Fish Sauce Fixes Everything

In the summer of Fish Sauce, I learned that indeed, a grill plus fish sauce can turn even food I don't like at all into something I eagerly anticipate.  (True story!!).  When I found this recipe in Bon Appetit in July's issue, I got excited.  It used everything we had gotten in our CSA box this week, plus the ears of corn that were sitting in the fridge, waiting to be used.

The key to everyone eating this was serving things separately.  I had a bowl with the roasted corn in it, another with the rice, a third with the herbs, and a large dish with the rest of the roasted veggies.  We picked which one foods we liked and built our own salad.  

If you grill okra, the slime will go away.  Trust me on this one.  The amount of vegetables are just recommendations, you can use as much or as little of each as you want--knowing that will affect the number of servings.  I personally use more okra, because I actually really like it.

This serves 4 - 6.

Fish Sauce Fixes Everything
adapted from Bon Appetit

12 - 15 okra pods
3 ears of corn, shucked
2 large zucchini, halved lengthwise with insides scooped out
2 bell peppers
2 long red chiles (Holland or Anaheim) (optional)
1 - 2 small eggplants, cut lengthwise into 1" slices
1 T sea salt

1 t packed light brown sugar
2 T fish sauce
1 T lime juice

2 c (loosely packed) mixed fresh herbs--I like lots of mint and cilantro and some basil

4 c jasmine rice

Get the grill fired up--to a medium hot heat.  Combine the okra, corn, zucchini, bell peppers, chiles, and eggplant in a large bowl.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, and toss.  Grill the vegetables, turning frequently until they are crisp tender and lightly charred (about 8 minutes or so).  Place the chiles in a medium bowl and cover tightly (this will steam the chiles and release their skins, making them easier to peel).  Set the chiles aside.

Prepare the vegetables for serving.  Cut the corn off the cob, place in a large bowl.  Cut the zucchini and eggplant into irregular 1" pieces.  Either place in the same bowl with the corn (or in our case, in a separate bowl).  Trim any tough tops from the okra and cut the okra in half lengthwise and add to the other vegetables.  Set aside.

If using the chiles, scrape off the charred skin and discard.  Puree in a food processor.   Add the sugar and process until dissolved.  Stir in the fish sauce and lime juice (if not using the chiles, just combine the sugar, fish sauce, and lime juice).

To serve, scoop rice then top with the vegetables, followed by the fish sauce dressing and fresh herbs.

Vegetable Enchiladas

It is officially zucchini and summer squash season. It has begun. Unfortunately, I still remember disliking summer squash last summer and just the knowledge that it is in a dish is enough to make me want to go running and screaming away.

I attempted this anyway, knowing there would be large hunks of zucchini in it. It was alright. My kids didn't love it, but Curtis thought it was great and I found it tolerable (which is equal to great when it comes to recipes with chunks of zucchini in it). This recipe is based off of the enchilada's at Mother's Cafe and Garden, supposedly.

I will make this again this summer. For those of you who like zucchini more than me, you will probably love this.

This serves 4 - 6.

Vegetable Enchiladas

adapted from nannydeb on Food52.com

3 red bell peppers, cut into 4 large pieces each, seeds, and stem removed

2 zucchini, cut into 1" chunks

2 summer squash, cut into 1" chunks

1/2 yellow onion, cut into 1" chunks

1 med jalapeno, cut in half, seeds and stem removed (optional)

2 garlic cloves, skin still on

1 (15-oz) can black, kidney, or pinto beans

8 oz sour cream

2 T cilantro, chopped

1 t cumin

salt and pepper

8 - 10 corn tortillas

1 c queso fresco, crumbled (or Monterey Jack cheese will do too).

Spread peppers, zucchini, squash, onion, jalapeno, and onion on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Roast vegetables in a preheated 400 degrees oven for 20 - 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so. As soon as vegetables are tender, remove from oven (you're not going for mush here). The bell peppers and garlic will probably be tender first and browned first. Remove those first if they are. Place the bell peppers in a bag or covered bowl and allow to sweat for 10 minutes. Remove the skins from the bell peppers and garlic. Set the remaining vegetables aside to cool.

