Cooking with In-Season Produce

Parmesan Zucchini Sticks

2012-07-14T13:20:00.000-04:00

We have an abundance of zucchini from our garden again this year. I'm always looking for new and tasty recipes to try. I found this one in a cooking club magazine. It is messy to make, but very delicious.

Parmesan Zucchini Sticks (4 servings)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt, divided
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup panko crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
12 oz zucchini (1 medium-large or 2 medium-small), halved crosswise, each half cut into 1/2-inch sticks

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Spray large rimmed baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray. Combine flour, 1/4 tsp salt, garlic powder and black pepper in shallow dish.
Place eggs in shallow bowl. Combine panko, cheese, remaining 1/2 tsp salt and cayenne pepper in shallow dish. Dip zucchini in flour mixture, shaking off excess. Dip in egg, letting excess drip off. Roll in panko mixture, turning to coat all sides. Arrange in single layer on baking sheet, spray with olive oil cooking spray.
Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and tender. Serve immediately.

Strawberry Smoothie

2012-07-13T13:03:00.000-04:00

We went strawberry picking earlier this year and came home with two gallons of strawberries. My family loves strawberries, so we ate one gallon and froze one gallon. My family also loves smoothies, so I have been using the frozen strawberries to make them. The following is a basic recipe that can be modified to fit personal tastes and whatever fruit you have on hand. I substituted a peach when I didn't have a banana and the result was delicious.

Strawberry Smoothie

1 cup vanilla nonfat yogurt
1 medium, ripe banana, quartered
1 cup Pineapple juice
1/2 cup frozen (or fresh) strawberries
1/2 cup ice cubes

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Cover & blend until smooth.

Spaghetti Squash with Sweet Peppers

2012-07-09T19:18:00.000-04:00

A delicious recipe that is quick to make utilizing the microwave.

Spaghetti Squash with Sweet (or Hot) Peppers
Serves 4
Total Time: 25 minutes

1 medium spaghetti squash (2 lbs)
1/2 medium green pepper, sliced
1/2 medium sweet red pepper, sliced
1 small onion, chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 medium tomatoes, quartered
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese

Cut squash in half lengthwise & discard seeds. Place squash cut side down in a microwave-safe dish or plate. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 10 minutes or until tender. Cool.
In a large nonstick skillet, saute the peppers and onion in oil until tender (4-5 minutes). Add tomatoes and garlic & saute 4 minutes longer. Add broth and salt & simmer for 3 minutes.
When squash is cool enough to handle, scrape a fork on the inside of the squash to separate the strands into a serving dish. Top with the pepper mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

I made an unintentional change to the above ingredients. You see, my husband brought in some green and red peppers from our garden that looked like miniature sweet peppers. To my surprise, they were hot red cherry peppers (the green ones were picked early). Thankfully, I seeded them before slicing and adding to the saute. It was a very happy mistake as the peppers added just a little kick of spice to the dish.

Rotini & Veggie Skillet

2012-03-26T16:29:00.000-04:00

I got this recipe from a Barilla Pasta box. Luckily, I had most of the veggies on hand. I made some substitutions: I skipped the onion and yellow squash and used diced tomatoes instead of the cherry tomatoes. It was delicious!

Rotini and Veggie Skillet
Prep time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

1 box Rotini pasta
4 Tbsp Olive oil
1 small Onion, chopped
1 clove Garlic, minced
1 Bell pepper, chopped
1 medium Zucchini, diced
1 medium Yellow squash, diced
1 bunch Asparagus, sliced into bite-size pieces
1 pint Cherry Tomatoes, halved
Salt and Pepper, to taste
4 leaves Basil, torn

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions.

2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and saute onion for 3-4 minutes until translucent.

