September 2, 2024
Late Summer Veggie Mash up
by Linda Dansbury

One of the things I don't emphasize enough is how versatile many of the veggies are, both in cooking method and in how well they mix together. One of the things I did was participate in a cooking demo at the Wrightstown Farmers Market yesterday. Our goal was to showcase the veggies available at the market right now and how to simply cook them. We walked around the market and selected a large variety, changing up the veggies and mixing the seasoning up. Here is an example of what can be done:

Peppers (sweet and hot as desired), onions, garlic, eggplant, tomatoes, Swiss chard (both stems and leaves), basil, parsley, mint - start out with onions and peppers sauteing in olive oil until a little caramelized. Add a bit of salt and pepper. Add garlic, eggplant and Swiss chard stems and continue to saute until everything is nearing desired tenderness. Add tomatoes and chard leaves and additional salt and pepper. Taste for seasoning - if you want, drizzle in some balsamic vinegar. Remove from heat - finish off with a sprinkling of fresh herbs. Enjoy as a side dish as is or serve over a grain such as brown rice, farro, wheat berries, etc.