Summer Vegetable Medley — SEAFOOD SHERPA

Prep time: 60 minutes

Active prep time: 60 minutes

Special equipment needed – None

Special skills needed – None

Serves 4 with some leftovers

In the summer, when the garden reaches peak production, I am always overwhelmed with an abundance of zucchinis. After I give away as many as I can, they start to stack up and I have to find creative ways to make the kids eat them. This is one of the best, and we can usually eat this several times without complaint. I usually have an abundance of bell peppers, tomatoes, and jalapenos, so this dish is a perfect use of the garden. It is packed with healthy vegetables, but also has some cheese and cream to make those veggies interesting. The flavors are big and bold, but still fresh and summery. This dish takes a little work and some time, but the techniques are easy enough. It is a forgiving recipe that just about anyone can make. This recipe makes a lot, but it keeps well for several days in the refrigerator. I give you the quantities for store bought veggies below, but with smaller home-grown veggies, you may have to adjust the counts. For example, you want equal parts red and green bell peppers, about 1 ½ cups each when chopped.

INGREDIENTS:

4 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Large Red bell pepper

1 Large Green bell pepper

2 Jalapenos – Adjust to your spice preference

1 medium red onion – chopped

5 Cloves garlic – minced

3 Ears Corn – cut off the cob

2 Large zucchinis – chopped

2 Large Tomatoes - chopped

2 Cups Heavy cream

½ lb Cotija cheese

1 Bunch Cilantro – Chopped

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to high broil. Brush bell peppers and jalapenos with olive oil and place on a sheet pan on the middle rack, at least 6 inches from the top of the oven. Don’t use glass for broiling. Broil for about 5 minutes and then turn and broil about 5 more minutes. Ovens vary, so watch the peppers until you get a feel for how quickly they cook in your oven. The skin should blister and char a bit, but you don’t want the flesh to burn. If they are cooked enough, the skin should peel off easily and the flesh should be soft. Once you believe they are done, pull them out and immediately plunge them into cold water. This will help release the skin and stop the cooking process. Drain and leave these to cool.

squash tomatoes onion bell peppers cheese cream

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a very large skillet or Dutch oven. Add onions and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes until the onions start to get translucent and soft.

squash tomatoes onion garlic bell peppers cheese cream

Add the corn and cook for 3 more minutes. Add oil as needed to keep everything from sticking.

squash tomatoes onion garlic corn bell peppers cheese cream

Add zucchini and cook for 3 more minutes.

Add tomatoes and cook until all the vegetables are tender. Depending on how big you cut the vegetables, it could be up to 10 minutes.

Add cream and simmer for 10 minutes on medium heat. Add cotija cheese and cook until it is incorporated into the cream.

Taste and season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, stir in cilantro and serve immediately.