3. Add garlic to the skillet and cook for 1 minute.

4. Add bell pepper, zucchini, yellow squash and asparagus and saute for 5 minutes.

5. Add tomatoes; season with salt and pepper and saute for 2 more minutes.

6. Drain pasta and toss with the sauce and basil.

Chicken and Broccoli Bake

2012-02-24T12:51:00.000-05:00

We attempted to grow broccoli in our garden this winter. We were able to get a few florets that I added into our weekly stir-fry. For this recipe, however, I picked up a broccoli bunch at our local grocery store.

Chicken and Broccoli Bake
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Makes: 4 servings

1/4 cup butter, melted
3 cups cubed sourdough bread (6.5 oz loaf)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
3 cups broccoli florets
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
1/2 cup drained chopped roasted red bell pepper (I used an equivalent amount of fresh bell pepper)
3/4 cup Alfredo sauce (I used Ragu)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp dry sherry

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle butter over bread cubes in a large bowl; sprinkle with cheese and toss well.

Combine broccoli and remainder of ingredients in a large bowl. Spoon filling into a lightly greased 2-qt baking dish (or 4 individual dishes); top with bread cubes.

Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes (20-25 for individual dishes) until bubbly and top is toasted.

Mashed Parsnips & Carrots

2012-01-24T19:59:00.000-05:00

For those that have never seen one, a Parsnip looks like a white carrot. Parsnips are a good source of Potassium, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Folate and Manganese.

In an effort to use some of the carrots from our garden and in anticipation of growing parsnips later this year, we tried this recipe found on the Miedema Produce website. I modified it for my family size and taste preferences. It is great as a side dish...I paired it with seasoned pork tenderloin and it was delicious.

Mashed Parsnips & Carrots (Serves 8)
3/4 lb carrots, chopped
1 lb parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 stick butter, diced and softened
salt & pepper to taste
(the original recipe included a pinch of ground nutmeg, but I omitted that)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add carrots, cover partially, and simmer 5 minutes. Add parsnips, cover partially, and simmer about 15 minutes. Drain well.

Return vegetables to pot and stir over medium heat until all excess moisture evaporates. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Add butter and use hand mixer to process until smooth. Season with salt & pepper.

Pickled Banana Peppers

2011-11-04T16:29:00.000-04:00

We have reached the end of our garden's growing season. Over the last couple months we have enjoyed the fruits (mostly vegetables) of our labor. Similar to the abundance of cucumbers we harvested, we had a huge number of banana peppers (60+) that ripened within the last month. We made several batches of this recipe, sometimes tripling and quadrupling the recipe because of the number of peppers we had on hand. We gave some of the jars away to friends and neighbors and most have said they liked them so much they would be willing to buy a jar from us. So now we've been asking ourselves...what does one charge for homemade goods like this? Here's your chance to get our "secret" recipe before you have to buy them. :-) This recipe is for sweet, rather than spicy peppers. However, you can make them more spicy by increasing the amount (or type) of spicy pepper you use.

Sweet Pickled Banana Peppers (2 day process)

2 1/2 cups seeded, sliced banana peppers (about 7 peppers)
1 medium green bell pepper, julienned
1 spicy pepper (we used chili and cowhorn peppers)
1 small onion, sliced
1/4 cup canning salt
12-15 ice cubes
2 cups sugar
1 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon mustard seed
1/2 teaspoon celery seed

In a large bowl, combine the peppers, onion and salt; top with ice. Let stand for 2 hours. Rinse and drain well.

In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, vinegar, mustard seed and celery seed. Bring to a boil; cook and stir just until sugar is dissolved. Pour over pepper mixture; cool. Cover tightly and refridgerate for at least 24 hours. Store in the refridgerator for up to 3 months.

Yield: 1 quart

Succotash Success!

2011-08-19T15:00:00.007-04:00

This recipe comes from the August 2011 edition of PARENTS Magazine. I named it "Succotash Success" because my 4-year old loved it...she ate it right out of the skillet (like every good Mom, I blew on it to cool it off before she put it in her mouth). :-) My only complaint is how little it made. I chose to serve it over pasta to stretch the meal. I will double the recipe the next time I make it.

