What to do with the harvest bounty

MARENGO - Karen Olson likes to keep her meals fresh and simple.

Anything that comes out of the garden can be eaten fresh, steamed, grilled or added to a salad or stir fry, she said.

For more than 25 years, Karen and her husband, Dick, have operated Hillcrest Garden Market on P Avenue just south of Highway 6 between South Amana and Marengo.

Although the past few months have been cooler than typical Iowa summers, produce is still bountiful at the market, Hillcrest's growing season is from mid-April to October.

Cool-weather crops such as asparagus, lettuce and cabbage

have done especially well this year, Karen said.

Seasonal crops in August include sweet corn, tomatoes, melons, potatoes, cucumbers, summer squash and zucchini.

The Olsons pick produce fresh every day before they open the market at 10 a.m.

One of Karen Olson's favorite recipes is gazpacho - a cold tomato-based soup filled with vegetables straight from the garden - cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes and onions.

“It has all the fresh green taste of all your vegetables,” Karen Olson said.

In May 2000, she released a cookbook, “Iowa's Garden Market Cookbook: Recipes and Idea for Hillcrest Market.”

The recipes and tips - organized by fruit or vegetable - are from friends, family and customers.

The Olsons don't plan to reprint the sold-out cookbook, but offer some tips.

Karen Olson likes to cook fresh cabbage on the grill. Cut the heart out, fill with water and turn over and drain. Put butter or margarine in the middle, wrap in aluminum foil and put on the grill on medium heat for about an hour.

To accessorize, put precooked ham or bacon inside the cabbage before grilling.

Dick Olson likes to roast sweeter types of sweet corn right on the grill. Husk the corn, brush with olive oil and grill it just a few minutes on each side, he said.

“When the yellow kernels turn darker yellow, it's done,” he said.

If you don't like the corn so toasted, pull back the husk, remove the silk, dip in water or brush with olive oil and put the husk back on the ear before grilling, Karen said.

You can also dip the ears in water, season and wrap in tin foil before grilling, she said.

If boiling sweet corn, put a little salt and the water and don't boil for too long.

The sweet corn season is long, Karen said, so try a bunch of different ways to cook it until you find what you like.