Favorite Marinated Vegetables

Two weeks to the election and the country felt like a held breath. I was doing schoolwork and also reading news and also trying to be a normal junior in high school doing normal things, and the contradiction between those three activities was producing a low-frequency hum that I had learned to manage but not eliminate. MawMaw Shirley called every morning and the call had a particular quality of steadiness that I depended on. She had been through worse. She had gotten through worse. She knew what she knew about what endured and what didn't.

AP Language had a paper due: an analysis of a speech or public address of our choosing. I chose Fannie Lou Hamer's 1964 address to the Democratic National Convention Credentials Committee. I had read it in AP US History. I read it again for this paper and it was different on the second read — not because the words had changed but because I had more tools to understand what they were doing. The rhetorical structure, the direct appeal, the strategic use of personal testimony against bureaucratic language. Hamer was a better rhetorician than anyone who opposed her. I said so in my paper. Ms. Whitaker gave me 99. She said she took one point because she wanted me to know there was still something more to find. I said I would find it.

On Saturday I made a Louisiana-style vegetable stew — okra and tomatoes and corn and bell pepper, long-cooked, the way you make it when the summer vegetables are at the end of their season and you want to capture everything before it goes. This was one of the last batches of good local okra for the year. I cooked it low and slow with the intention you give to the last of something.

That Saturday stew was really about intention — about giving the last of something the attention it deserved before it was gone. This marinated vegetable dish carries that same spirit: you bring together whatever is still good at the end of the season, you give it time, and the patience does the work that hurrying never could. MawMaw Shirley always said the best food comes from knowing what you’re about to lose.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes (plus 2–8 hours marinating) | Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
1 medium yellow squash, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup broccoli florets
8 oz white mushrooms, quartered
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, roughly chopped

Instructions

Make the marinade. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, oregano, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Prepare the vegetables. Slice, cut, and quarter all vegetables as indicated. Try to keep pieces a similar size so they marinate evenly. Place them all into a large mixing bowl or a gallon-sized zip-close bag.
Combine and coat. Pour the marinade over the vegetables. Toss gently but thoroughly to make sure every piece is coated. If using a bag, seal it and turn it several times to distribute the marinade.
Marinate. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap (or seal the bag) and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours. The longer the vegetables sit, the deeper the flavor. Toss or turn them once halfway through if you remember.
Serve. Remove from the refrigerator 15 minutes before serving to take the chill off. Transfer to a serving platter or bowl using a slotted spoon, and scatter fresh parsley over the top. Serve at room temperature as a side dish, over grain bowls, or alongside crusty bread.

Nutrition (per serving)

Favorite Marinated Vegetables — The Last Good Harvest Before the Season Turns