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Get Ready for summer flavors

The Columbian

Published: June 17, 2013, 5:00pm

3 Photos

There are many creative ways to serve the seasonal bounty of vegetables through such dishes as spaghetti with wilted peppers. Photo Gallery

Food & Dining

For more recipes and reviews of Clark County restaurants, visit columbian.com/food

When the garden or the market offer corn, tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant and peppers, try these creative ways to bring that seasonal bounty to the table. Here are 20 fresh recipes for these five vegetables:

Corn

o Salad: Quinoa salad with grilled corn, tomatoes and cilantro. Cook 1 cup quinoa, cool and pat dry. Toss with kernels from 2 ears of grilled corn, 2 cups chopped tomatoes, 1 chopped serrano pepper and 3/4 cup chopped green onion. Make a vinaigrette with 3 tablespoons lime juice, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 minced garlic clove and 1 3/4 teaspoons ground cumin to dress the salad. Just before serving, fold in 1 1/2 cups chopped cilantro.

o Appetizer: Grilled corn with tequila-lime butter: Beat together 1/2 cup softened butter, 3/4 teaspoon minced jalapeno, 1 teaspoon each lime zest, lime juice and tequila, 1 tablespoon minced cilantro and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Form it into a log and chill until solid. Soak 8 ears of corn in their husks, then grill over medium until golden and tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Husk the corn and pass the butter at the table.

Food & Dining

For more recipes and reviews of Clark County restaurants, visit columbian.com/food

o Pasta: Sweet corn and shrimp “risotto”: Saute 3/4 cup diced Spanish chorizo in 1 tablespoon butter, then add 1/2 cup each chopped green onion and red bell pepper; cook until tender. Add 4 cups diced zucchini and shelled shrimp. Add 1/2 cup white wine and reduce to a syrup. Add 5 cups corn kernels and then add 1 cup shrimp stock 1/2 cup at a time, finishing with 1/4 cup whipping cream and 3 tablespoons slivered basil.

o Main dish: Green chile, corn and zucchini frittata: Cook 1 chopped zucchini, 1/4 cup chopped green onions and 1/3 to 1/2 cup chopped peeled green chile in 2 tablespoons butter. Add 1 cup corn kernels. Beat 6 eggs, stir in the vegetables and 1/3 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese. Return to the skillet and cook over low heat until it begins to set. Scatter over another 1/3 cup cheese and broil until the top is puffed and brown.

Eggplant

o Salad: Silken eggplant salad: Remove the stems from 2 pounds Asian eggplants and steam the eggplants until tender. Cool to room temperature. Whisk together 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon minced rosemary and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Cut the eggplant into bite-sized pieces and toss with enough dressing to coat lightly. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper and serve.

o Appetizer: Grilled eggplant with walnut-cilantro pesto: Combine 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon minced garlic and 1/2 cup olive oil; set aside. Puree 1 teaspoon minced garlic and 1 cup walnuts into a paste. Add 1 teaspoon paprika, then slowly beat in 3/4 cup olive oil. Stir in 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Slice 1 1/2 pounds eggplant, brush with the flavored oil and grill until tender. Arrange on a platter and dress with the walnut mixture.

o Pasta: Fusilli with spicy eggplant: Dice an eggplant, salt and drain for at least 1 hour. Rinse and pat dry. Cook 1 cup diced onion, 4 cloves sliced garlic and 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes in 1/4 cup olive oil. Add 1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes, 3 tablespoons capers and 1/2 cup white wine. Cook 1 pound fusilli and add to the skillet along with 1/2 cup pasta water and slivered basil and cook briefly. Serve with sliced or grated Ricotta salata.

o Main dish: Eggplant stuffed with lamb and pine nuts: Cut three eggplants in half lengthwise and remove and chop the flesh. Cook 1 chopped onion and 2 tablespoons minced garlic in 1/4 cup olive oil. Add 3/4 pound lamb stew meat, then the eggplant. Add 1 cup crushed tomatoes, 1/4 cup pine nuts and 1/2 cup chopped parsley. Spread 1 sliced onion and 2 1/3 cups crushed tomatoes in an oiled baking dish. Arrange the eggplant shells in the di sh and spoon in the filling. Cover with foil and bake at 400 F for 45 minutes. Dust with grated Pecorino cheese and bake until browned.

