vegetables as far as the eye can see!

It's that time of the year when parts of the kitchen garden are yielding produce by the piles and you could eat salads for three meals a day and it still wouldn't make a dent. But that's what you waited for all winter, right? So let's do some interesting things with all that beautiful summer bounty!

One of my favorite summertime vegetable preparations is from the terrific cookbook "Herbs Love Tomatoes, Peppers, Onions & Zucchini" by Ruth Bass, published by Storey Books. On every page there is a mouth-watering recipe using simple ingredients to make wonderful everyday meals. When you're up to your eyes with garden vegetables, the recipe "Marinated Vegetables with Tarragon" is one that you will turn to again and again.

Simply prepare 4 cups of vegetables, your choice: tomatoes, snow peas, zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots... whatever you like and have on hand that day.

Mix up the marinade:

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup tarragon vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice

4 tablespoons chopped green onions, white and part of green

1 teaspoon dried tarragon (double the amount if you have fresh tarragon available)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons sugar

Arrange veggies in a shallow dish, pour the marinade over them, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to one day, stirring once.

Serves 4 to 6 veggie lovers.

so... many.... tomatoes!

Well, it has finally happened. The Lonesome Road Studio Kitchen is about to be inundated with a bumper crop of tomatoes in various stages of ripeness. Eventually I will be getting out the heavy equipment and spending some time making pizza sauce to freeze, but in the meantime I'm making dishes that really emphasize the freshness and quality of a good garden-ripened tomato. In fact, just a couple of days ago, I made a delicious insalata caprese, a simple Italian salad of fresh tomatoes and mozzarella, olive oil and um.... oregano. Basil is the traditional herb of insalata caprese but we have plenty of fresh Greek oregano on hand so that is what went into my salad.

Hm. Will these become pizza sauce? Or maybe a nice cool Panzanella (Italian bread and tomato salad)?
Look at the size of these things!

Greek oregano.

Isn't this just gorgeous? And so fast and easy to prepare, it literally takes minutes. Just slice the best ripe tomatoes you can find, and layer alternately with slices of fresh mozzarella cheese. You can actually buy 7 ounce containers of the sliced cheese, which makes this even quicker. If serving for a special occasion, a large beautiful platter works well but I also use an 8 inch by 8 inch glass baking dish for the job. The salad can be chopped if you prefer, but the slices look prettier and and are obviously faster to prepare.

Drizzle with a high-quality olive oil, then sprinkle with slivered fresh basil (or in my case, oregano tastes very nice as well). Season liberally with sea salt and black pepper and allow to sit in your refrigerator, covered, for a little while. Before serving, allow the salad to warm up a bit to almost room temperature. An 8 inch by 8 inch dish of insalata caprese will serve 4 to 6; if you have any leftovers it is delicious tucked into an omelet for breakfast the next morning.

green with a twist - cabbage hash for St. Patrick's Day

Corned beef and the fixings is really a dish that cooks itself with very little fuss. This year, why not take a little extra time with some of the side dishes, making them extra-special and delicious as well as nutritious?
This colorful, tasty and different Cabbage Hash is inspired by a recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks, "Vegetarian Planet" by Didi Emmons. The original dish is called "Little Cabbage Hash" referring to the use of Brussels sprouts as the main ingredient instead of cabbage. As expected, cabbage works perfectly in this recipe as well. Try it for something different this St. Patrick's Day, or any time you're in the mood for a simple but easy vegetable side dish.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1-1/2 cups minced onions
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 lb. cabbage, thinly shredded or chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped in small pieces
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1 red or orange bell pepper, minced and seeded
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

Saute onion in olive oil until soft. Add garlic, cabbage, and carrot to the onions.
Add water and simmer the vegetables, stirring occasionally, about 5 to 8 minutes, or until water is completely evaporated (watch carefully to avoid burning dry).
Then stir in bell pepper, salt and black pepper to taste.
Saute one more minute and serve.

happy march 1st!

Fresh, tender asparagus - the perfect spring vegetable! Beautiful shades of green mixed with purples (or all purple, or all white), asparagus's visual appeal is as unique as its flavor.

One of my favorite ways to prepare asparagus is to simply sprinkle it with a bit of olive oil, a healthy squeeze of lemon juice, some salt and pepper, then wrap the whole thing in foil and cook to perfection for 10 or 15 minutes in a 350 degree oven. This technique also works with grilling.

I also love steamed, chilled asparagus with a great dipping sauce. My favorite is a take on the familiar Bearnaise sauce, but done as a rich but fresh-tasting mayonnaise. Sweet and mellow, tarragon is another one of my favorite flavors, and like dill, it seems to blend so well with all the lovely vegetables of spring, like asparagus, spinach and fresh peas.

Try this Bearnaise mayonnaise with chilled asparagus spears for your next spring fling:

• 1 minced shallot, or 2 teaspoons of minced mild onion
• 4 tablespoons white wine
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (if you have tarragon vinegar, all the better!)
• 1 tablespoon dried tarragon
• 1 tablespoon dried dill

Heat together in a small saucepan until almost all of the liquid has evaporated. Keep an eye on it; once it begins to evaporate, it happens quickly. Also, you may want to turn on an exhaust fan or crack a window as the vinegar aroma does become a bit pungent.

Combine the reduced mixture with:

• 1 cup mayonnaise

Add salt and pepper to taste. Chill completely, and serve as a dip for fresh vegetables.