<http://schema.org/articleBody>
" Just because the weather is warm doesn&amp;#039;t mean we have to stow away our beloved slow-cookers. While it may be true that many slow-cooked recipes are stew-like creations\u2014chockful of meat while fresh vegetables (if any) take a back seat\u2014you can also take advantage of all the great produce that&amp;#039;s available this time of year by making dishes that incorporate a variety of veggies. Below, find four helpful cooking tips as well as some tasty recipes to try.   1. Add hard vegetables, like carrots and potatoes, at the beginning of the cooking process. It also helps to place them at the bottom of the slow-cooker with the meat on top. Believe it or not, it takes longer for the vegetables to get tender than the meat, so placing vegetables close to the heating element ensures that all the ingredients will be done at the same time.   2. Protect against overcooking by adding softer vegetables, like zucchini and bell peppers, toward the end of the cooking time\u2014usually 30 to 45 minutes on low heat is sufficient. 3. Fresh tomatoes and tender greens, such as baby spinach, add a wonderful fresh flavor to slow-cooker recipes. Stir them in right at the end of cooking.   4. Keep in mind that some vegetables, like mushrooms, add a lot of liquid. You may need to thicken the dish at the end or reduce the amount of liquid called for in a recipe to compensate. Or, make less-watery substitutions by opting for shiitake mushrooms instead of regular white mushrooms or shallots instead of white onions.   Utilize these helpful tips when you try one of these slow-cooker recipes that feature seasonal vegetables: Marvelous Meatless Chili Spring Vegetable &amp;amp;amp; Chicken Stew (shown above) Chicken Minestrone with Pesto Italian Lentil &amp;amp;amp; Vegetable Stew Picadillo Stuffed Peppers Italian Vegetable Stew  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.womansday.com/food-recipes/cooking-tips/tips/a4105/summer-harvest-slow-cooker-tips-84862/?click=main_sr>