Simple Summer Cooking

We were so happy to be featured here in the paper this past week along with the amazing Jennifer Chandler! We'll talk all day long about our take on easy, quick stuff to make in the summertime, and we've had the family over a lot lately to make a meal that shows off great summer produce and takes no time at all to put together. We figured it's time to share a couple of basic and solid methods with you. 

The article featured two recipes from our cookbook, The Southern Vegetarian: 100 Down-Home Recipes for the Modern Table (Thomas Nelson, 2013). Check out our Baked Zucchini Fries and Summer Salad. They would be great to whip up this week after your trip to the market.

Another easy thing we do if we're in a hurry or being lazy or just crave something dead simple is turn the oven on or preheat the outdoor grill and then wash and slice every-thing we want to eat. The things that are good raw like tomatoes or cucumbers are hurried onto a plate and garnished with basil or parsley from our garden, salt, pepper, and good-quality olive oil. The vegetables that require a bit of cooking are dressed in the same way and heated through with minimal effort. 

Serve it all with a side of pesto or remoulade or tomato sauce if you have some on hand. It's what we lovingly refer to as a "country food dinner." Fancy food has its place and all, but nothing's better than this during the summer.

This is about learning to cook, not learning a recipe. Eating simply like this is a great way to hit the reset button on your palate. Okra, carrots, corn, green beans, wax beans, asparagus, potatoes, beets, mushrooms, and the like are all beautiful and perfect just as they are, so here are a couple of great ways to appreciate them. 

How to prepare just about anything from the farmers market in the oven:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wash and cut larger vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Leave smaller ones whole. Toss in or drizzle with a little good-quality olive oil. Sprinkle with Kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Spread onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast until cooked through and caramelized on the edges.

…Or on the grill:

Preheat the outdoor grill to high. Wash and cut larger vegetables in half lengthwise. Leave smaller ones whole. Toss in or drizzle with a little good-quality olive oil. Sprinkle with Kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Grill about six minutes per side or until well-marked by the grill grates and cooked through.