For those interested in unique ways to cook tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers, or zucchini, UW Extension recently published three new recipe publications in the Cooking It Up! series.

The three latest publications are titled Cooking It Up! From The Tomato Vine and Tomatillos; Cooking It Up! From The Pepper Plant; and Cooking It Up! From The Zucchini Patch. The new volumes expand on two earlier publications in the Cooking It Up! series, which focused on one-pot pressure cooker meals and diabetes-friendly recipes.

Vicki Hayman, author of the publications and UW Extension community vitality and health educator, picked three popular vegetables that are often grown in Wyoming. With the help of 23 recipe testers, Hayman cooked and tasted a variety of recipes to find dishes that appeal to a range of palates.

“Sometimes I think we get stuck in a rut,” says Hayman. “We make zucchini bread and that’s all we do with zucchini; we don’t think to broaden our horizons with other methods of cooking that vegetable.”

Each cookbook contains more than 50 recipes for appetizers, salads, soups, breads, main dishes, sides, and desserts, for a total of 166 unique recipes. The publications also introduce readers to general information about tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers, and zucchini, and provide tips on selecting and preserving produce.

Hayman hopes the Cooking It Up! series encourages people to experiment with vegetables and to spread information about nutrition. “We’re just hoping people will have fun trying the recipes, enjoying them, and improving their nutrition for their health and wellbeing,” she concludes.

The three resources can be accessed for free online at www.bit.ly/ciu-tomato, www.bit.ly/ciu-pepper, and www.bit.ly/ciu-zuke. Several print copies of the tomato, pepper, and zucchini cookbooks will be available at Wyoming county extension offices this summer.

For more information on food safety and nutrition, visit the Nutrition and Food Safety (NFS) site at www.bit.ly/uw-nutrition-foodsafety.