Fresh from the farm

There's no better time than August to check out a local farmers market. Take advantage of the array of in-season vegetables and fresh from the farm eggs and cheeses to make your summertime dishes even more delicious. QVC's "Resident Foodie" and best-selling cookbook author David Venable has some perfect recipes to try out.

Corn Maque Choux

(Serves 8)

Ingredients:

1 cup bacon, diced

2 Tablespoons bacon grease, reserved from cooking the bacon

½cup red pepper, diced into¼-inch pieces

½cup yellow pepper, diced into¼-inchpieces

1 cup red onion, small dice

1 Tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

1 Tablespoon fresh jalapeño, minced

5 cups fresh-cut corn kernels

2 Tablespoons scallions, chopped

1 Tablespoon Cajun seasoning

3/4 cup heavy cream

2 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

2 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

2 Tablespoon butter

2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

In a large skillet, cook the diced bacon until crispy. Drain and let cool, reserving 2 Tablespoons of the bacon grease.

In a large skillet over medium heat, place the bacon grease, red and yellow peppers, red onion, thyme and jalapeño. Sauté until the vegetables begin to soften, but do not brown. Add the corn, scallions, and Cajun seasoning. Continue cooking to soften the corn.

Add the heavy cream, then stir and simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked bacon, parsley, basil, butter, salt, and pepper. Serve while hot.

Caprese Casserole

(Serves 8)

Base layer:

1 French baguette

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan

¼cup olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

6 large tomatoes, any color, sliced

1-pound ball fresh mozzarella, sliced in half and then cut into¼-inchslices

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup pesto

Topping:

½cup grated Parmesan

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1 Tablespoon garlic, chopped

¼cup basil

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

2-3 Tablespoons balsamic syrup

To prepare the base layer, start by preheating the oven to 375 F. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick food spray.

Slice the baguette into rounds, then place them in a mixing bowl. Toss the rounds with the garlic, Parmesan, oil, salt and pepper. Lay the rounds out on a baking sheet and cook in the oven until toasted and crispy.

Shingle the toasted slices in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Starting at one end of the dish, make a row of tomato slices. Alternate rows of mozzarella and tomato until the baking dish is filled from one end to the other. Using a spoon, drizzle the olive oil, then the pesto, back and forth over the entire casserole.

To prepare the topping, place the Parmesan, breadcrumbs, garlic, basil and oil into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until combined. Sprinkle this topping evenly on top of the prepared casserole. Season with the salt and pepper. Place the entire baking dish in the oven for approximately 30 minutes, until the tomatoes have softened and the topping has browned slightly.

Remove from the oven and drizzle with balsamic syrup. Serve warm.

Steak Frittata

(Serves 4-6)

Steak:

¼cup orange juice

¼cup lime juice

¼cup lemon juice

1 Tablespoon garlic, minced

½cup olive oil

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt

½teaspoon black pepper

½cup onion, small dice

¼cup cilantro, chopped

11-12 ounce skirt steak

Frittata:

1½cups onions, medium dice

1½cups peppers, medium dice

2 teaspoon garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons oil

1 cup black beans, rough chopped

2 cups shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

Cooked steak, thinly sliced against the grain and diced

8 eggs

½teaspoon cumin

½teaspoon dried oregano

½teaspoon chili powder

2 teaspoon hot sauce

1 Tablespoon cilantro, chopped

1½teaspoon salt

½teaspoon pepper

Fresh salsa, diced avocado, and sour cream, for serving

To prepare the steak, combine the orange juice, lime juice, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, paprika, cumin, chili powder, oregano, salt, pepper, onion and cilantro in a resealable bag.

Add the steak and marinate for at least 8 hours or overnight.

When ready, remove the steak from the marinade. Discard marinade.

Preheat the grill to medium and cook 8-12 minutes, turning occasionally, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat reads 145 F (for medium-rare).

To prepare the frittata, start by preheating the oven to 350 F.

Sauté the onions, peppers, and garlic with the oil in an 8-inch skillet over medium heat. Once soft, put the cooked ingredients into a mixing bowl and toss together with the black beans, cheese and steak. Place the contents of the mixing bowl back into the skillet.

In a separate mixing bowl, beat the eggs, then whisk in the cumin, oregano, chili powder, hot sauce, cilantro, salt and pepper. Pour the mixture over the ingredients in the skillet.

Bake, uncovered, 25-30 minutes or until the middle is firm to the touch.

Cut into wedges and serve with fresh salsa, avocado, and sour cream.