Summer squash Cooking—Wash summer squash gently before using. Remove both Summer vegetables ends but do not peel. Remove the ummer vegetables offer seeds if the squash is large. a wide variety of colors, PART Summer squash contains a lot of Stextures, and flavors— water, so you may want to salt the ( ) not to mention vitamins, 2 squash and allow it to drain before minerals, and fiber. If you’re ummer squash comes in a cooking to prevent your dish from looking to try something variety of colors and shapes. becoming mushy. new or find some inspiration SThe most popular type is for your cooking, you may zucchini,which is straight and green. Uses enjoy experimenting with Yellow straightneck squash is a yel- Brush with olive oil and grill or less common varieties of low version of zucchini, and yellow sauté with onion, garlic, and pepper. familiar favorites. crookneck squash tapers toward the Slice raw and use in salads. stem end and has a slightly bumpy Add to soups, sauces, and stir-fries. texture. Pattypan squash is small, greenish-white, and disk-shaped. Zucchini pie Summer squash is available from July through early fall. 1 large zucchini, sliced apple pie spices to taste Tips 2 tbsp. flour Buying—Select small- to medium- sized squash—zucchini and yellow ½ c. sugar straightneck less than 7 inches long pastry for double pie crust and pattypan less than 4 inches in Mix zucchini with spices, flour, and diameter. Avoid squash with soft sugar. Pour filling into piecrust pastry spots or wrinkled skin. and bake for 50 minutes at 375°F. Storing—Summer squash must be Optional: Dot the pie filling with tabs refrigerated. Store in a plastic bag in of butter (about 1½ tbsp. per pie) the crisper drawer for up to 1 week. before putting on the top crust. —Sande Eldredge and son David Flood, Twinhawks Hollow Farm, Hillsboro, WI Cooperative Extension © 2011 University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents and University of Wisconsin- Extension, Cooperative Extension. All rights reserved. An EEO/AA employer, the University of Wisconsin-Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and programming, including Title IX and ADA requirements. This publication is available from your county UW-Extension office (www.uwex.edu/ces/cty) or from Cooperative A3900-03 Extension Publishing (1-877-947-7827 or learningstore.uwex.edu). Summer Vegetables (Part 2) (A3900-03) I-02-2011 Beans Carrots Cooking—Wash thoroughly in cold arrots are close relatives of cel- water and snap off ¼ inch from ery, cilantro, dill, parsley, parsnip, each end. Beans cooked whole Cand Queen Anne’s Lace, or wild retain more nutrients, but you can carrot. They originated in middle Asia also cut them into pieces. Steam and were cultivated in Afghanistan or boil uncovered until beans are 2000–3000 years ago. The first carrots bright and tender but not soft grown were purple and pale yellow Uses (about 10–15 minutes). and were traditionally used to treat Serve fresh with dip or make carrot here are several types of edible- stomach problems and liver and slaw with apples or dried fruit. pod beans—snap beans (green Uses kidney ailments. Orange carrots were Add to soups, sauces, or stir-fries, Add to soups, stews, or stir-fries. Tand wax); haricots verts (a thin- not cultivated until the 17th century, or puree with onions to make a ner, French green bean); and Italian Toss with olive oil or marinate in a in the Netherlands. creamy soup. green beans (broad, flat pods also dill vinaigrette. Carrots are available from May to called Romano beans). There are also October in Wisconsin. Moroccan carrot salad purple wax beans, which turn bright Sweet and hot green beans green when cooked; scarlet runner 6–8 medium carrots, peeled and cut ½ c. sugar Tips into julienne strips (2 cups) beans, which resemble Romano Buying—Carrots may be sold with ½ c. white wine vinegar beans but have scarlet seeds; and or without their tops—loose, in 2 tsp. paprika yard-long beans, which originated in ¼–½ tsp. dried crushed red pepper bunches, or in bags. Select carrots ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper Asia and grow up to 18 inches long. 1 garlic clove, minced that are bright and firm. Avoid shriv- 1 tsp. cumin Edible-pod beans are available from 1 lb. fresh green beans, stalk ends eled, soft, or cracked carrots. The 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice mid-summer until frost. trimmed, tips left on ones with small cores are sweeter than those with large, woody cores. 1 tbsp. sugar Buying—Select beans that are Whisk together sugar and vinegar To select carrots with small cores, 1/3 c. mild olive oil brightly colored and “snap” when until sugar dissolves. Stir in red pep- look for carrots with small shoul- salt broken. (Haricots verts may not per and garlic. Cover and let stand 4 ders (the top of the carrot where snap because they are so thin.) Do hours. Whisk together spices, lemon juice, the leaves are attached). not buy woody, stringy, tough- and sugar. Gradually add the olive oil Bring a large pot of water to a rolling skinned, or wilted beans, or those Storing—To reduce water loss during and season to taste with salt. boil. Drop in trimmed green beans with seeds bulging through the storage, remove the carrot tops if and cook for 1 minute. Drain imme- Heat medium pot of water to boiling. pod. Select similar-sized beans to they are still attached. Refrigerate diately. Plunge beans into ice water Salt the water, drop in the carrots, and ensure uniform cooking time. in a plastic bag and use within 1–2 to stop the cooking and brighten the cook until crisp-tender. Drain carrots, weeks. Storing—Unwashed beans may vegetable. Drain. Place beans in bowl. put them in a mixing bowl, and toss in be stored in a plastic bag in your Cooking—Wash with cold water vinaigrette while still warm. Serves 6 Pour vinegar mixture over beans. Toss refrigerator’s crisper section for up and scrub with a vegetable brush to 8 as part of an antipasto selection. to coat. Let stand one hour before to 2 weeks, but it’s best to eat them before using. Eat carrots raw or serving. —Joyce Goldstein, as soon as possible. They lose their cook them with a little vegetable The Mediterranean Kitchen flavor and nutrients as time passes. Note: You can also use sliced carrots oil to help the body absorb beta- in place of green beans. To freeze beans for long-term stor- carotene, one of the many nutrients age, blanch them in boiling water —Martha Davis Kipcak, in carrots. Avoid overcooking, as it for 2 minutes, then rinse in cold Afterglow Farm decreases the carotene level. water, dry, and store in an airtight container. c. = cup, lb. = pound, tbsp. = tablespoon, tsp. = teaspoon.