Fresh From The Garden.

 

The Hawthornes wanted a light, fresh meal for lunch today.
 I'm making a vegetable melange.

A quick trip through the garden yielded

yellow squash, banana pepper,

 some other unidentified peppers, tomato, basil.
Onion from FoodLion.

 Give everything a quick chop.

I heated my pan over medium high 

and swirled a tablespoon of peanut oil in

along with a tablespoon of butter.

When the butter starts to sizzle,

add in the squash  ...

...  and a tablespoon of sugar.

Toss to coat.

Grind some salt and pepper over the squash

and add the onion and...

...  the tomatoes and peppers.
Heat through.

Give it some Parmesan.

Top with a basil chiffonade.

A chiffonade is a cutting technique.

Stack your leaves, roll them up tightly, cigar style,

and slice thinly to produce pretty green ribbons.

This was Mr. Hawthorne's version.

Middle Hawthorne wanted something a bit more substantial.

For my little Hawthornelet,

I boiled some macaroni and added that to the veggies.

And I mixed in a tablespoon or two

of Buttermilk Dressing that I made earlier for cole slaw.

I had to sneak the dressing in because Middle Hawthorne

will not eat anything with mayonnaise.

When he asked me what was in it that tasted so good,

I told him it was a simple herb dressing and he went with it.

I loved the tang of the dressing with the pasta and veggies,

 the spark of the Parmesan,

and the brightness of the basil.

Another dish where synergism reigns -

the whole is more than the sum of the individual parts.