Courgette, Corn, and Tomato Sautee

Fresh corn looses its sweet flavour soon after harvesting. I read (in The Vegetable Bible) that corn is past its best only a few hours after it is picked. I guess this explains why frozen corn often tastes so good. It is frozen immediately after harvest, thus preserving both nutrition and taste.

This side dish hardly requires a recipe (though I was inspired by a recipe in Weeknight Wonders by Ellie Krieger). It's really just a bunch of vegetables sauteed together. Heat some oil, add onions and garlic, then some other vegetables, and serve with your regularly scheduled dinner. So simple.

The idea is to pick vegetables that have some kind of theme--and cook in roughly the same amount of time in the frying pan. Corn, courgettes, and tomatoes fit the bill as they are all soft and summery. You could easily substitute bell peppers, snap peas, baby corn, shredded Brussels sprouts, frozen or fresh peas, Asian greens, collard greens, or any other soft vegetable that you like. A handful of spinach and herbs are added right at the end.

MFK Fisher said, "No vegetable should be cooked as long as you think." Wise words that I am trying to implement in my kitchen. Overcooked corn is nasty and tasteless, so don't do it. That quick-frozen corn would be wasted if overcooked.

This dish is part of our Eating with Ellie blogging group. If you want to join us, next week we are making pasta fagioli with zucchini from Weeknight Wonders. You are welcome to join us; no long term commitment required. Visit the others in my blogging group to see if they liked the recipe.

Do you use frozen vegetables frequently?

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