Summer Harvest Saute

When I looked inside my fridge this afternoon, it was empty, except for a sad little lonely zucchini, so I figured it was time to do some grocery shopping to find something to go with it for dinner.  But it was sunny out, and there was nothing on the agenda, so I decided instead to stop by the community garden.

I'm glad I did, because a fellow gardener was there harvesting a bed full of potatoes which he was happy to share.  He also said I could help myself to the hot peppers - don't mind if I do!  These are the kind that turn red and eventually dry into hot pepper flakes which I'll be using later in the season.  The stringbeans were also in abundance, so I filled a bag with a motherlode that will last me all weekend.  The row of lettuce leaf basil was absolutely gorgeous and so thick it was like a hedge.  I picked a couple of bunches because you can't go wrong with basil.

When I brought my haul back home, I wasn't sure how it would all come together.  A tomato based sauce?  Curry?  Instead, I opted for something incredibly simple, which at first I thought might be bland and boring, but because the veggies were so fresh, the minimal ingredients really let the summery flavors shine.

This is my incredibly quick, easy, and surprisingly delicious recipe for a summer saute that can be used as a side dish, or in my case tonight, as a perfect dinner.

Summer Harvest Saute
2 all purpose potatoes, cubed
2 big handfuls of stringbeans, trimmed and cut in half
1 large zucchini, cut into half moons
1 cup yellow onion, diced
1 Tbl olive oil
1-2 Tbl Earth Balance margarine
1 Tbl Dijon mustard
sea salt
fresh basil

Place potatoes in a pot of boiling water and boil until fork tender, about 10 minutes.  Remove and drain.  Add stringbeans and boil for 5 minutes, or until soft.  At the risk of overcooking the stringbeans, they soak up the sauce and taste surprisingly buttery if cooked beyond the bright green stage.  Drain and set side.  Meanwhile, in a large pot, saute zucchini and onions in a pan with olive oil on medium low heat.  Cook approximately 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until soft. Add the margarine and Dijon mustard, then turn off the burner and let the heat of the pan melt the margarine.  Stir together to form a sauce and season with sea salt.  Garnish with a chiffonade of fresh basil.