I can’t believe farmers can grow anything in this heat! My CSA came through with a bag of beautiful produce yesterday: tomatoes, okra, peppers, zucchini, cucumbers and a special treat, edamame beans. I invite you to enjoy this bounty with the little-to-no-cook menus of the past two weeks. This week I will fill in the gaps by sharing some easy side dish recipes.
Beets, like most root vegetables, help us feel solid and grounded. Our farmers markets are still selling beets, but without the greens. If beets greens are available in your area, steam them for 6-7 minutes and top them umeboshi plum vinegar. They are also delicious sautéed with walnuts or pecans in grape seed oil. Roasting beets is easy and accentuates the natural sugars. I roast them in the morning before it gets too hot.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Do not peel the beets. Instead wash them and leave about ½ inch of the stems attached. Place the beets on a large piece of aluminum foil. Fold the foil to make a sealed pouch. Bake for 1 ¾ hours or until tender. Allow to cool in the pouch. Once cool, open the pouch and slip the skins off. They will come off easily. Slice and enjoy.
My husband and I dine regularly at Kansas City’s Blue Nile Café where Ethiopia native Selam Fikru works her magic entirely with fresh ingredients. She says the secret to good Ethiopian food is to sauté the onions slowly over lower heat. If you like this dish, you will love her food.
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBSP grape seed oil or ghee
2 cups okra, chopped into ¼ inch thicknesses
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced thinly
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon salt
Heat the oil in a saucepan on medium-low heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until translucent. Add the okra and jalapeno pepper, sautéing for 5 minutes more. Add the tomatoes and salt. Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes more until the tomatoes and okra are tender. Add a small amount of water to prevent scorching if needed.
Boiled Corn on the Cob
Bring a pot of water enough to cover the corn to a boil. Meanwhile, peel the husk and silk from the corn and trim any worm eaten areas. Add the corn and boil for 5 minutes.
Roasted Corn on the Cob
Perfect for picnics! Just put the corn at the bottom of the cooler. The ice will melt, soaking the husks. Otherwise, soak the corn with husk intact in water for 20 minutes. Grill 5 minutes per side until the corn is tender. Choose an ear for peeking.
Edamame Beans in the Shell
Edamame beans are green soybeans, harvested early, while they are still green and sweet.
Place them in boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes until the shells turn bright green. Drain and run under cold water until cool enough to handle. Eat the beans directly from the pod, or squeeze the beans from the pods and serve as a side dish. My friend Dan likes pop the beans out by pulling the salted pods through his teeth. However you eat them, sprinkle with sea salt or natural soy sauce and enjoy.
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