For the past two weekends,  we have had fresh green beans and sliced squash sautéed with a little onion, for Sunday dinner.
My mother-in-law,  Sandra Sisson, is an avid gardener and having fresh vegetables from her garden is a special treat! It makes her so happy, and the crowd loves it!
Earlier in the spring, she had a little bit of fresh lettuce and carrots in the garden. But nothing beats tomatoes, okra, and corn on the cob.
In honor of National Fresh Vegetable Month, I asked Facebook and Twitter friends and followers what there favorite fresh vegetables are from the garden.
Carolyn Swanson of Duck Hill said she loves fresh green beans cooked with bacon and onions. Personally, I love fresh green beans with a little salt. I can eat them like French fries in the summer. I bet they would be even more awesome with onions and bacon–everything is better with bacon! YUM!!!
Pat Boatman of Stewart loves fried green tomatoes.
“I can eat them as fast as they are put on the platter. Yum!” Boatman said.
Me too! Another summer favorite! Sandra can make them just like The Veranda or The Little Dooey in Starkville, which is just exactly how I like them–sliced very thin, dredged in flour or cornmeal, salt and pepper and pan-fried in a little oil or butter. The batter is not too thick. I love fried eggplant and onion rings cooked exactly the same way! YUM!
I like my “Southern Popcorn” little more cornmeal, but not completely covered in a batter, and pan-fried or in a deep fryer. Who doesn’t LOVE fried okra? We pick at one another about who gets to sit closer to the bowl of okra at lunch on Sundays in the summer.
Fried okra
Sliced okra and roll in cornmeal mixed with salt and pepper. Using just a little oil, enough to cover the bottom, fry the okra. Cover for the first minute then uncover and cook until brown.
And then there’s watermelon and corn on the cob. Usually ready a little closer to July 4th, the first corn on the cob and the first watermelons of the year are small celebrations. I think every time you have hot, buttery corn on the cob, there should be a celebration!
Other than corn on the cob, fried corn is awesome!
Fried corn
Cut 4 ears corn from the cob and put half a stick of margarine in a frying pan. Cook 10 to 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper along with 1 teaspoon sugar and stir until corn mixture starts to stick. Add water and cook 10 more minutes. Pour into a casserole dish and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
And summer squash is incredible just about any way it is served. While I am a big fan of squash cut up in a pan with salt and onions and butter, fried for a few minutes and served, we also love yellow squash casserole and squash dressing.
Yellow squash casserole
4 – 5 fresh squash
1 onion
1/2 stick of real butter
Crackers
Cut up squash and onion and boil until tender. Mash and add butter. Crush crackers on top and bake at 350 degrees until it bubbles and crackers brown.
Squash dressing
2 cups of squash cooked, drained and mashed
Two cups of homemade cornbread
One can of cream of chicken soup for one can of chicken broth
Two eggs, beaten
One stick of margarine
1 medium onion or 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
3/4 cup celery, chopped
Salt & Pepper to taste
Mix and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
Do you have a favorite fresh vegetable recipe for the summertime? Email me at GwenWoodsSisson@yahoo.com