Summer in Maine has ended but the market produce is still bountiful. And with it Toni makes a simple and delicious Cabbage side dish.
Watch Stewed Cabbage with Tomatoes

Why not check out your own local farmers market this weekend.

Serves 4-6

Inspired by the $5 “grab bags” of vegetables sold by one of the vendors at our local farmer’s market, this variety of late season vegetables combined with woodsy Cremini mushrooms is equally scrumptious for lunch or dinner served alongside tofu “steaks” or a veggie burger, or simply spooned over whole wheat pasta or brown rice.

Ingredients:
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 large red onion, chopped into 1/2” dice
3 large cloves fresh garlic, chopped
1 1/2 t. coarse Kosher salt
3 carrots, chopped into 1/2” dice
1 medium yellow summer squash, sliced down the middle, then cut into 1/4” half-rounds
2-3 small to medium-sized potatoes, chopped into 1/2” dice
1 pint cherry tomatoes, any variety, rinsed, whole
1 cube Organic Gourmet bouillion dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water
8 oz. Cremini mushrooms, wiped clean, sliced into halves
Handful of fresh sage, basil, and parsley, coarsely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Hot pepper flakes, to taste

To prepare:
Heat a wide skillet over medium heat and add olive oil, followed by chopped onion and garlic and a half teaspoon of salt. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes, being careful not to scorch garlic, until onion is just beginning to be translucent. Add chopped carrots and squash to the pan and continue to toss and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes, until vegetables are beginning to soften. Now put potatoes and whole tomatoes into the pan and stir to combine the vegetables – add the dissolved bouillion.

When the mixture begins to simmer, add the mushrooms and chopped fresh herbs, lower the heat, and cover the pan tightly. Allow the mixture to cook for 10-15 minutes more, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes and other vegetables are tender, but not mushy. When everything is cooked through, season the mixture with the remaining salt, the black pepper, and the pepper flakes. Taste and correct seasonings as needed.

The following list is just a small sample of our favorite summer fresh vegetables for stir frying: green beans, peppers, onions, eggplant slices, carrots, zucchini, pattypan or yellow squash, chard, sugar snap and snow peas, asparagus, and of course sweet corn. Use your imagination when combining vegetables for a stir fry and never be afraid to experiment.  Summer is the best time of year to enjoy all the flavorful benefits and easy preparation of vegetarian food.  So, go on…stir fry!

Roasting garlic produces a complete change in flavor, the “bite” of raw garlic magically turns into a mellow sweetness you have to try to believe! I often roast up to half a dozen garlic heads at a time. They keep well — a month or more in the fridge — and in my house, they disappear quickly!

Ingredients:
Several firm, tight heads of garlic
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Coarse kosher salt
Fresh herbs such as lemon thyme or oregano

To prepare:

Peel off any the outermost layer of loose, papery skin, then cut off the top half or so of the pointed end of the garlic head, to expose the cloves.

Place bulb in the center of a 6″ square of heavy duty foil. Drizzle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and place a fresh herb on top. Sprinkle with a dash of kosher salt and freshly ground
black pepper.

Wrap foil snugly up and around bulb like a Hersey’s Kiss and place on hot grill. Flip it around occasionally till it feels soft and squishy on the inside, about 20 minutes or so.

Remove from foil and pour any excess oil back onto the top of garlic. The delightful little bulbs of roasted garlic will easily squeeze out of their skins.

Onions and summer squashes are superb when grilled, but don’t be afraid to try any vegetable on the grill. Toni also likes to throw in carrots, fresh fennel, and halved baby potatoes. You’re only limited by your own imagination.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
Basic Balsamico Vinaigrette (makes about 1 cup):
3/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
2 T. good quality Balsamic vinegar
2. T. wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Vegetables:
Eggplant, trimmed and cut lengthwise into 1/2″ to 3/4″ “steaks”
Portobello mushroom caps
Zucchini and summer squash, sliced lengthwise or
whole (if small)
Sweet onion( Spanish or Vidalia), sliced 1/4″ crosswise or into moon-shaped wedges
Bell peppers, red, orange & yellow have the most flavor

Or any other combination of vegetables you like!

