Summer Produce - Gone Spicy!

Summer garden produce - ah, what a delight! Fresh vegetables at every meal - picked just a few minutes before being served. Even folks not lucky enought to live on a ranch can enjoy growing theri own vegetables. Large plastic tubs are very inexpensive and can be filled with a combination of equal amounts of sand, peat moss, and potting soil. I like to keep a couple by the kitchen door for easy access and in the sunroom for an extended season. (We've had excellent luck with cherry tomatoes, bush-variety cucumbers, and zucchini.)

Much of our garden produce is canned but there is plenty to enjoy fresh. Almost any cooked vegetable can be spiced up with some green chiles and grated cheddar cheese. But if you're looking for something a little different, a little spicy and Southwestern, try one of the recipes below:

*Spicy Cauliflower and Carrots* Fast and spicy

1 head of cauliflower, broken into florets 3 carrots, shredded 3 T. butter 2 pickled jalpeno peppers, minced 3 green onions, chopped 1/2 t. ground cumin 1/2 t. salt 1/2 t. pepper

Boil cauliflower in a saucepan of water for about 3 minutes. Set aside in a serving dish. Melt butter in a skillet and add the rest of the ingredients. Cook for about 1 minute. Scrape and pour over the cauliflower. Serve warm.

*Garlicky Green Beans* Only for garlic lovers!

3 T. butter 1 head of garlic, minced 1 jalapeno pepper, minced 1 lb fresh green beans 1/2 t. salt 1/4 t. pepper

Melt butter in a heavy skillet and lightly cook the garlic. Add the jalapeno and set aside. Cook green beans in a sucepan of boiling water for 3-5 minutes. Drain the beans, toss with the garlic/pepper butter and season with salt and pepper.

*Peas and Chorizo* Try to find the spicy chorizo sausage in the refrigerator case or an ethnic market

3 c. peas 1/2 lb chorizo sausage 3 green onions, chopped

Cook peas in a saucpan of boiling water for 1-2 minutes. (No longer than that - otherwise they get mushy.) Cook chorizo in a skillet until browned - about 3 minutes. Stir in peas and green onions. Cook for about 1 more minute and serve warm.

*Mexican-style Carrots* Sweet and a terrific side dish

2 T. butter 5 carrots, sliced 1/2 t. cumin 1/2 t. salt 1/4 t. pepper 1 T. cilantro, chopped

Melt butter in a heavy skillet and cook the carrots for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the spices and cook for another minute or so. Stir in the cilantro and serve.

*South-of-the-Border Yellow Squash* Spicy, new way to serve a garden favorite

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