Greenmarket Vegetable Saute

The market is bursting with veggies in all colors, textures, and shapes right now and it is a great time to slice up some vegetables for a great saute and maybe try something you haven't had before.  Eating fresh, local farmers market vegetables is a great way to support your local economy, reduce harm to the environment, and eat food at it's peak flavor and nutritiousness.  I highly recommend it!

 

Today I found some great stuff to saute--yellow zucchini, carrots, onions, asparagus, and bell peppers.  Nothing too out of the ordinary as far as types of vegetables go, but the quality of them is outstanding!  You can tell just by looking at them that they are different than your standard-issue supermarket produce.  There is so much good stuff to enjoy right now, so take a trip to your local market and do a simple saute this week.  Everything tastes better fresh from the farm!

When you are choosing which vegetables, pick 3-5 different kinds in various colors for an appetizing and beautiful dish.  Pick up something green like fresh herbs, scallions, or spinach to add in at the end.   Look for colorful and interesting variations of common vegetables like yellow raspberries, purple cauliflower, white carrots, yellow tomatoes, or blue potatoes.  There are so many really amazing heirloom vegetables out there.  The above photo shows some bright yellow zucchini, something I never see year-round.

My Greenmarket Vegetable Saute

1 lg yellow zucchini, sliced into half-moons
1 bunch asparagus (I like the thin ones for this)

3-4 fat, juicy carrots

1 medium onion

3 T extra-virgin olive oil

1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced

1/2 t sea salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 bunch spinach, washed well and drained,  then roughly chopped
3 t freshly squeezed lemon juice


Wash asparagus and chop the tough ends off.  Set aside to drain.

Remove green tops from carrots and scrub them really well.  There's no need to peel them if organic.  Thinly slice with a knife or on a mandoline.

Peel and slice the onion along the grain/lines into 1/4 inch thick strips.  Chop asparagus into 1-2 inch pieces.

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.  Toss in the zucchini, onions, carrots, and peppers.  Saute about 3 minutes, stirring frequently.  Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.  Add asparagus and cook for another minute or so.

Add spinach to the mix and cover for 30-60 seconds so the leaves wilt.  Uncover, stir, and test asparagus and carrots for doneness.  Finish with lemon juice and enjoy.