Thursday, June 30, 2011

I Love Summer -Muccotash


One of the best things about Summer is the abundance of fresh vegetables, especially here in the Garden State. This is a variation on Succotash. Most Succotash recipes call for Lima Beans, but I hate Lima beans (goes back to my childhood, when my mother tried to convince us to eat the nasty legume by referring to them as "footballs", as in "Eat your footballs".) Needless to say, this recipe has no beans, but plenty of flavor!

Ingredients:
1. Olive oil
2. Chopped Onion
3. Okra - chopped
4. Fresh corn - kernels sliced from 2-3 ears
5. Chopped fresh Roma tomatoes
6. Sliced green zucchini
7. Seasonings (salt, pepper, cumin, etc)

Saute onion a bit in olive oil. When onions start to get soft add the okra (not only does the okra add flavor, but it makes the sauce nice and thick). Saute on med-low heat for 5-10 minutes. Add corn kernels and saute for another 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and occasionally stir as the vegetables cook for at least 20 minutes.

Season with salt, pepper, etc to taste.

At this point you can add the zucchini (you don't want to over-cook the zucchini). One option is to cook on low heat for 15-30 minutes. Another option is to put it in the refrigerator at this point and let the flavors combine and reheat the next day.

I love summer!