Quick Combos: Eggplant, Watermelon, Green Beans, Sweet Potatoes, Summer Squash and Cucumbers

Eggplant
We love a comforting late summer dish of Pasta alla Norma. Saute cubed eggplant, onion and garlic and stir into your favorite marinara. Toss with fresh basil and rigatoni or penne, cubed mozzarella and top with grated parmesan.

Watermelon
Watermelon granita is the perfect sweet treat for Indian summer evenings and couldn’t be simpler to make. Blend 4 cups cubed watermelon with 1/2 cup sugar in a blender until smooth. Place in a 9×9 dish and place in the freezer. Freeze for one hour, then remove from freezer and stir vigorously with a fork, mashing up any frozen chunks. Cover and freeze for another 2 hours. To serve, remove from freezer and scrape into icy flakes with a fork.

Green Beans
Ever tried crunchy fried green beans? For a decadent treat, whisk 1 cup flour and 1 tsp salt with 1 cup of beer until smooth. Pinch stem ends of green beans, dip in batter and fry in peanut oil until golden. Drain well and serve with your favorite homemade buttermilk dressing for dipping. Works great with okra too!

Sweet Potatoes
When it comes to winning flavor combinations, we can’t think of anything that beats sweet potatoes, creme fraiche and sorghum or cane syrup. Just roast potatoes, split open and serve with a dollop of creme fraiche (substitute plain whole milk yogurt, sour cream or Mexican crema), a drizzle of sorghum or cane syrup and a sprinkle of Jurassic salt.

Summer Squash
For a simple vegetarian supper, saute sliced summer squash and chopped green onions in butter. When tender, add a splash of cream and season well with salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Serve with warm crusty bread or hot brown rice.

Cucumbers
Make quick bread & butter pickles with your cucumbers this week. Slice and pack into jars, then boil 1 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/2 cup white vinegar, 1 1/2 cups water, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp dried dill, and 1 tsp mustard seed for 1-2 minutes until sugar dissolves. Cool for 10 minutes, then pour over cucumbers, seal jars and refrigerate for at least two hours. The longer they sit the better they will be. Pickles keep for 3 weeks.