Carrots, corn, beans and peas are delicious fresh from the garden or the Yellowstone Valley Farmers' Market.

But so are other, less-well-known vegetables.

Bok choy, Swiss chard and okra may not be as familiar as the summer standards, but they are just as nutritious as more common fresh produce.

Here's how to cook a few underused vegetables grown around Billings:

Eggplant

• What it is: Eggplant is a member of the nightshade family or potato family.

Eggplants can be purple, green, white or striped and come in pear or cylindrical shape. Low in calories, they are a good source of fiber.

• How to use it: Shelli Gayvert, owner of Volly Gayvert's Flower Shops & Greenhouses, grows both pear-shaped and elongated Japanese eggplant to sell at her stand at the Yellowstone Valley Farmer's Market.

Here are her favorite ways of preparing eggplant:

Grilled eggplant

Eggplant can be grilled sliced or whole. Rub with olive oil, salt and pepper before grilling.

Eggplant dip

Rub whole eggplant with olive oil and place on grill, turning occasionally until soft. Grill whole tomatoes and onions, first bushed with a little oil.

Squeeze eggplant out of skin and mix with grilled tomatoes and onions. Season with salt. Serve as a dip for crackers and pita chips.

Easy eggplant Parmesan

Slice eggplant. Sauté slices in a little olive oil until soft.

Layer eggplant slices in oiled baking dish with spaghetti sauce and sliced or shredded Mozzarella cheese.

Bake in oven at 350 degrees until bubbly.

Beets, beet greens

• What it is: The red, root part of the beet plant is high in vitamin C and folate. Beet tops or greens can be boiled or steamed for a side dish and are high in vitamins A and C.

• How to use it:

Grilled beets

Grilled or oven-roasted beets have a more intense flavor than boiled beets, said Gayvert.

To prepare, wash beets well. Rub with olive oil and salt and pepper. Place on grill with skin on.

When a fork slides into the beets easily, remove from grill. Skin should easily slide off.

Slice and serve with butter, salt and pepper.

Beets also can be roasted in an oven at 350 degrees.

Boiled beets

Coleen Kaiser, extension nutrition education coordinator at Montana State University in Bozeman, likes boiling beets, slicing them and serving them with a vinaigrette dressing.

Kohlrabi

• What it is: Kohlrabi is a member of the cabbage family. The edible part is a rounded section of the stem that grows above the ground. Although it resembles a rutabaga, kohlrabi is sweeter and has a more delicate flavor.

• How to use it: Kohlrabi is delicious peeled and eaten raw with salt, Gayvert said.

Kohlrabi also can be peeled, cut into chunks and added to soups. It adds a cabbage-like flavor and holds together better than potatoes.

Kale

• What it is: Kale is a member of the cabbage family and has loose, curly leaves that don't form a head. It is an excellent source of vitamins C and A.

• How to use it: A simple way to prepare kale is to cut it in thin strips and sauté in garlic and olive oil until it turns a vivid green, Kaiser said.

Swiss chard

• What it is: Swiss chard stalks resemble celery with deep green leaves. It is an excellent source of vitamins A and C.

• How to use it: Here is a recipe from Jette Mogensen, of Park City, who sells produce at the Lionett Garden stand at the Yellowstone Valley Farmer's Market.

Pasta & Swiss chard

Serves 2

6 oz. penne or other pasta

1½ lb. Swiss chard

¼ dried hot-red peppers, chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped

3 tsp. unsalted butter

¼ cup heavy cream

¼ tsp. nutmeg

2 tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Chop Swiss chard into 1/4-inch pieces.

In skillet, sauté butter and onions until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Add Swiss chard and cook until tender, stirring about 15 minutes.

In the meantime, boil pasta.

Add pasta and hot peppers to Swiss chard. Add cream and nutmeg and let cook about 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Okra

• What it is: Okra is a member of the hibiscus family. Okra can be boiled, baked or fried. High in vitamin C, okra is a good source of magnesium, folate and fiber.

