Father’s Day is just around the corner, the grill is ready to fire up, the smell of freshly-cut grass floats in the air, and the farmers are harvesting their summer row crops. After a long, wet winter, the weather is now perfect for fresh summer vegetables. Sweet and hot peppers and tasty summer squash are ready to be added to the grill. Never grilled vegetables? You’re missing something special if you haven’t tried them this way.
Summer vegetables are available from June through most of September. And the freshest vegetables are available at your farmers’ market in lots of special varieties you won’t find anywhere else. Toss some sliced Italian zucchini and eight-ball squash directly on the grill; or wrap in foil, add a little olive oil and garlic, then add to the grill; or cut in chunks, slide onto a skewer and make veggie kabobs.
Prolific as well as versatile, these summer lovelies come in many forms: squash in yellow crookneck, zucchini, globe, Italian, pattypan and other delicious varieties; peppers in sweet and hot varieties like bells, Thai chiles, Anaheim, poblano, and habanero.
Peppers and summer squash of all varieties are very easy to prepare and cook, both are loaded with vitamins, minerals and fiber and both are very low in calories. Pick up those that have no mold or soft spots and that are firm and heavy for their size. Store in the refrigerator bin unwashed before using. They’ll both last up to a week.
Fresh squash and peppers come to us directly from those who grew them — farms like First Generation Farmers out of Brentwood with zephyr, zucchini and yellow squash, and peppers like Fresno, jalapeno and colorful sweet bell peppers. Swank Farms from Hollister has a wide variety of peppers like poblano, bells in all colors, and Anaheim, and summer squash such as flying saucer, eight-ball and Italian.
Bautista Ranch will be back at the market this summer with bell peppers of all colors from purple and green to orange and red. Their varieties of hot peppers are numerous, from mildly hot to fiery. Their summer squash includes pattypan, golden rod, and eight-ball. So bring a big reusable shopping bag to the farmers’ market and pick up some of the best squash and peppers you can find. Here’s to good summer eatin’, fresh from your local farmers market.
Debra Morris is a promotions coordinator for the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association and writes the Time Is Ripe column. Contact her at debramorris@pcfma.com.
Recipe: Grilled Summer Vegetables in Foil
2 summer squashes (zucchini, yellow or other) cut into chunks
2 bell peppers, seeded, cut in chunks
1 large yellow or white onion, peeled, cut into chunks
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
In a large bowl, toss all the ingredients in olive oil. Divide vegetables onto two large pieces of heavy-duty foil and wrap tightly. Place on the grill over indirect medium heat. Cook for about 20 minutes, and it serves four.
source: Debra Morris, PCFMA
