OKRA, CORN, TOMATO, SQUASH SAUTE

This is a vegetable dish that can be considered vegan since it has no dairy or meat products.  I ate a healthy portion as my main dish, and my carnivores in the house threw a piece of meat on the grill and ate this as their side dish.  The pan-fried okra really adds a nice texture and flavor to this one.  We all loved it. Anything with fresh corn added to other fresh vegetables is going to be a winner in my book!  Update:  Since my vegan days are long gone I make this in the summer as a side dish when everything is fresh.   

½ c. yellow cornmeal

¼ t. or more cayenne pepper
24 okra pods, cut crosswise into ½” pieces
6 TB olive oil, divided
2 c. fresh corn kernels (cut from about 3 ears of corn)
6 baby green pattypan squash, each cut into 6 pieces (My grocery didn’t have them so I used one zucchini, one yellow squash and one that looked like a variegated zucchini, all cut in ½” pieces.)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 – 12 oz. container of cherry tomatoes, halved (about 2 c.)
2 TB fresh cilantro, chopped
2 green onions, chopped

Mix cornmeal and cayenne in small bowl.  Add okra and toss lightly to coat.  Pour okra into a sieve and shake off excess cornmeal.  Heat 4 TB oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat.  Add okra and sauté until coating is golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes.  Using slotted spoon, transfer okra to paper towels to drain; sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Wipe out skillet.

Heat remaining 2 TB oil in same skillet over medium heat.  Add corn, squash and garlic and sauté 2 minutes.  Add tomatoes; cover and cook until squash is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.  Mix in okra, cilantro, and green onions and remove from heat.  Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more cayenne, if desired.