Veggies & Spuds / Cooking Aboard with Jill

Easy Summer Corn on the Cob

Summertime is when we crave corn on the cob. It is easy to prepare, and the microwave approach is my latest favorite. My newsletter from August 2026 discusses some other ways.

Perfect Glazed CarrotsI got this recipe from the March/April 2003 edition of “Cook’s Illustrated.” It has been one of my favorite ways to prepare carrots and it is super easy. When you cook carrots, they naturally become a little sweet. This recipe enhances that with a nice glaze.

Roasted ZucchiniRoasted Zucchini is very easy to prepare and because of the Italian seasoning and grated cheese, it’s delicious. The texture is nice as well as it’s tender on the inside and crunchy on the outside. If you have any leftover, you can freeze them and reheat in a hot oven. I would think you could also serve this as an appetizer with your favorite dipping sauce like my Homemade Ranch Dip or Dressing.

Easy Oven Roasted CarrotsThere are many ways to cook root vegetables including carrots, parsnips, and celery. They can be boiled, microwaved, or steamed. But my favorite is roasting them in the oven. While I admit it takes longer, the sweetness and tenderness of the carrots is the pay off. This is simply easy and delicious!

Parsley Potato Dumplings

Cheesy Hash Brown StacksCheesy Hash Brown Stacks are simple to make and an excellent side dish. This recipe is both rich and creamy. It is also a spin-off from a more complicated French potato gratin. While you can bake this in a casserole dish, using cupcake tins is perfect for making individual servings. When my neighbors tasted this side dish for me, their response was, “We need the recipe!”

Garlic Cauliflower PuréeGarlic cauliflower purée has the look and taste of mashed potatoes, but without any carbohydrates. This is an easy recipe to make, and you can substitute this with any recipe that requires mashed potatoes. One example might be Shepard’s pie with a mashed potato crust.

Zucchini PancakesIt seems that when zucchini is in season, I tend to always prepare them as a simple sauté. But it’s refreshing to make the zucchini pancakes as a new way to enjoy the vegetable. This is a simple recipe and because of squeezing out excess moisture, the pancakes are fluffy on the inside like a custard. Enjoy!

Southern Tomato PieWhat is interesting about this recipe for southern tomato pie is that it was created to use up tomatoes in summer when the crop is abundant. But you can make this recipe year around and even when fresh tomatoes don’t taste delicious. That is because baking tomatoes with the sweet onion and basil brings out the sweetness. This is an amazing pie that can be a light lunch with a salad or a side dish that serves 4 to 6.

Danish Potato SaladThis recipe for Danish potato salad (or kartoffel salat in Danish) comes from a visit with my Aunt Karen at her home just outside Copenhagen. She peels the new potatoes with a knife and then boils them to perfection. What makes this dish so great is that you start with the dressing first and then add the potatoes. If you love a good potato salad made with less mayonnaise than traditional American recipes, this one will not disappoint and is perfect for any family get together!

Lemon Garlic Zucchini NoodlesI love using a spiralizer. It is one of my favorite kitchen tools as it is easy to use (like a pencil sharpener), dishwasher safe, easy to store and inexpensive! What is especially fun about this recipe for lemon garlic zucchini noodles is the dish tastes decadent (though low in calories) and is easy to make. Dave and I end up eating the equivalent of a whole zucchini each as our side dish without even knowing it! And you can use the spiralizer for potatoes, cucumbers, carrots, apples, parsnips, and beet roots (just to name a few). What a great way to get your veggies for dinner

Fingerling Potato SaladThe history of how potatoes came to our table is fascinating. They were discovered by Spanish explorers in the 16th century while in the new world and brought them back to Europe. After that, Europeans made potato salad by boiling in wine or a mixture of vinegar and spices. Now in southern Germany, potato salad can be hot or cold prepared with red potatoes, bacon, vinegar, salt, pepper, vegetable broth, mustard and onions. And in northern Germany, it is common for potato salad to be made with mayonnaise like the American counterpart. I have found a good potato salad comes from following a dependable recipe. The best potatoes to use are the waxy variety (thin skinned with the least amount of starch) … which are red, new or fingerling potatoes. I do love this recipe for fingerling potato salad. It’s crisp, fresh and a wonderful side dish for your main course.

Green Bean CasseroleThe classic green bean casserole was invented in 1955 by Campbell’s Soup Company. That was a banner year as the Brooklyn Dodgers won the world series and Disneyland opened in Los Angeles, California. At the time, the Campbell’s soup company had its own test kitchen and provided recipe pamphlets to their customers. The green bean casserole has proven to be their signature recipe and has been a popular side dish for Thanksgiving ever since. I like the Green Bean Casserole and prefer to make it homemade with less sodium in the mushroom soup and using cremini mushrooms. There is one twist to my recipe, it cooks on low in the crock pot for a couple hours freeing yourself up for other tasks on Thanksgiving

RatatouilleRatatouille is a French stewed vegetable dish that can also be roasted in a hot oven. Typically, vegetables such as eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, or zucchini are used but you can use whatever is in season. I am sharing the version I learned about from Chef Haven’s cooking class except, this recipe was roasted in the oven. What seems to work the best is to be sure all the vegetables are cut to equal sizes. The ratatouille also freezes well.