Recipe(tried): Collection: Summer Vegetables Dinner Tonight

Good Afternoon,

I decided to make an all vegetable dinner tonight using summer vegetables that are abundant in our area. Our local Publix has 10 ears of corn for 1.99 and the kernels are huge on these ears!!! The corn comes from Georgia and it is beautiful!!

I think Rob's Berry Cobbler with vanilla ice-cream will balance out the meal just right!!

Happy Saturday!! Gina

Fried Corn
This is soooo delicious, a simple way to enjoy corn in the summer. My family just swoons when this is served to them...

4-5 fresh ears corn
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup half and half

Shuck the corn and clean of all silk. Into a large bowl cut of and scrape all the corn kernals with a sharp knife.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium high heat and add the corn. Toss to coat with the butter and season with salt, pepper and sugar. Add the half and half slowly and stir so that all is blended well. Lower heat to medium and stir occasionally for the next 20 minutes or so. If you need to add a bit more butter, do so, you don't want it too dry or too wet, just nicely coated. Lower heat to medium low and cover for 5 minutes. Taste occasionally so that you can tell if seasonings are correct. Be sure not to eat the entire contents before it gets to the table!!

Lemon, Basil & Thyme Zucchini and Squash Slices
serves 3

1 yellow squash
1 green zucchini
1 Tbsp. McCormick's Key West Style seasoning
2 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 onion slices, chopped

Wash and slice the zucchini and squash. Sprinkle on the seasonings and heat the oil in another skillet. Place the sliced veggies nad chopped onion in and cook over medium heat til tender. Lower heat to low once they are tender.

Mess O'Greens
Servings: 4-6

1 smoked ham hocks (about 9 ounces each) or 1 teaspoon of Better Than Bouillion Ham Base
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 pounds collard greens, well rinsed, thick stems trimmed of and discarded, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick strips
Salt and pepper to taste
1 med. onion
bacon drippings

In a large pot, combine the bacon drippings with the chopped onion and saute. When limp, add the garlic and saute til aroma released. Add the sugar and the seasonings and 1/2 c. water. Add the collards and stir well, simmer on low. Cook the ham hock in a pressure cooker with 2 cups of water for 45 mts. When done, add 2 cups of the liquid to the greens and when ham hock is cool enough to handle, cut the meaty parts off and add to the pot of greens.
JULIE'S GLAZED SWEET POTATOES
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serves 4

3 medium-sized sweet potatoes
1 tbsp butter
3 tbsp soft brown sugar
1 tsp grated orange peel
juice of 1 orange
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 cinnamon sticks

Slice peeled sweet potatoes into rounds. Place in a saucepan with a little boiling water to just cover. Simmer until tender about 30 minutes. Remove and drain. Place slices in an ovenproof dish. Add bits of butter, sugar, grated orange peel and juice. Sprinkle with nutmeg and add cinnamon sticks. Bake at 200 C(400f) for a further 20 minutes.

Drunken Pintos with Cilantro and Bacon
(Frijoles Borrachos)
From: Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen

Makes: 4 cups
Servings: 4 to 6 as a side dish

8 ounces (about 1 1/4 cups) dry pinto beans
1/2 cup (about 2 ounces) cubed pork shoulder (or extra chopped bacon, if you wish)
4 thick slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 small white onion, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
Hot fresh green chile to taste (roughly 2 serranos or 1 jalapeno), stemmed, seeded and sliced
Salt, about 3/4 teaspoon
1 1/2 tablespoons tequila (plus a little more if you like)
1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro

The beans. Rinse the beans thoroughly and scoop into a medium-size (4-quart) pot (preferably a Dutch oven or Mexican earthenware olla). Add 5 cups water, remove any beans that float, then add the pork shoulder (or extra chopped bacon) and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and very gently simmer, partially covered, until the beans are thoroughly tender, about 2 hours. You'll need to gently stir the beans regularly and add water as necessary to keep the liquid a generous 1/2 inch above the level of the beans.

The flavorings. In a medium-size skillet, fry the bacon (that is, the remaining bacon if you used some for the simmering), stirring regularly, until crisp, about 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the bacon, leaving behind as much of the drippings as possible. Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of the drippings and return the pan to medium heat. Add the onion and chiles and fry until deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Scrape the onion mixture into the beans, then taste and season it all with salt. Continue simmering, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 30 minutes to blend the flavors.

Finishing the dish. If the beans seem quite soupy, boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the consistency of a nice, brothy bean soup. (An alternative here is to puree 1/4 of the beans in a food processor or blender, returning them to the pot to thicken the broth.)
Just before serving, stir in the tequila and cilantro, then serve in warm bowls topped with the crumbled bacon.

ADVANCE PREPARATION
The beans can be cooked through step 2 several days ahead; refrigerate, covered.

SHORTCUTS
Two 16-ounce cans of pinto beans can replace the beans in step 1.

VARIATION
A more rustic touch yet is to simmer the beans with a 2- to 3-ounce piece of beef jerky (cook it with the beans, then take it out, tear it into short shreds and return to the pot) instead of the pork. To make this more like the frijoles charros, replace the serrano with 2 roasted, peeled and diced poblanos and add 8 ounces of chopped tomatoes (roasted and peeled, preferably). As with most bean dishes, use any bean you like or can find easily.

Rob's Berry Cobbler
Step 1:

1 TBSP lard or butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup sifted flour (if using self rising omit baking powder and salt)
3 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup Milk

Mix all together and let stand a minute.

Step 2:

1 1/2 cup Blackberries ( any berry will do or peach, if you like lots of fruit add more or less to your likin)
1 TBSP butter or margarine (melted)
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 water

Mix everything in step 2 together in seperate bowl.

Heat over 400*

Grease or butter a glass dish on bottom and sides, pour Step 1 mixture into dish first, then pour Step 2 mixture on top. Cook 30-40 minutes until top is brown. Dough will cook up and around berry mix. I use a round glass cobbler dish, anything will work.
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