To prepare:
Certain vegetables lend themselves to easy, quick grilling.

Our list of veggies need only be trimmed of stem ends and sliced for grilling. The key is to slice them thinly enough so that they cook evenly and quickly while still having a tad of firmness.

They may be brushed simply with oil and sprinkled with salt & pepper before and during grilling, or you can use our basic balsamic marinade/baste or your own favorite prepared vinaigrette-style dressing.

Note: You can serve this mixed grill with anything from bruschetta to rice to pasta and the leftovers make fabulous sandwiches on thick, crusty slices of French or Italian bread or rolled up on pita bread.

Soup, salad, side, or main dish, broccoli is a cool weather crop and best from October through April in the Northern Hemisphere. When buying this ubiquitous vegetable, look for bright green color and tightly packed buds. Since raw broccoli requires good air circulation to stay fresh, store in a perforated plastic bag for up to 3 days – or just eat it right away.

Give this nutrient-rich vegetable some love. And while you’re at it, check out the baby hamster enjoying a first taste of broccoli.

This recipe is both easy and elegant and if you’ve never tried grilling these tasty spears, now’s the time! Gorgeous stalks of fresh asparagus are blanched, then grilled and dressed with lime juice. Heavenly!

Serves 4

Ingredients:
Good-sized bunch of fresh asparagus stalks, preferably the thicker type suitable for grilling
Coarse kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Fresh lime juice
Extra virgin olive oil

To prepare:
Blanch asparagus stalks by placing in salted, boiling water for a minute or two, until bright green. Remove quickly and rinse in cold water to stop cooking.

Lightly brush with olive oil and carefully place on hot grill so that the spears don’t fall through the holes. If you prefer, you can use a grill basket especially designed to hold smaller vegetables.

Using long-handled tongs, roll the asparagus around until all sides are just beginning to turn golden and spears are slightly tender. This should take only a few minutes.

When done, arrange stalks on serving platter, sprinkle with coarse kosher salt and freshly ground pepper and give them a good squeeze of fresh lime.

Note: Eat seasonally and eat well. Asparagus is the true culinary harbinger of spring and when it’s plentiful, I buy tons of it. Prepared with simplicity, asparagus is the ultimate vegetable. Look for fresh, tender asparagus with tight tips. Instead of cutting, snap off lower end of each spear where the woodier part meets the tender stalk.

One of Italy’s favorite root vegetables, finocchio (fee-no-keeo, a.k.a. fennel) has a wonderfully crisp texture and a flavor that borders on sweet with a trace of licorice.

This tender white bulb can be enjoyed raw for its crisp, juicy texture or cooked in a variety of ways. The most prized fennel originates from the region of Sicily. Fennel is high in vitamin A and is an excellent source of fiber, potassium, and calcium.

Ingredients:
6 fennel bulbs, washed
6 ripe plum tomatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
1/4 c. raisins
1 small yellow or white onion, chopped
1 t. roasted cumin seeds, crushed slightly in mortar & pestle
2 T. olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

To prepare:
Trim off tops of fennel bulbs, then slice off tough root end. Rinse, then quarter the bulbs and peel off any tough outer leaves. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, boil water. Drop tomatoes into boiling water one by one. After a few seconds skins will pucker and begin to loosen. Remove immediately from water and slide skins off. Chop peeled tomatoes roughly and set aside.

Dry roast cumin seeds over medium-high heat just until aroma is released. Remove and crush slightly in mortar & pestle. Set aside.

Heat oil in deep pan and add chopped onion, then sauté until the onions begin to soften. Add quartered fennel bulbs and stir and sauté for 5 or so minutes, then add remaining ingredients and stir to combine all ingredients. Cover the pan and simmer the fennel-tomato mixture for 25-30 minutes or until fennel bulbs are easily pierced with a knife.

Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, dress with fruity Sicilian olive oil and serve.