Edamame and Sweet Corn Succotash
2 tsp olive oil
3 green onions, sliced, white and green parts separated
1 cup corn kernels (2 ears corn)
1 cup shelled frozen edamame (or fresh soybeans, cooked and shelled)
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper (I used a green one, because my red ones weren't ripe yet)
2 tsp finely chopped fresh oregano
Ground pepper, to taste
1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
1/2 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp unsalted butter

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add white part of green onion and cook until fragrant and starting to brown slightly, about 1 minute. Stir in corn, edamame, bell pepper, oregano, and ground pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are crisp-tender, 4-5 minutes.

Stir together broth and cornstarch; add to corn mixture along with remaining green onions. Cook and stir until thickened, bubbly, and liquid almost evaporates, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and mix in the butter until melted.

Enjoy!

We served ours over a mix of penne and rotini pasta. Yum!

Nacho Bake & Fresh Salsa

2011-08-18T15:00:00.026-04:00

This Nacho Bake recipe was inspired by a recipe found in the August/September 2011 edition of Taste of Home magazine. The original recipe calls for canned ingredients and a jar of pimento-stuffed olives. I chose to use fresh vegetables from my garden and omit the olives from the recipe. I also substituted ground chicken for the ground beef in the recipe. The resulting meal was delicious. I will definitely be making it again.

Nacho Cheese (Beef) Bake
2 cups uncooked egg noodles
1 lb ground beef (I used 1/2 lb ground chicken)
2 cups Tomatoes, diced
1 can (10.75 oz) condensed nacho cheese soup, undiluted
1/2 cup chili peppers, chopped
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used pepper jack)
2 cups crushed tortilla chips
Optional condiments: shredded lettuce, sour cream and/or salsa (recipe below)

Cook noodles according to package directions; drain. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook beef (chicken) over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomatoes, soup and chilies. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Stir in noodles.

Transfer to a greased 11" x 7" baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. Top with tortilla chips. Serve with your choice of condiments.

We enjoyed ours with some homemade salsa:

Fresh Salsa

1 1/2 cups tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 cup corn kernels (Cut from a cooked corn cob or frozen)
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
1 garlic clove, minced
1 spicy pepper, seeded and minced (I have used cowhorn pepper and chili pepper from my garden, but you can use a jalapeno pepper)
2 Tbsp lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Stir together first 7 ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Veggie Scrambles

2011-08-17T19:48:00.000-04:00

Disclaimer: This was originally a Frittata recipe. However, I am not good at making frittata's on the stove (I prefer baking them), so this ended up being a veggie scramble. Here is the original recipe:

Calico Pepper Frittata
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1 spicy pepper, seeded and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
(my addition) 1 medium tomato, seeded & chopped
(my addition) 3 okras, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
5 eggs
1 1/4 cup egg substitute
1 Tbsp grated Romano cheese (I substituted monterrey jack)
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

In a large nonstick skillet, saute veggies and garlic in oil until crisp-tender. In large bowl, whisk eggs & egg substitute. Pour into the skillet. Sprinkle with cheese, salt & pepper.

As the eggs set, lift edges, letting uncooked portion flow underneath (or in my case, just scramble the whole thing as it cooks). Cook until eggs are completely set, about 8-10 minutes. Cut into wedges (or serve as you would scrambled eggs).

This is a picture of another veggie scramble I made. I simply stirred some eggs together with some of our garden vegetables and cooked it like I would scrambled eggs. I served it with bacon and some leftover Italian bread I had from the Panzanella recipe.

The frittata recipe is from Birds & Bloom Grow It Cook It (A to Z veggie guide plus 350+ tips for your BEST garden ever!!). You have probably noticed by now that I love this magazine. Every recipe I have made from it has been delicious (even when I have to adjust for my lack in cooking skills).

