Fresh from the Veggie Bin

With fresh greens and veggies springing up everywhere in the garden, cooking a creative meal from that veggie bin (your own backyard) rates high on the healthy scale. So what’s piling up in that garden?

As Mark Twain once said, “Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.” So if you like the taste of a good food fight, here’s a quick stir-fry recipe creating summer sizzle with crunch and heat while those fresh veggies duke it out.

What you’ll need:

A wok

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

4 to 5 dried Thai Chili Peppers

2 tablespoons fresh ginger minced

1 Onion chopped

2 cloves Garlic minced

2 Summer Squash sliced

½ cup Coconut milk

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon sugar

1 to 2 cups Snap peas

10 sprigs fresh Thai Basil

Sriracha sauce (optional)

Heat olive oil in the wok. Put dried chili peppers in heated oil for 2 minutes (high heat).

Add the minced fresh ginger, garlic and chopped onion and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes.

Add sliced summer squash and sauté for 5 minutes.

Add soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, sugar, fish sauce and coconut milk. Simmer with lid off to reduce and make a sauce. Once thickened, add snap peas for another 2 to 3 minutes. Keep the peas crunchy. Don’t overcook. Add salt and pepper to taste. Chop up and add your Thai basil and serve on a plate over rice or just as is. If you want to kick it up a notch, you can add Sriracha sauce. It compliments the coconut flavor.

So there you have it; fresh from the veggie bin. And whatever you might be missing from that garden, your local farmer’s markets should be able to supplement you with all those extras. Or you can get creative with your own food fight delight and work with what’s popping up in your own garden! Have a great weekend. 

Image of what’s fresh this morning from the veggie bin by Ann Bilowz

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