Turn your garden bounty into veggie 'fries'

Many parents look for ways to incorporate more vegetables into their kids' diets. I'd wager that many adults also struggle to eat the recommended three cups daily. Baked veggie fries can help, deliciously. With their crispy texture and the pleasure of dunking them into zesty dips, they're a kid favorite. And the hands-on method of preparing them is fun for everyone if you don't mind getting a little messy.

Lots of vegetables can be turned into fries, beyond the obvious potato. Asparagus, beets, carrots, jicama, parsnips, turnips, and zucchinis all work well. Here I used green beans and eggplant because that's what's bursting from the garden these days. I also used a bunch of tomatoes to whip together a quick marina for the eggplant - and a lemony yogurt-dill dip pairs with the green bean fries. Feel free to experiment with different vegetables, spices and dipping sauces to suit your tastes. Let the kids direct their choices. If they want ketchup, use ketchup. They'll be vested in the outcome and more likely to dig into their finished creations. Have them juice the lemon, press the garlic, beat the eggs, stir the sauce and dredge the vegetables. Getting them involved with the cooking will turn them into enthusiastic eaters.

The general approach will remain the same: vegetable spears given an egg wash and a roll in bread crumbs and cheese before being baked at high heat. The results will be crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside, satisfying without the big hit of fat and calories that comes from frying. Finely milled cornmeal can sub for the bread crumbs, and nutritional yeast is a vegan option to swap in for the cheese that still packs a flavor and protein punch. You can add seasoning directly to the breadcrumb mixture or sprinkle onto the vegetables before or after baking. I tried everything bagel spice and seed mix on the green beans and loved it.

A simple yogurt dip accompanies these green bean fries. A trick for taming the harshness while retaining the raw aromatics' flavor is to let the shallot and garlic bathe in the lemon juice for a few minutes. The recipe uses fresh herbs - dill and oregano - but parsley, thyme or tarragon would all be good. If you have an herb garden, let the kids harvest a bunch and hold a blind taste test. I use eye masks saved from past trans-Atlantic flights for this, but kitchen towels or bandanas work just fine.

I don't bother peeling the tomatoes when I make marinara. Instead, I save time and retain more nutrients by pulsing them in a food processor. I keep them chunky if using them for pasta, but I gave this finished sauce a whirl with my immersion blender to make a smooth dipping sauce. If you don't have a premixed Italian seasoning, root around in your spice cabinet and see what you have. You can use any combination of oregano, marjoram, thyme, basil, rosemary, sage, garlic, red chili flakes and fennel seed in your sauce. It will all taste better than anything out of a jar. I add smoked paprika, which is optional but gives a distinctive flavor that's well-suited to the eggplant.

For the marinara sauce, any tomato can be used, not just the paste type. Go with what you've grown, or what looks good at the market. August is prime tomato time, so you should find many local options wherever you shop. As for the green beans, I like using the large ones in this preparation. The thinner haricots verts are a little too delicate, so I used a common pole bean called Kentucky Wonder that retains a pleasant “beany” taste after baking that holds up to the coating.

Similarly, you could use any eggplant in this recipe, but the meatier globe types are best suited. Save the skinny Asian types for a stir fry. Given how addictive they are, it's unlikely you will have any leftover eggplant fries. But if you do, they are amazing atop pasta, doused in marinara.

Leslie Meredith is the winner of the 2019 Cook of the Week Challenge and a mother from Arlington Heights. She runs School of Food out of her home. See the school's Facebook page @learngrowcookeat or contact Leslie at food@dailyherald.com.

Garden Veggie Fries with Dipping Sauce Duo

For the veggie fries

Cooking spray

4 cups fresh green beans, washed and trimmed

1 medium eggplant, about 1 pound, sliced into 1-inch strips

2 cups bread crumbs

¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or garlic powder (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

3 eggs

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment and mist with cooking spray.

Mix the bread crumbs, cheese and seasoning in a medium bowl.

Whisk eggs in another bowl.

Dip the vegetables into the eggs then into the breadcrumb mixture. Place the beans and eggplant on separate baking sheets, in single layers.

Bake the eggplant for 25 minutes until turning golden and the beans for 15 minutes or until starting to brown.

Serves 4-6

For the marinara dipping sauce

1 tablespoons olive oil

½ onion, chopped

2 large cloves garlic, pressed or minced

4 large tomatoes, stems removed and roughly chopped

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

1½ teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Heat the oil over medium heat in a stock pot or Dutch oven. Add the onions and cook for a few minutes until soft, then add garlic and continue cooking another minute or two.

Add tomatoes and seasoning. Bring up to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Allow sauce to simmer and thicken for about an hour, stirring occasionally. As this is being used as a dipping sauce, you want it to be on the thick side. Remove from heat and stir in the vinegar. Use an immersion blender to mix until smooth. Serve with eggplant fries.

For the yogurt-dill dip

½ a fresh lemon, juiced

1 small clove garlic, minced or pressed

1 small shallot, minced

1 cup plain Greek yogurt, full-fat preferred

1 tablespoon each minced fresh dill and oregano (or substitute 1 teaspoon each dried)

Salt and pepper to taste

Add garlic and shallot to the lemon juice in a small bowl and set aside for 10 minutes or more. Add remaining ingredients and mix together. Serve as a dip for the green bean fries.