Panzanella

2011-08-12T15:00:00.011-04:00

I was the only one in my family that liked this dish. If I make it again, I will have to adjust the ingredient measurements to make one serving.

Panzanella (serves 8)

2 cups bread (I used a loaf of Italian bread), cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup olive oil
1/2 lb bacon
1 large shallot, chopped
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3 lbs tomatoes, cored, seeded and chopped
2 avocados, peeled and chopped
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Arrange the bread cubes on a baking sheet. Drizzle 2 Tbsp olive oil over the bread. Bake 10-15 minutes, until dry.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon until crisp. Your choice: 1. skillet on stove top, 2. baking sheet in oven for 15 minutes, or 3. between napkins on a plate for 5 minutes in the microwave. I chose the microwave method.

Combine the shallot with the vinegar in a small bowl and set aside to marinate while you prepare the rest of the salad.

Combine the tomatoes, avocados, and cucumber in a large bowl. Crumble the bacon into the bowl. Add the bread cubes and toss to combine. Add remaining olive oil (about 2/3 cup) to the vinegar and shallot mixture and whisk to emulsify. Pour over the salad, using as much dressing as you like (Save leftovers for a future salad). Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Gently toss all the ingredients to coat.

I served this as a side to baked chicken.

This recipe came from The Cleaner Plate Club: Raising Healthy Eaters One Meal at a Time. This was the third recipe we tried from the cookbook and the third one that we were not overjoyed about eating. I am planning to try a couple more because I am hopeful that we'll find one we like. I am completely on board with the "Real Foods" philosophy that the book supports, but have been disappointed by the recipes I have tried.

Fried Okra

2011-08-11T19:14:00.003-04:00

This was our first attempt at cooking okra from our garden. I am not a big okra fan unless it's pickled (I like most everything pickled), but this was a good recipe that we will try again.

Fried Okra

1 1/2 cups sliced okra
3 Tbsp buttermilk
2 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp cornmeal
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp pepper
Oil for frying (we used canola)

Pat okra dry with paper towels. Place buttermilk in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, garlic powder and pepper. Dip okra in buttermilk, then roll in cornmeal mixture.

Heat 1 inch of oil in a pan. Fry okra, a few pieces at a time (1-3 minutes each side) until golden brown. Drain on a paper towel.

We served it with some homemade pepper jelly, but it would be good dipped in sweet & sour sauce, too.

This recipe was taken from Birds & Bloom Grow It Cook It (A to Z veggie guide plus 350+ tips for your BEST garden ever!!)

Zucchini Fritters

2011-08-06T15:00:00.001-04:00

We were visiting my husband's mother last weekend and she made these delicious fritters with zucchini from her garden. I can't wait to try it myself!

Zucchini Fritters

1 lb (or 1 medium) zucchini squash, grated
1 tsp salt
3 Tbsp herbs (she used dill & oregano)
1/2 hot pepper, finely chopped
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup cheese
1 egg
canola oil, for frying

Spread the grated zucchini on a dish towel and put salt on top. Let it sit for about 15 minutes and squeeze all the moisture out of it. It will fall off the towel when it is dry enough. Put the grated zucchini in a bowl. Squeeze the onion and hot pepper in the same way.

Mix the zucchini, onion, hot pepper, herbs, bread crumbs, cheese and egg in the bowl. Form into small patties and place on a plate. Refrigerate for an hour.

Heat 1/4" canola oil in frying pan. Cook fritters until golden on both sides. Remove from pan and drain on paper towel.

Optional: Top each fritter with a little pepper jelly or sweet & sour sauce

Roasted Ratatouille

2011-08-05T15:00:00.012-04:00

This roasted dish is definitely prettier than the other Ratatouille recipe, but we did not like it as much as the stove-top version. My husband liked the red pepper flakes in this one, though.