Peppers

o Salad: Quick pickled peppers: Cut a slit in each of 3/4 pound of shishito peppers. Simmer 2 1/2 cups rice vinegar with 3 lightly smashed cloves of garlic, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns, 1 small onion sliced thin and 2 small dried chiles. Blanch the shishito peppers briefly, pat dry and put in a container. Cover with the vinegar mixture and let stand 8 hours.

o Appetizer: Roasted peppers stuffed with goat cheese: Stir together 1 cup ricotta, 2 tablespoons chopped capers, 1 tablespoon olive oil, a pinch crushed red pepper, salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste and 1 tablespoon minced chives. Cut roasted, peeled red and yellow peppers into strips about 2 inches wide. Place a scant tablespoon of ricotta filling at one end of the pepper and roll it up end to end, pressing gently to keep everything together. Drizzle lightly with more olive oil and serve.

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o Pasta: Spaghetti with wilted peppers: Cut 1 onion and 4 slices of prosciutto into 1/4 -inch strips and cook in 3 tablespoons olive oil. Cut 6 bell peppers into strips and add them. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are quite limp, about 45 minutes. Add 3 thinly sliced cloves of garlic and 2 tablespoons chopped parsley and continue cooking while 1 pound of spaghetti is boiling. Add the cooked spaghetti to the skillet and mix well. Finish with grated Pecorino.

o Main dish: Peperonata: Cook 1 sliced onion in 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Add 3/4 cup chopped tomatoes, 5 chopped roasted, peeled and seeded bell peppers and 3/4 cup red wine. Cover and cook until tender. Puree 1/2 chopped jalapeno and 2 cloves of garlic, add 1 cup chopped basil leaves and 1/4 cup chopped parsley, and then 3 tablespoons olive oil to make a loose paste. Stir the sauce into the peppers and heat through.

Zucchini

o Salad: Woven zucchini with fresh goat cheese: Cut 4 zucchini into very thin lengthwise strips. Salt generously and set aside to soften. Rinse and pat dry. Whisk together 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 clove garlic, minced, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Cut 12 cherry tomatoes in half. Brush the zucchini with the dressing, then weave 3 strips crosswise and 3 strips lengthwise to make a raft. Top each raft with a dollop of fresh goat cheese and season with olive oil and slivered basil.

o Appetizer: Zucchini fritters: Shred 1 pound zucchini, then salt and set aside to drain. Rinse and squeeze thoroughly dry with your hands. Combine with 1 teaspoon each cumin and coriander seeds, ground, a chopped green onion and 3/4 teaspoon minced jalapeno. Stir in 2 tablespoons flour and a beaten egg. Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoon mounds into hot olive oil and fry until brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels and serve with Greek-style yogurt.

o Pasta: Free-form zucchini lasagna with lemon-thyme cream: Slice 1 pound zucchini lengthwise; grill on both sides. Cook 1/2 cup diced onion in 2 tablespoons olive oil, add 3 tablespoons white wine, 1 minced clove garlic and 1/4 teaspoon thyme; add the zucchini and remove from the heat. Heat 1 cup cream with thyme sprigs, lemon zest and 1 tablespoon Parmesan. Lightly coat a cooked pasta square with the cream and place it on a plate. Top with Ricotta and a few zucchini strips, then another creamy pasta square. Dust with more Parmesan and serve.

o Main dish: Zucchini tian: Cook a sliced onion in 3 tablespoons olive oil with a minced garlic clove. Arrange in an oiled baking dish. Arrange 2 zucchini cut into rounds in overlapping rows on top of the onions. Scatter 20 quartered cherry tomatoes and 3 tablespoons chopped pitted black olives on top. Crumble over 4 ounces fresh goat cheese, drizzle with olive oil and bake at 350 F until the zucchini has softened and the mixture is dry, about 1 1/2 hours.

