I’ve spent a lot of time writing about corn and tomatoes, my summer favorites. Zucchini has now taken its rightful place in my seasonal repertoire with a few of my recent posts: the sweet (dark chocolate zucchini bread), the savory (e.g., grilled vegetable parmigiania, Mediterranean veggie sandwich, fajitas), and the salad (sun gold tomatoes and corn with ribbons of zucchini).

Today’s dish was inspired by several leftover tortillas sitting in the fridge after I had made a batch of enchiladas. (I told you I love Mexican food.) And of course I had zucchini, tomatoes, and corn given it’s late August. Next thing you know, I whipped up a batch of quesadillas and a chopped salad to accompany and dinner was served.

1. Roast the corn, zucchini and onions in a hot oven, turning the vegetables once or twice. (More on roasting vegetables here.)

2. Layer the veggies on a tortilla – whole grain, of course - and top with grated cheddar or jack cheese, as desired (not shown).

3. Cover with a second tortilla and heat in a hot skillet to brown both sides until crisp. (This was moved to a cookie sheet once cooked, as pictured.) 

4. Cut and serve. (My husband and I split the quesadilla, as we had Mexican street corn for an appetizer. A lot of corn in one meal, I know; it just worked out that way.) 

Cook’s Notes. I enjoyed this particular mix of veggies that highlighted summer flavors; use whatever vegetables make you happy. The quesadilla would be fabulous with traditional sauces such as guacamole, salsa verde, or salsa fresco (basic tomato salsa). That said, I had some lovely yellow eye beans in my fridge that needed to be consumed, which I opted to include in a lively side salad this time rather than in the quesadilla itself. The chopped salad comprised tomatoes, red and green peppers, purple carrots, onion, beans, and cilantro tossed with some EVOO and white wine vinegar and seasoned with crushed garlic and a touch of salt and pepper. The beans, prepared from dried, also added a protein boost to the meal.

Just one more way to showcase again the lighter side of Mexican while celebrating the late summer harvest of zucchini, corn, and tomatoes.

Don’t forget the sangria.

Dr. P. K. Newby is a nutrition scientist and educator with expertise in the prevention of obesity and chronic diseases through diet and the relations between agriculture, food production, and public health. She brings together her passions for food, cooking, science, and sustainability through her writing and videos to help people eat their way towards better health, one delectable bite at a time. If you like what you see here at The Nutrition Doctor is In the Kitchen, please subscribe to my blog from the home page, become a fan on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, check out my food porn on Pinterest, watch my cooking videos on YouTube, and peruse my recipe page for soups, salads, seafood, sweets, and more. Thank you for reading.