Vegetables on Parade

Sweet Corn:

It is delicious! Go get some. It turned out perfectly when we put in a pot of cool water, set it on the stove, and let it cook until it came to a rolling boil. When it was time to eat, my fiance was desperately searching for a slice of bread to go with his corn (okay, maybe he wasn't that frantic). His family puts a square of butter on a slice of bread which they then use to butter their corn on the cob. My family sets out the butter dish and melts down a stick when it's sweet corn season. How do you butter your corn?

Baked Zucchini Fries:

This recipe came straight off of about.com. Dinnertime was drawing near, and I knew I wanted to turn my zucchini into baked fries, but I hadn't settled on a recipe. Since someone had eaten almost all the eggs, this recipe was most appealing because it called for only one egg. Changes I made: I used only 1 cup of breadcrumbs and still had quite a bit left over. I didn't blend anything in the food processor either.

Spaghetti Squash:

While I was at a wonderful market on the side of the road, I overheard a woman sharing "the most fantastic way to cook spaghetti squash" with another customer. Since I had just made spaghetti squash the night before (and thought it could have gone better), I asked her about her technique. Here is what she told me.

Cook in the Crock-Pot on high for 3 hours.

That's it. You do not need to poke holes in it or do anything to the squash. I purchased another spaghetti squash and decided to try again using this method. It worked great! I scrubbed up my squash and placed it in the Crock-Pot and cranked that magic contraption up to high. I think it could have been done at 2 hours. I pulled mine out around 2 and 1/2 hours. When your squash starts to look sweaty and it marks up easily when you poke it, it is done. 

Take the squash out with potholder(s) and place it on a cutting surface. Puncture the squash with a sharp knife to let out some of the steam and then slice into it. Seeds and goop in the middle should scoop out very easily (I used a spoon from the silverware drawer). The fleshy part of the squash cooked so long that it is already coming apart in beautiful spaghetti strands. It might be best to let the spaghetti squash rest for a bit before handling, but if you are too hungry to wait, proceed with caution and use potholders. When emptied, you will notice that the outer wall of the squash is very rubbery and flexible. 

Since spaghetti squash does not have a strong flavor, it is very versatile and will work with many different kinds of sauces. In this picture I added about a Tbsp of butter; a splash of milk;  a dash of salt, pepper, and garlic powder; and a few shakes of Italian seasoning. Fresh grated Parmesan cheese was served on top.