wafted through the air.

The main course was grilled vegetables served as they came off the grill, a roasted tomato and white bean salad, a green salad with citrus dressing, and a fresh foccaccia (way too easy to make, could become addictive).

Everyone groaned when I brought out dessert - strawberry shortcake complete with fresh blueberries from our garden. It was great for breakfast the next day.

Here's what I barbecued and how. The basic marinade is olive oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. It should be oily but also tangy. Toss the vegetables in and leave for a couple of hours before cooking so they soak up some oil and flavor.

Garlic: I sprinkled a head of garlic with olive oil, then wrapped it in foil and tucked it among the flames for 15-20 minutes. When it was squishy when I squeezed it with the tongs, I passed it to Trace to peel. Hot and messy. But wow, it was great in a salad of white beans and barbecued tomatoes.

Asparagus: blanched for 3 minutes in boiling water, then plunged into ice water. Tossed in the marinade and refrigerated for a couple of hours. Barbecued for 2 minutes over high heat.

Fennel: blanched until tender, about 10 minutes, then plunged into ice water and drained. Marinated a couple of hours. Barbecued 8-10 minutes on high until soft.

Zucchini: Cut lengthwise into 2-3 pieces each. Marinated a couple of hours. Cooked 10-12 minutes on medium or high.

Portobello mushrooms: cleaned and stemmed (so they balance better on the barbecue). Marinated in a mixture of balsamic vinegar, soy sauce and a little dry sherry stirred into a base of olive oil. Let stand one hour before cooking. Basted while cooking 10-12 minutes on medium-high. I sliced these into wedges before serving.

Onion: Sliced crosswise in thick rings. Brushed with leftover marinade while cooking 8-10 minutes over high heat.

Tomatoes: Placed whole on the coals. Cooked about 10 minutes with the cover on. Let cool a little before peeling. They were very mushy, which was fine because I put them in a white bean salad along with the mushy roasted garlic and some fresh basil.

Peppers: Cut in half and removed cores and seeds. Brushed with marinade and cooked 6-8 minutes on high. Cut in wedges to serve.

Vegetable Sides Day Five

Last night we had Italian beans in tomato sauce for dinner.

(I pulled them from the freezer after I got home from work, and then I headed into the garden to enjoy the waning daylight.)

When I came in from digging and pruning and feeding, I quickly made two Italian-style vegetable dishes to go with the beans. The first was chard and yellow peppers sautéed with onions, garlic and chile peppers. The second was zucchini with red onion, garlic and chile peppers.

(Health benefits: zucchini is full of anti-oxidants, cholesterol-lowerers, cancer-preventatives, and prostate helpers. Chard is good for blood pressure and blood sugar.)

Add the dried red chile peppers to your taste, or omit them completely. They add a warmth and zest to the meal, but are not essential.

The flavors of each dish are similar, but the textures are different enough that they are a pleasant contrast.

Chard with Yellow Peppers
1 bunch chard
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic
sprinkle red chiles
1/2 yellow pepper, slivered

Chop the brown bits off the chard stems and discard any wilted leaves. Wash well. Then slice the stems from the leaves and chop the stems in 1/2" pieces. Chop the leaves in 1" ribbons.

Warm the olive oil in a deep pan. Add the onion and sauté until softened. Add the garlic, chiles, yellow pepper and chard stems, sprinkle with salt, and stir another two minutes or so until the stems are tender. Stir in the leaves with the water from washing them still clinging to the leaves, and sprinkle with salt. Stir, then cover the pot and let cook five minutes. Stir again, cover and cook until tender.


Spicy Zucchini
2 zucchini
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 clove garlic, minced
sprinkle red chiles

Top and tail the zucchini, and slice in 1/4 inch rounds. Warm the olive oil. Add the onion and cook a couple of minutes until softened. Add the garlic and chiles and cook one minute. Stir in the zucchini, sprinkle with salt, cover and cook 5 minutes. Stir again. Cover and cook until tender, another 4-5 minutes.