Green salads of all varieties make great sides, as do slaws. Something different we did lately was to peel, wash, and cut and cook sweet potatoes into french fries. They were then lightly salted and served. Everyone thought they were great. Try adding different flavorings to veggies like asparagus, or green beans. For instance, saute' your green beans in olive oil, with garlic, then Springle with Dill Weed, or Tarragon.
A hit in my house wa to seed mini-pumpkins and bake with butter, and brown sugar inside.
Three-bean salads are always a hit and can be made with any fariety of beans. And speaking of beans, backed beans, or even doctored pork and beans make a great side dish.
Rice can be cooked up and flavored with herbs, spices, oils, or meat stocks. It can be made with white, long-grain, wild, brown, or a combination of all three. Mix in some chopped, saute'd mushrooms, and diced onion, and you have something far different than plain rice.
Try various stuffings for your poultry and pork. these can include savory bread dressings, rice and vermacelli with diced onion, peppers, herbs, etc, or even fruit stuffings.
And don't forget tomatoes. cut into chunks and drizzle with vinager and oil, some freshly minced oregano and/or basil, and black pepper.
Soups make a wnderful side as well and can be creamy, brothy, or even like a stew, depending on the theme of your meal. For instance, roasted chicken, seasoned with chili powder, lime juice, cilantro, and peppers is wonderful with a cold gazpacho.
Cheese doesn't have to come in a hot, creamy sauce to sit well at the table. Try various types of cheese. Great table cheeses include high-quality cheddar, either sharp or medium, creamy and buttery havarti, a full-bodied swiss, Slices of piquant Gruyere, and the ever popular and versatile cottage cheese. And don't forget Muenster or Colby.
Fresh fruits don't have to be reserved for desert either. Serve up some mellon salad, including, but not limited to cubed watermellon, musk mellon, honeydew, casaba, and a host of others. Add to this mixture some plump raisens, maybe some pineapple chunks, starberries, and grapes. Serve this with pork or lamb.
Slaws are a great side and can be made from grated carrot, with Miracle Whip, sugar, and raisons. They can also be made with jicama, parsnip, or cabbage. I've even been known to grate up rutabegga and/or turnips into my slaws to give a bit of change.
For corn, roast it or cook it on the grill. Serve with melted butter that has had a bit of liquid smoke mixed in.
As for potatoes, well, there are as many ways to cook and serve potatoes as there are people to cook them. Do a quick Google search and you will get more ideas than you know what to do with.
Some of my favorites are potatoes mashed with evaporated milk, roasted garlic, and butter, potatoes Anna, Scalloped potatoes with grated Cheddar and ham, or with just butter and onions, cut into wedges, skin-on, tossed with olive oil, and roasted with oregano and garlic sprinkled over them. You can also great them and make them into hash-browns. Or if you have one, force the skinned and cooked potatoes through a ricer. Serve just with butter.
Take zuchini and halve. remove the center, pithy part and stuff with tomato, onion, , diced peppers, and whole-kernal corn. Drizzle with EVOO and bake until everything is soft. Serve each person their own half.
Small peppers can be stuffed with numerous things and served up as sides. You can also make savory sides with pre-made puff-pastry shells, filled with veggie/cheese mixtures, or potatoes and gravy.
Sides can be the star of the show. Try veggies you've never had before. Don't forget the grains. Use breads and starchy veggies along with the main course. And don't forget the seasonings to turn ordinary into extraordinary.
Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North
