Fresh and Flavorful

Celebrate the Last of Summer’s Bounty

As the end of summer approaches, the garden peaks, and roadside stands and farmers markets are brimming over with fresh produce. At this point we are taking summer ripe tomatoes for granted, and many of us have been trying to give our surplus cucumbers and zucchini to anyone who will take them. Nights are just a bit cooler and the air smells different–autumn is coming. It is time to celebrate the season with the last of the garden’s bounty. Gather these fruits of the earth, along with friends and family, and savor the flavors of summer before they’re gone.

September and October are harvest months when we gather the last of the summer bounty to savor at the table and preserve for the coming winter. While we harvest the last of the peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, corn, squash, and beans, the fall crops are just starting to arrive. Red, yellow, orange, and green chile peppers are at their peak, so gather the harvest or visit your local farmers market and store some of them to warm you during the long months to come.

Roast and peel chiles and enjoy them now while they are abundant in chile rellenos, chile con queso, quesadillas, green chile, and even your scrambled eggs. Or roast and freeze them with their skins on (they will slip right off when you thaw them out) so that you can have hot chiles inside when it’s chilly outside. Make salsa, pickle peppers, put up some chowchow or relish, and freeze farm-fresh corn that won’t be available come winter.

The following recipe combines a traditional Native American trio of veggies with the chile harvest. Known as the “three sisters,” corn, beans, and squash are often planted together. The familial allusion refers to how they depend on one another and coexist: Beans use the corn for support while feeding both the corn and squash with the nitrogen they fix in the soil. Mounds are made in the garden, and two or three corn seeds are planted in the center.

Once the corn germinates, four beans are sown around the corn facing the four cardinal directions: north, south, east, and west. The beans sprout, and their vines grow up around the corn, using it like a trellis. Around the base of the mounds on four sides, the squash are planted; not only do they provide shade and act as mulch for the mound, their huge leaves and scratchy stems and stalks also deter varmints from munching on the beans and corn.

This dish wouldn’t be complete without chiles for heat and just the right flavor–try the Three Sisters Sauté for an end-of-the-season medley–you will find it as colorful as it is tasty.

Three Sisters Sauté

Squash, beans, and corn are crops that are often grown together in the southwestern U.S. and are commonly referred to by Native Americans as the three sisters. This sauté is easy to make, and the measurements, as you can see, do not need to be exact. Sometimes, I might not have a bell pepper; other times I might add a ripe tomato, finely chopped. If you don’t like cilantro, substitute fresh basil or Italian flat-leaved parsley combined with some Italian oregano. The roasted chiles add a wonderful flavor. If you want more heat, add serranos or jalapeños according to taste.

There are many ways to use this sauté–it can be served as a main course garnished with some shredded cheddar and warm, whole-wheat tortillas or rolled up to make enchiladas or burritos. It is a delicious accompaniment to any south-of-the-border fare, with grilled fish, fowl, or meat, and it is great leftover in a quesadilla or scrambled eggs. Later in the season, when summer vegetables are gone, I make this using a winter squash–such as butternut, acorn, or Delicata–or a small pumpkin, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces; dried chiles like ancho or pasilla reconstituted in a little hot water or broth; and frozen corn.

Serves 6 to 8



• About 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil or cold-pressed vegetable oil
• 2 1/2 to 3 cups chopped zucchini, patty pan, or chayote squash
• 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 3/4 to 1 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1 or 2 serranos or jalapeños, halved, seeded, and sliced, optional
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 3 generous cups fresh or frozen corn
• 2 poblano or Anaheim chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 15 ounce can (or about 1 1/2 to 2 cups cooked) black beans, drained and rinsed
• About 1 teaspoon cumin seed, toasted and ground
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup freshly chopped cilantro
• Lime
• 1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese, optional garnish

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed sauté pan. Add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes.

If you are using zucchini, halve lengthwise and slice in 1/4-inch slices; if using patty pan or chayote, quarter and slice into 1/4-inch slices. Add the squash, bell pepper, and jalapeño. Sauté for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the garlic, corn, roasted chiles, black beans, and cumin. Stir well and season with salt and pepper. Cover, reduce heat to moderate, and cook for about 5 minutes. Covering the pan should bring out enough juices from the corn and squash that the addition of liquid is not necessary. If the pan is dry, add a bit of water, vegetable stock, or white wine.

Add the cilantro and squeeze a wedge of lime into the pot.

Stir, remove from heat, and cover for a few minutes before serving. Taste for seasoning. Serve in a warm bowl or on individual plates with the grated cheese as garnish if desired.

Say Farewell to the Summer Season: Get the last fruits of summer–peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums, and cherries–use them in cobblers, crisps, cakes, and pies and preserve their sweetness in jams, jellies, and even vinegars.

Welcome in the Autumn Season: Look for new apples, pears, and grapes ripening in the garden and appearing at the market, along with salad greens, greens for cooking, cole crops, winter squash, and pumpkins.

–Susan Belsinger