Fresh summer vegetables provide savory, hearty dishes

Carrots, green beans and zucchini tumble in profusion on local gardens, produce shelves and at farmers markets now. Today we bring you some wonderful recipes to fully appreciate and enjoy them.

Nut/Herb Snap Beans

1/2 cup peeled hazelnuts

OR almonds, pecans or walnuts, finely chopped

1 pound fresh snap beans (green, Roma, or wax beans), ends snipped, cut diagonally into 2-inch pieces

1 tablespoon oil (nut or light olive oil)

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon minced fresh fennel fronds

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger (or candied or preserved ginger)

1 garlic clove, minced

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Blanch the beans in a pot of boiling salted water for about 3 minutes.

Drain, rinse in cold water, pat dry and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat oil and butter over medium heat.

Add fennel, ginger and garlic and cook, stirring until soft, about 2 minutes.

Add the beans and nuts of choice and cook until hot, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper and serve. (Serves four).

Tip: Try other fresh herbs such as tarragon, thyme, basil, savory, dill, mint, sage, or parsley.

Veggie Medley with Peanut Sauce

1 pound baby whole carrots, peeled

1 pound green beans, trimmed, cut in 2-inch pieces

6 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup minced onion

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/4 cup finely chopped peanuts

2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs

Steam carrots in saucepan for 5 minutes; add green beans and steam 5-7 minutes longer or till tender-crisp. Keep warm.

Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add onion, saute 4 minutes. Stir in salt and peanuts; cook until peanuts are toasted.

Arrange carrots and green beans on serving plate (see illustration), drizzle with the peanut sauce and top with bread crumbs. Serves six.

• If you use crushed flavored croutons for the bread crumbs you may forego the seasoning salt.

Now, a dessert to die for! Instead of the usual zucchini bread, make this incredible layer cake!

Zucchini Chocolate Cake

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup baking cocoa

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons soda

3/4 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon nutmeg

3 eggs

2 cups shredded zucchini

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup milk

Cinnamon-cream cheese frosting (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda and salt in bowl. Cream butter, sugar and spices in a separate bowl until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, mix well. Stir in zucchini and vanilla. Add flour mixture and milk alternately, mixing well after each addition.

Pour into 2 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans.

Bake 30 minutes until layers test done. Cool in pans 5 minutes then remove to wire rack to cool completely. Frost and serve to 10 grateful people.

Cinnamon Frosting

3 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup butter, softened

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1-pound package confectioners’ sugar

1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat cream cheese, butter and cinnamon in bowl until fluffy. Add confectioners’ sugar alternately with milk, beating well after each addition.

Stir in vanilla, spread generously on top of each cake layer as cake is assembled.

(Editor’s note: For many years, Valle Novak has written gardening and cooking columns for the Daily Bee. “Weekend Gardener” and “Country Chef” became renowned for their humor, information and common sense advice on how to do everything from planting to cooking. While she recently retired, she has shared a number of columns to delight her many fans. This is one such column, originally published Sept. 2, 2007.)