SUMMER(WARM SEASON)

VEGETABLES

Summer or warm season vegetables need: sunshine (long hot days)

warm soilwarm air

In order to:grow and maturedevelop sugardevelop flavor

For warm season vegetables, cold temperatures mean:

no germination

no flowers

slow growth

no fruit

no flavor

What is in season?• Corn

• Cucumbers

• Eggplant

• Green beans

• Jimaca

• Lima Beans

• Okra

• Peppers

• Summer Squash

• Tomatoes

CORN

CORN

• VarietiesYellow Black

White Red

Blue Baby

Multi-colored

New varieties are extra sweet.Sugar converts to starch after harvesting.

BLACK CORN-PERU

BLUE CORN

RED CORN

MULTI-COLORED

ANCIENT CORN

WHITE CORN

CORN

• Cooking– Boiling – 3 to 5 minutes– Roasting– Grilling– Baking

• Commonly eaten on the cob in US.

CORN• CULTURE

– Mexico – 7,000 YEARS OLD– Thai – corn ice cream– Hispanic – masa, tamales, arepas, tortillas– US southern – corn meal, corn bread, corn

fritters– New England – corn chowder, corn pudding– Italy (north) - Polenta

• Animal fodder

MAYAN CORN MASK

INDIAN CORN

EVERYBODY LOVES CORN

CUCUMBERS

LEMON CUCUMBERS

ARMENIAN CUCUMBER

JAPANESE CUCMBER

WHITE CUCUMBERS ENGLISH (BURPLESS) CUCUMBERS

PICKLING CUCUMBERS

CUCUMBERS

• Native to India

• Commonly eaten raw – can be cooked

• Peeled or unpeeled

• 3 Basic Types

– Slicing or Salad

– Pickling

– Gherkins

CUCUMBERS

• Commercial – wax coating

• Shriveled ends = old

• Bitter taste – growing conditions

• Larger cukes = more seeds

• Remove seeds & gel– More digestible for some

– Prevents watering down dish

SNAP BEANS(GREEN BEANS)

SNAP/GREEN BEANS

• Varieties– Edible pod beans

• Snap

–Green

–Purple

• turn green

when cooked

SNAP BEANS

–Golden

–Wax • Look waxy• Don’ taste it

SNAP BEANS

– Romano

• Italian

• Thicker,flatter

– Haricot Vert

• Filet beans

• Pencil-thin

PEPPERS(CHILES)

PEPPERS

• Varities

Sweet• Bell• Pimiento• Banana• Italian

Hot• Chile• Jalapeno• Serrano• Tabasco• Cayenne • Hungarian Wax

Capsaicin Heat Veins and seeds Not the walls

Scoville Heat Units Measure of heat Jalapeno

2,500 to 4,000

Tabasco 60,000 to

80,000

Color not a factor

OKRA

OKRA

• Varieties– Green– Red– White

OKRA

OKRA FLOWER HIBISCUS FLOWER

OKRA• Large pods are tough

• Does not store well– Toughens

– Loses color

• Came from Africa on slave ships.

• Called “Lady Fingers”

OKRA

• Usually served hot

• Sticky juice – cooked

• Acts as thickener

• Described as

– Slimy

– Ropy

OKRA

Sti

• Popular in:– India

– Africa

– Caribbean

– Southern US

• Cajun

• Creole

OKRA• Cooking

– Boil– Braise– Steam– Saute– Microwave– Fry

• Southern US – dipped in cornmeal

TOMATOES

TOMATOES

• Varieties– Over 500

– Wide range of shapes, sizes, colors

• 3 Categories– Cherry Tomatoes

– Round/Slicing Tomatoes

– Plum/Paste Tomatoes

TOMATOES

• Heirloom– Old, non hybrid varieties

• Hybrid– A cross between 2 genetically different

plants

• Specialty– Different or unusual – might be a heirloom

or a hybrid

TOMATOES• Never refrigerate tomatoes – flavor loss

– Exceptions: extreme heat, over ripe

• Ripen in a brown bag out of sunlight• Vitamin A content determined by color

– Orange – most– Red and yellow– White – the least

• Nutrients in the gel aroundthe seeds

TOMATOES• Native to South America

• Believed poisonous until 1700’s

• In the top 5 favorite vegetables in US

• Each American eats 20 lbs. of fresh tomatoes annually, plus 70 lbs. of processed-ketchup, salsa, BBQ sauce

• Not a vegetable – a fruit

• Lycopene & beta carotene give red tomatoes their color

TOMATOES

• Southern US favorite– Fried Green Tomatoes

EGGPLANT

EGGPLANT• Varieties

–Color• Purple-black• Green• Pink• White• Yellow• Orange

EGGPLANT

–Shapes• Oval

• Oblong

• Round

VIETNAMESE EGGPLANT

TURKISH EGGPLANTCHINESE EGGPLANT

AFRICAN EGGPLANT

INDIAN EGGPLANT

ROSA BIANCA – ITALIAN EGGPLANT

AMERICAN EGGPLANT

THAI EGGPLANT

EGGPLANT• Name

– Early fruit small, white, round

• Culture– India or maybe China– Eggplant Parmigiana – Italy– Caponata – Italy– Ratatouille – France– Moussaka – Greece– Baba Ghanoush – Middle East

EGGPLANT• Cooking

– Never eaten raw

– Cook thoroughly

– Spongy texture

• Soaks up oil

– Cook quickly-hot pan

– Salt and press prior to cooking

• May remove bitterness

EGGPLANT• Limited storage

• Dull color, brown spots=old

• Peeling– Depends on the recipe

– Depends on the eggplant

• older & tougher - yes

• Discolors when cut

– Oxidizes

• lemon juice, water

NOT EVERYONE LIKES EGGPLANT

EGGPLANT – 0 – LANTERNS

SUMMER SQUASH

SUMMER SQUASH• Varieties

– Chayote – Crook-necked– Scalloped/Pattypan

• Green, yellow, white

– Straight• Green, yellow

–Zucchini– Round

• Sunburst

SUMMER SQUASH

• Summer and Winter Squash– Both grown in summer

– Summer is immature

– Winter is mature• Harvested in fall• Hardened rind

SUMMER SQUASH

• Small are best – no longer than 8 inches• Round squash – no larger than 4” dia.• Larger squash = more and larger seeds• 95% water• Absorbs other flavors• Do not peel• Eat raw or cooked• Flowers are edible

SUMMER SQUASH

• Cooking – DO NOT OVERCOOK!

• Steam

• Sauté

• Grill

• Bake

• Microwave

• Stuff

SUMMER SQUASH