A tip of the hat to whomever invented stir-fry. Because at this time of year, stir fry is the savior of many a home gardener.

My refrigerator and kitchen countertop are overflowing with produce from my postage stamp-sized home garden. Heirloom tomatoes, summer squash, green beans and other fresh veggies have been abundant this year, thanks to nearly ideal growing conditions along Colorado’s Front Range. A couple of items resembling a green-colored caveman club attest to the fact that I’ve lost the battle of picking zucchini at the ideal time. And, each Tuesday we bring home a few additional items from the produce vendors at the local farmers’ market at which I volunteer.

But what to do with it all?

I’m not a gourmet cook. When grilling meat, olive oil and seasoning salt is about as exotic as I care to venture. So, surrounded with the cornucopia of veggies, I can either spend time researching recipes on the internet, or I can…stir fry.

It’s all the same, but it’s always different.

I heat my trusty stir-fry skillet over high heat, and start with a generous splash of organic olive oil and thinly sliced garlic. Before the garlic burns, I add in some thinly sliced bison or chicken from my freezer. Once that’s cooked, I set it aside, add some additional olive oil, and throw in whatever I’ve sliced up from the garden that evening. Thursday night, I had two bowls. The first was zucchini, summer squash, green beans, onion, and heirloom peppers. I tossed that in the skillet first, and stir-fried until everything started to look tender. Then, about two minutes before finishing, I threw in the bowl of sliced tomatoes, and a little vegetable broth.

Hmmm…I just noticed that some eggplant and kale appeared on our countertop. Honey, don’t bother putting away the stir-fry skillet. I think I know what’s for supper tonight.