More Notes From Nikki-Sufferin' Succotash and Pan-Roasted Romano Beans

Sufferin' Succotash
Yesterday was a gorgeous day. Low humidity, light breeze, temps in the 80s. Perfect. I decided to fire up the grill (last week's oppressive heat kept me from my favorite summertime culinary activity) . We grilled Italian chicken sausages to house in potato buns with plenty of dijon mustard. Yum! The following succotash served as the perfect accompaniment to this main course. A delightful dish for a delightful summer evening. I hope you enjoy it too!
P.S. Don't forget, Red Haven Farm offers some terrific tasting sausages. Had I planned ahead, that's what would have been nestled in our buns. ;-)

Ingredients

2 pints grape/cherry tomatoes, halved (the lovely medley of little tomatoes from our Inverbrook share this week will work perfectly if you still have them around. Ours were eaten on the way home from the farm. :-})

8 oz. frozen and thawed (or fresh) shelled edamame

8 oz. fresh or frozen corn kernels thawed (I used frozen. I know, for shame! Especially this time of year. I bought fresh from a local orchard and was so disappointed with the flavor that I actually composted it. This is the 2nd time this has happened to me. Is anyone else having this issue with corn this year? Strange.)

2 small-medium pattypan squash, diced

2 small-medium eggplant, diced (I used one white and one purple from our Inverbrook share this week)

Handful of chopped chives

Handful of fresh chopped basil (I used the tiny leaves from our bush basil plant)

2-3 T extra virgin olive oil

1 -2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced

Sea salt

Fresh ground pepper

Splash of balsamic vinegar


1. Saute the garlic, squash, and eggplant in olive oil over medium heat until cooked through and browned a bit here and there.
2. Toss in the edamame and corn and continue sauteing until heated through.
3. Turn off the heat, add in the sea salt, pepper, chives, basil, balsamic vinegar, and tomatoes. Fold gently to incorporate.
4. Taste and adjust to your liking.
5. Serve and enjoy!

This will serve 6-8 generously as a side dish. Feel free to cut the recipe in half.


Pan-Roasted Romanos with Tomatoes, Lemon, Parsley, and Feta
One of my favorite veggie combinations is green beans and tomatoes. Reminds me of summer, my favorite season. Throw a squeeze of lemon in there, some herbs, and cheese, and WAH-LA... heaven. We enjoyed the following dish with a side of grilled chicken. I hope you enjoy it too!

Ingredients

2-3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 medium-sized sweet onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 quarts romano beans, trimmed
A couple of good squeezes of lemon
4 medium tomatoes, cored and diced
Generous handful of chopped parsley leaves
Crumbled feta (I used my absolute fave, Highland Farm's sheep feta)
Sea Salt
Fresh ground pepper

1. Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat until the onions are softened a bit.
2. Toss in the beans, cover, shake, and simmer, shaking occasionally until the beans a just slightly tender.
3. Add the tomatoes, stirring to incorporate.
4. Allow the sauce to simmer covered again for just a few more minutes. You don't want the beans to lose their snap.
5. Kill the heat, add in the lemon juice, parsley, sea salt, and pepper.
6. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
7. Plate and top with feta and a bit more ground pepper.
8. Serve and enjoy.

Serves 4-6 as a side dish