• How to use it: Okra should be picked when the pods are small and tender, said Ron and Judy Burnam, who have grown okra at their home near Huntley. When allowed to get too big, okra becomes tough and stringy.

A staple of Southern cooking, okra frequently is dredged in cornmeal and fried.

But Judy Burnam likes adding okra from her freezer to turkey soup that she makes after Thanksgiving.

Before freezing, she parboils okra.

Here's her favorite turkey soup recipe:

Chicken (or turkey) soup

From "Favorite Recipes for Soups and Stews," used with permission from Sunset Magazine.

Meat and bones from leftover poultry

Water

2 or 3 chicken bouillon cubes (optional)

1 medium-sized onion, chopped

¼ green or red pepper, chopped

2 large stalks celery, sliced

1 can (1 lb.) solid pack tomatoes or 1 ƒ cups canned tomato juice

2 tbsp. chopped parsley

2 tsp. Worcestershire

1 tsp. seasoning salt

1/3 cup uncooked rice

2 to 4 frozen okra pods sliced (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Put cooked chicken or turkey in large pan; include any uncooked parts of the birds, such as necks or backs. Cover with water. Simmer slowly about two hours. Refrigerate.

Skim off fat from stock. Remove bones and skin, cutting off good meat pieces. Reserve meat.

Strain stock, measure and add water if needed to make two quarts. Bring to a boil, adding bouillon cubes only if needed to enrich stock.

Add onion, green pepper, celery, tomatoes, parsley, Worcestershire, seasoning salt, rice, okra, salt and pepper. Simmer until vegetables are tender. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Parsnips

• What it is: Parsnips are a sweet, carroty-flavored root vegetable. It is a good source of vitamin C, folate and fiber.

• How to use it: Add sliced parsnips to soups or stews. Or it can be boiled, then mashed and served. They also are delicious served as a medley with mashed white and sweet potatoes.

Or parsnips can be roasted with other root vegetables.

Roasted root vegetables

From Montana State University Extension Nutritional Education Program.

4 medium-sized root vegetables, such as parsnips, potatoes, rutabagas, turnips, beets, sweet potatoes, trimmed and peeled if needed

2 carrots, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

¼ cup vegetable oil

3 tbsp. Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut vegetables into large chunks.

Place in medium bowl and pour oil over top. Add cheese or other favorite seasonings and mix well.

Spread an even layer on a baking sheet.

Bake for 1 hour or until tender, checking occasionally to see if vegetables are tender.

Bok choy

• What it is: Bok choy is a leafy green vegetable with white stalks. Is an excellent source of potassium and vitamin A and a good source vitamin C and folate.

• How to use it: Bok choy can be added to soups, mixed with rice or served as a vegetable side dish. Frequently, the leaves are cut from the stalks and cooked separately for the same dish because stalks take more time to cook.

Bok choy stir fry

Courtesy of Produce for Better Health Foundation.

Serves 8

1½ lb. bok choy

4 tsp. canola oil

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 tsp. grated fresh ginger

3 tbsp. water

¼ tsp. salt

½ tsp. sesame oil

Trim end off bok choy and separate leaves. Wash under running water. Drain.

Cut stems into 1-inch pieces and leaves into wide ribbons, separating stems and leaves.

Place oil, garlic and ginger in cold pan and heat on medium high heat.

When they become fragrant and begin to brown, add bok choy stems.

Toss well to coat with oil and cook until stalks are beginning to get tender about 3 minutes.

Add leaves and water and stir.

Cover and let cook for 1 minute or until leaves are tender crisp. Season with salt and drizzle with sesame oil.

Additional sources: fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org and foodsubs.com.

Contact Mary Pickett at mpickett@billingsgazette.com or 657-1262.

Farmer's market opens today The Yellowstone Valley Farmers' Market begins today and continues each Saturday through Oct. 3. The market is open 8:30 a.m. to noon. Stalls are set up in downtown Billings under Skypoint, between Third and First avenues North and North 27th and North 29th streets. In August, a farmers' market will be held each Wednesday from about 4:30 to 8 p.m. along one block of Broadway between Second and Third avenues North.