Tomatoes

o Salad: Lentil salad with tomatoes, zucchini and arugula: Salt 1/4 pound diced zucchini and drain for 30 minutes. Cook 1 cup lentils until tender, then drain and pat dry. Rinse the zucchini and pat dry and add to the lentils along with 3 tablespoons minced chives, 1 minced clove garlic and 1/2 pound halved cherry tomatoes. Dress with 2 tablespoons olive oil and the juice of 1/2 lemon. Fold in 1/2 cup torn arugula leaves and 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts just before serving.

o Appetizer: Crostini with roasted tomatoes and goat cheese: Slice 4 pounds plum tomatoes in half lengthwise and place in a single layer in a baking dish with whole peeled cloves from a full head of garlic. Pour over olive oil to halfway up the pan and roast at 300 F until the tomatoes are golden on top, at least 2 hours. Smear fresh goat cheese on a toasted baguette slice and mash a roasted tomato on top.

o Pasta: Rice salad with shrimp and arugula: Cook 2 cups Arborio rice, then drain and pat dry. While warm, dress with 3 tablespoons each olive oil and lemon juice and add 1/2 pound cooked small shrimp, 1/4 cup minced onion, 1 cup diced tomato and 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar. Fold in 1 1/2 cups torn arugula and 3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts.

o Main dish: Swordfish with tomatoes and fennel: Saute 4 swordfish steaks with 1 clove thinly sliced garlic and 1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds in 3 tablespoons olive oil, about 5 minutes per side. Add 1/2 cup white wine and 1 pound whole cherry tomatoes, cover and cook until the fish is done. Uncover, transfer the fish to a platter and raise the heat to high. Cook until the juices have reduced. Add 2 tablespoons slivered basil, spoon over the fish and serve.

Spaghetti With Wilted Peppers

1 hour. 6 servings

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, sliced in 1/4 -inch half-moons

4 slices prosciutto, cut in 1/4 -inch ribbons

6 red and yellow bell peppers

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 pound spaghetti

Grated Pecorino Romano

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the onion and prosciutto, and cook until the onions have softened but not browned, 6 to 7 minutes.

Cut off the tops and bottoms of the peppers, and remove the seeds and core. Cut into lengthwise quarters and remove ribs. Cut into 1/4 -inch crosswise strips. Add the peppers to the skillet with salt and reduce the heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are limp, about 45 minutes. The prosciutto will be frazzled and the onion caramelized. Add the garlic and parsley, and continue cooking.

Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of rapidly boiling salted water until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and add to the skillet with the peppers. Stir to mix well and divide among 6 warm pasta plates. Dust generously with grated Pecorino Romano and serve immediately.

Fusilli With Spicy Eggplant

1 hour, 10 minutes. 6 servings

1 pound eggplant

Salt

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup diced onion

4 cloves garlic, sliced

1/4 to 1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes

3 tablespoons capers

1/2 cup white wine

Basil leaves

1 pound fusilli

Ricotta salata

Cut the eggplant into 1/2 – to 3/4 -inch cubes and place them in a colander. Salt liberally and put a heavy bowl on top to press down. Place in the sink and set aside for 1 hour.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium, add the onion and cook until it is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and pepper flakes, and cook for a minute or two. Rinse the eggplant and pat dry. Add to the skillet and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and capers, and cook until moisture evaporates, about 5 minutes. Add wine and simmer until it thickens, about 5 minutes.

Cook the fusilli in a large pot of rapidly boiling salted water until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and add to the skillet with the eggplant mixture along with 1/2 cup pasta water. Add the slivered basil.

Divide among warm bowls and top with crumbled ricotta.