Roasted Ratatouille

1 lb eggplant, diced and cut into 1/2" pieces
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 1/2 lbs tomatoes, quartered
1/2 lb zucchini, diced into 1/2" cubes
1/2 lb yellow squash, diced into 1/2" cubes
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes or hot sauce (optional)
Salt and pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Sprinkle the eggplant with salt and set aside in a colander to drain for at least 30 minutes. Rinse, drain, and pat dry.

3. Meanwhile, heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Saute the onion and garlic about 5 minutes (do not brown). Add the bell pepper and continue to saute for another 5 minutes.

4. Add the tomatoes and smash a bit with a spoon. Stir in the diced eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, vinegar, sugar, and red pepper flakes, if desired. Transfer the mixture to a baking pan and bake, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time, until the vegetables are browned just a bit on the edges. Season with salt and pepper.

This recipe is from "The Cleaner Plate Club" cookbook: The Cleaner Plate Club: Raising Healthy Eaters One Meal at a Time. I am encouraged by the concept of the book...cooking whole foods that the whole family can enjoy. This was my second attempt at making a meal from the cookbook (first was a moderately good cucumber salad recipe), and I am hopeful that we will enjoy more of the recipes.

Egg & Veggie Scramble

2011-08-04T15:00:00.004-04:00

This is another great way to use up vegetables and give your breakfast a healthy boost.

For each scramble:

2 eggs
2-3 Tbsp chopped veggies (I like tomatoes, bell peppers, & onions in mine)
1-2 Tbsp shredded cheese

Whisk the eggs, veggies & cheese in a small bowl. Pour into greased pan and cook on medium heat until eggs are almost set. Stir until eggs are to desired consistency. Enjoy with your favorite breakfast sides...we like turkey bacon, cinnamon rolls, and fruit salad (below).

At Season's Peak:
Right now our local grocer has Golden-dew melon and Ranier cherries advertised as being at the peak flavor for the season. I cut up the melon, halved and pitted the cherries, and combined them in a bowl along with some sliced strawberries and red grapes. Yum!

Chicken & Vegetable Stir-fry

2011-08-03T18:26:00.001-04:00

This is one of my go-to recipes when I need to use up vegetables. It is super simple and very quick to make. You can use whatever vegetables that you like in your stir-fry. The stir-fry I made for the picture included green beans, bell peppers, onions, and celery.

Sesame Chicken & Vegetable Stir-fry (2-3 servings)

6-9 oz cooked chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
1 lb vegetables of your choice, cut into bite-size pieces
2 Tbsp canola oil
2 Tbsp low-sodium teriyaki sauce
2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
3/4 tsp sesame seeds
2 tsp sesame oil
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp onion powder
Dash pepper
2-3 servings of cooked rice

I usually prepare the rice and allow it to cook while I am chopping the vegetables and cooking the stir-fry.

Preheat oil in a 12" saute pan or wok. Saute the chicken and vegetables for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and cook 1-2 more minutes.

The recipe can be doubled or tripled (or as much as your saute pan or wok will allow).

Serve over rice.

Squash Casserole

2011-07-25T15:00:00.001-04:00

Squash Casserole

3 cups cooked squash
3 Tbsp butter
3 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cup grated cheese
12 oz can evaporated milk
3 cups cracker crumbs

Mash cooked squash. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into greased baking dish and bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes.

Caprese Salad

2011-07-24T15:00:00.001-04:00

I love, love, love this dish! It is so quick and easy to make and it tastes delicious when the ingredients are fresh from my garden. The amount of ingredients I use are never exact measurements, so the recipe below is a general guideline. Feel free to change to suit your tastes.

Caprese Salad

· 1 large tomato, sliced

· 2 oz fresh mozzarella

· Fresh basil leaves (one for each of the tomato slices

· 1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar

Place the tomato slices on a serving platter. Slice the mozzarella and place on tomato slices. Top each slice with a basil leaf. Drizzle with vinegar & oil. Enjoy!

