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Squash & Mushroom Saute

September 20, 2011 By Kate 1 Comment

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Before we moved into our current house last summer, I dreamt of having a garden every single summer. So when May rolled around this year I couldn’t wait to get started. We took advantage of the two existing beds in our backyard and went crazy buying seeds and dirt. Mother’s Day weekend was happily spent turning soil and getting everything in the ground.

We watched anxiously for the first signs of life and rejoiced over each little sprout. Things were going along wonderfully until summer hit full on. At that time, we realized how ill-prepared we really were. In all of my time spent planning, I never once accounted for the tree growing by those beds; a tree that is lush and full and just happens to provide a blanket of shade to those garden beds. We were able to harvest a handful of chili peppers, a few tomatoes and 3 small cucumbers. We enjoyed each and every one of those to the fullest although we mourned for what could have been.

We’re already setting up a different and bigger spot for next summer that gets plenty of sunshine without any trees threatening to overtake the space. Until then, we’ve been buying our fair share of all those veggies we hoped we’d be harvesting from our own garden. Zucchini and yellow squash are right at the top of that list, especially since I was prepared to have heaps of squash coming out of my ears.

This squash and mushroom saute is one of our all time favorite side dishes. I’ve been making it for as long as I can remember and never get tired of it. Sometimes I even like to make a really big batch of it and freeze for other meals. It freezes and reheats wonderfully in the microwave.

Squash & Mushroom Saute

  • 2 T. butter
  • 2 T. olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, diced
  • 1/2 lb. sliced mushrooms
  • 1 – 2 zucchini, sliced
  • 1 – 2 yellow squash, sliced
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 t. thyme or Italian seasoning

1. Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet. Add onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add garlic and mushrooms; cook another 5 minutes.

2. Add the zucchini and yellow squash. Season with salt, pepper and thyme. Cook until squash is softened and the liquid is absorbed.

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Rosemary Potato & Veggie Skewers

August 4, 2011 By Kate 3 Comments

As the summer goes on, Eric and I are getting more and more comfortable with using the grill on a regular basis. We’ve finally started branching off into grilling our side dishes on occasion as well. So far, so good!

I’ve done kebabs and skewers in the oven for years and I’ve been anxiously awaiting for Eric to be comfortable enough to try his hand at grilling. Once that happened, we opted for a side dish, just because it seemed like a safer bet. We are definitely converted now!

One tip that I’ve relied for a long time when cooking potatoes on skewers like this, whether in the oven or on the grill, is to boil them for about 15 minutes first. That way, all they have to do is finishing cooking, which results in a nice creamy, fully-cooked inside and a crispy skin. Plus, it keeps the potatoes from taking a lot longer to cook than the other veggies. (And if you want to take advantage of some stolen moments, the potatoes can be boiled earlier in the day and just stored in the fridge. For that matter, the skewers can be assembled completely ahead of time as well.)

Rosemary Potato & Veggie Skewers

  • 2 lbs. baby red potatoes
  • 2 zucchini, halved lengthwise and quartered
  • 1/2 lb. mushrooms, halved
  • 1 – 2 red peppers, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1/3 c. butter, melted
  • 1/4 c. olive oil
  • Coarse sea salt
  • Black pepper
  • Fresh rosemary, minced
  • Bamboo skewers

1. Place potatoes in a large pot with cold water. Bring to a boil and boil for about 15 minutes, just until fork tender. Drain and rinse with cold water.

2. Thread potatoes, zucchini, mushrooms and red pepper on bamboo skewers.

3. Stir melted butter and olive oil together and brush on skewers. Sprinkle generously with sea salt, pepper and Rosemary. Grill or bake on a cookie sheet at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are crispy and veggies are tender.

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Green Pea Salad

July 17, 2011 By Kate 3 Comments

We go through a lot of peas in our house! Even though the kids would gladly eat them straight out of the freezer, Eric and I need a bit more variety. So since it’s summer, a pea salad seemed like the perfect alternative for a side dish. It was a hit with everyone, which I completely expected.

I used frozen peas for our salad, although I’m holding out hope that I’ll be able to use some peas fresh from our garden before the end of summer. I haven’t talked much about our garden, but it’s doing great and everything seems to be flourishing, although we haven’t yet been able to harvest anything. Hopefully that will change someday soon!

Green Pea Salad

  • 1/2 c. mayonnaise
  • 2 T. sugar
  • 1 T. vinegar
  • 1 t. salt
  • 1/2 t. pepper
  • 1/2 t. thyme
  • 1/4 c. sliced green onions
  • 5 slices bacon, diced and cooked
  • 3 c. peas (frozen or fresh)

1. Combine mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, salt, pepper and thyme in a large bowl. Stir in green onions, bacon and peas until completely mixed. Refrigerate until serving.

This couldn’t be any easier, yet it tastes so good! It’s best to make at least a few hours ahead of time so that the flavors have a chance to develop fully. And it’s easily doubled or tripled for a crowd.

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