Written by Penelope Hyland, Colorado Master Gardener since 2018

It’s time to decide what to do with all those luscious vegetables from your garden.  In the south, a style of cooking is to always use up to three vegetables, year-round.  In particular, the holy trinity of onion, bell pepper and celery.  This trio is the base for many soups, sauces and stews but mostly for the famous gumbo and jambalaya the region is famous for.

The holy trinity actually evolved from the time when the French settled in New Orleans and brought their cuisine with them.  Mirepoix is composed of carrots, onion, and celery.  However, the soil in that area was not conducive to growing carrots, so green bell pepper was substituted.  This combination, when cooked properly results in a flavor so heavenly that it was considered almost holy and so became the holy trinity.

Typically, the ratio of onion, bell pepper, and celery is 1:1:1 but some chefs will increase the amount of onion to a 2:1:1 ratio.  The vegetables are chopped into small pieces and then slowly sautéed in oil and stirred over low heat. While each of these vegetables alone doesn’t have extraordinary flavors, when blended they explode into a trifecta of flavors. They each consist of a flavorful liquid that breaks down with heat and causes them to sweat their moisture.  These liquids then cling and reduce in the skillet leaving behind residual sugars that caramelize the mix into the soul of the dish.  This is the foundational flavor of traditional cajun and creole dishes.

It’s easy enough to make this fabulous mixture of vegetables to use in so many dishes:

• Warm approximately 3 tbsp of pan drippings, butter or oil of choice over medium heat.
• Sauté the 1:1:1 (usually 1 cup of each) mixture of onions (not red), bell pepper (green) and celery.
• Stir just enough to prevent burning.
• Sauté.
• Sauté until vegetables soften and begin to release their moisture forming a glaze-like liquid in the pan.
• Turn heat down to low.
• Continue cooking slowly and stirring often until they caramelize and brown.

You can then add the holy trinity mix into a roux which is also used in many dishes.  So, enjoy your harvest time this fall and hopefully some new dishes!