If you don’t have fresh mozzarella on hand or you want a dairy-free option, this recipe is a delicious alternative:

Faux-prese Salad

· 1 large tomato

· ¼ cup sweet onions

· 1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar

· 1 Tbsp olive oil

· Fresh basil leaves

· Salt and pepper

Slice tomato and arrange on serving dish. Chop the onions and arrange over tomato. Drizzle oil and vinegar over the tomato and onions. Top with basil leaves. Add salt & pepper to taste

Stuffed Gypsy Peppers, Take two!

2011-07-23T15:00:00.004-04:00

After our first stuffed gypsy pepper recipe didn't turn out how we hoped, we created a recipe that we like. We started with the ingredients for a chicken & celery pot sticker recipe and used that mix for our pepper filling.

Stuffed Peppers

1/2 lb ground chicken
3 1/2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 tsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp dried basil
5 medium peppers (we used 3 gypsy peppers and 2 green bell peppers)
3/4 cup diced celery
1/4 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

Brown chicken with soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar and basil.

Meanwhile, remove seeds from peppers (We cut a slit in the side, but you could also remove the top). Cook peppers on a heated grill until skin browns and bubbles up, turning after a couple minutes to get all sides. Remove peppers from grill, let cool slightly and peel off the outer skin of peppers.

Mix celery and cheese into the chicken mixture. Place peppers on individual aluminum foil pieces. Stuff peppers with chicken mix. Roll up in foil and heat on grill 3-5 minutes until heated through.

Makes 2 1/2 servings.

Our inspiration came from a Gourmet recipe on Epicurious.com. Here is the link in case you want to view the original recipe:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chicken-and-Celery-Pot-Stickers-358116

Stuffed Zucchini with Avgolemono (Lemon Egg) Sauce

2011-07-22T15:00:00.000-04:00

As promised, I slayed the giant zucchini to create this:

Stuffed Zucchini with Avgolemono (Lemon Egg) Sauce

6-8 servings

2 lbs zucchini

3 Tbsp butter

1 large onion, chopped

1 lb lean ground beef

½ cup rice

1/3 cup parsley, chopped

2 tsp salt (may reduce)

Pepper to taste

Sauce:

2 eggs

1 Tbsp water

3 lemons, juice of (about 1/3 cup)

1 cup chicken broth

1. Wash zucchini, trim ends, cut in half, scoop out centers. Chop pulp.

2. In large saucepan, heat butter, sauté onions, add meat and cook until brown, add rice, zucchini pulp, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir well and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spoon mixture into zucchini shells. Place in greased baking dish. Cover and bake for 45 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, make the avgolemono sauce:

Beat eggs and water. Slowly add lemon juice and broth, mixing the whole time. Warm sauce over low heat.

5. Uncover stuffed zucchini and bake 5 minutes. Top with avgolemono sauce.

If you happen to make this recipe with a giant zucchini, you can cut it into individual servings.

This recipe was made from The Key to Greek Cooking cookbook, which we bought from the Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Atlanta, GA. The above link will take you to Amazon, but I think only used copies are available at this time.

Cucumber Salsa

2011-07-21T15:00:00.002-04:00

Here's another one from the Grow It, Cook It magazine.

Cucumber Salsa (Yields 2 1/2 cups)

2 cups cucumber: peeled, seeded & finely chopped
1/2 cup tomato, finely chopped & seeded
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
1 spicy pepper, seeded & chopped
4 1/2 tsp minced fresh cilantro
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp lime juice
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp seasoned salt
Tortilla chips

In a medium bowl, combine the first 7 ingredients. In another bowl, combine the sour cream, lemon juice, lime juice, cumin and seasoned salt. Pour over cucumber mixture and toss gently to coat. Serve with chips.

Ratatouille

2011-07-20T15:00:00.002-04:00

Ratatouille is not a pretty dish. What it lacks in beauty, though, it more than makes up for in taste...especially when you use fresh local produce. Here is a pic of the vegetable ingredients:

Look at all those vibrant colors. Just like in painting, if you mix all those colors you get brown. Cooked up it looks like this:

And it is delicious!

I serve it over rice, so the first thing I do is make enough rice servings for my family. By the time the rice is done, so is the Ratatouille.

Ratatouille (6 servings)

1 medium eggplant (1 - 1 1/2 lbs)

2 small zucchini (1/2 lb)

1 medium green pepper, chopped (1 cup)

1 medium onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup)

2 medium tomatoes, cut into fourths

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Wash eggplant and peel (if desired). Cut in half inch cubes. Boil 5-8 minutes or until tender.

Wash zucchini. Remove stem and blossom ends but do not peel. Cut in half inch cubes. Boil 3-6 minutes.

Cook eggplant, zucchini and remaining ingredients in 12" skillet over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until zucchini is tender.

Serve over rice.

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup and Zucchini bake

2011-07-19T15:00:00.000-04:00

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

4 tomatoes
4 cups tomato juice
14 fresh basil leaves
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup butter
salt and pepper to taste

Peel and seed tomatoes:
Cut out the cores and score a cross in the base of each tomato. Immerse the tomatoes in a pan of boiling water for 8-15 seconds. Transfer to a bowl of cold water with a slotted spoon. The skin should peel off easily...lift the edge of the skin with a knife, if needed. Seed the tomatoes by halving them and squeezing the seeds out. I prefer to rinse them out in my kitchen sink.

For the soup:
Place tomatoes and juice in a stock pot over medium heat. Simmer for 30 minutes. Let cool before transferring to a blender or food processor. Puree the tomato mixture along with the basil leaves. Return the puree to the stock pot. Place the pot over medium heat, and stir in the heavy cream and butter. Season with salt and pepper. Heat, stirring until the butter is melted. Do not boil.

Zucchini Bake

3 cups zucchini, unpeeled and sliced
1 cup biscuit mix
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
dash garlic powder
2 Tbsp fresh parsely, chopped
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten

Preheast oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl; mix well. Pour mixture into a greased 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes until lightly browned.

My confession: I was not a big fan of this zucchini bake at first (I think because of the parmesan cheese). However, I do like to eat tomato soup balanced with some carbohydrates (grilled cheese sandwich or crackers). Since one of the ingredients in this casserole is biscuit mix, I decided to try dipping the casserole into my soup and eating it that way (weird, I know). It was delicious!

Attack of the Giant Zucchini

2011-07-18T15:00:00.000-04:00

Can you believe the size of this zucchini?!

I cannot take credit for this monster zucchini (although I do take some credit for the little monster holding it). One of my husband's co-workers has a farm that she only visits once a week. This was harvested on one of those weekend visits. I'm told it wasn't the only one of it's kind...she brought in a whole tub of them to the office. Stay tuned later this week for the stuffed zucchini recipe that will slay this giant.

Zucchini Casserole

2011-07-17T15:00:00.004-04:00

This recipe for Mexican Zucchini Casserole comes from the Birds & Blooms Grow It Cook It magazine. The original recipe yields 2 servings, so I doubled it for our family.

Mexican Zucchini Casserole

2 eggs
2 Tbsp canola oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups shredded zucchini
2 Tbsp chopped, seeded spicy pepper (I used a cowhorn pepper)*see note below
2 Tbsp finely chopped onion
2/3 cup biscuit/baking mix
4 Tbsp shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In medium bowl, beat the egg, oil, salt and pepper. Add the zucchini, spicy pepper and onion; stir to coat. Stir in biscuit mix and cheese.

Pour into a baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

*Note:
Don't make the same rookie mistake I did...be sure to wear gloves when cutting the spicy peppers. I was told by my husband that the cowhorn pepper was milder than the chili pepper from our garden. I took that to mean it wasn't hot, so I did not wear gloves when I prepared it. Even though I had washed my hands several times, I still had a difficult time getting my contacts out of my eyes that night. Lesson learned!

This turned out to be my favorite zucchini casserole recipe.