Place the bell peppers, jalapeno (if using), and garlic in a food processor along with the sour cream, 1 T cilantro, and the cumin. Puree until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Mix together the cooled vegetables and the can of beans (your choice). Put a large spoonful or two of sauce in a 9 x 9" baking pan. Soften the tortillas by your preferred method--mine is microwaving 4 of them at a time for 15 - 20 seconds (or 30 if I accidently don't get them out in time). Place approx. 1/4 cup of vegetable mixture and a sprinkling of cheese into each tortilla. Roll up as tightly as possible and put into baking pan. Repeat until you use all the filling---I think I made 10 enchiladas. Spread the remaining sauce over top and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. (If you want, you can refrigerate until baking at this point). Bake in a preheated 400 degrees oven for 20 - 25 minutes or until hot. Garnish with remaining cilantro, your favorite salsa (especially if you left out the jalapenos because of your children), and enjoy.

Smoky Minestrone with Cheesy Tortellini and Parsley Pesto

I am coming to learn that Minestrone is the Italian version of stone soup or the Mexican chicken caldo. It works great as a clean out the vegetable crisper soup, which could be why I have so many different versions of minestrone on my blog. This one is great for using zucchini, potatoes, and leafy greens.

There are several things I love about this soup. Thing 1 is the tortellini. In my humble opinion, one can never go wrong with cheese tortellini. Ever. Thing 2 is the parsley pesto. Although we are starting basil season her in CenTex, I used store bought parsley that was languishing in my crisper drawer. I like the slight bite of parsley better and had no desire to use the basil that was also languishing in my crisper drawer.

We all love this soup. The kids even ate the zucchini in this without a complaint. Being swim season and all these days, M ate three servings. I was pleased to be able to pull a leek from my little raised garden to use in this soup. The vegetable amounts are estimates--since I had small carrots and potatoes, I used 6 small carrots and 4 small potatoes.

This serves at least 6 and possibly 8. It is equally good on a warm, muggy early summer (yes, the end of May is early summer here) afternoon as it is on a cold winter's evening.

Smoky Minestrone with Cheesy Tortellini

adapted from WinnieAb on Food52

3 T olive oil

2 oz bacon or pancetta, chopped into small pieces (both chop easier if partially frozen)

1 lg onion, peeled and chopped

2 large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

1 leek, trimmed and thinly sliced

3 carrots, peeled and sliced

2 ribs of celery, chopped

1 zucchini, chopped

1 medium-large potato, peeled and chopped

4 c chicken stock

1 (15-oz) can chickpeas

1 (28-oz) can diced tomatoes

salt

1 c kale, chard, or collards, roughly chopped

1 (9-oz) pkg cheese tortellini

Pesto
1 c packed parsley leaves

2 T pine nuts, toasted

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 T Parmesan cheese, grated

1 T olive oil

Heat 1 T of olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the bacon or pancetta and cook until they have started to brown. Add 2 more T of oil, if the pot looks dry, along with the onion, leek, and garlic. Continue to cook over medium heat until softened. Add the celery, carrot, zucchini, and potato. Stir for a minute or two. Add the stock, chickpeas, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or so, or until the potatoes are tender (that will depend on how small you cut the potatoes).

If you are making this soup ahead of time, stop here. Finish right before you are ready to eat.

While the soup simmers, make the pesto. I find it easiest to do this by hand, based on the small recipe. Chop the parsley until it is very, very fine. Chop the toasted pine nuts and garlic. Add to the parsley, along with the Parmesan. Stir in the olive oil. Set aside.

Add the kale and tortellini to the soup(if you are using chard, add that a minute or two after the tortellini), and cook 7 minutes, or until cooked through. Taste and add more salt. Serve and garnish individual bowls with a nice spoonful of parsley pesto, as desired.

Zucchini Muffins

Fall is here in Central Texas which means a variety of things. The temperatures are falling---highs now are only usually in the 80's and on the glorious mornings they're in the 50's (on the not so glorious mornings, it only gets down to the mid/upper 60's). We get occasional cool fronts. The produce we receive in our CSA box increases. We are still getting lots of warm weather vegetables: cucumbers, eggplant, peppers, and zucchini. These vegetables are actually bigger and tastier than they were during the hot summer months of July/August/September. The cool weather crops are also starting to show up---a variety of greens.

After cooking with zucchini for 5 months now, I get a little weary. By September and October I am frequenting my zucchini in baked goods recipes. My typical zucchini bread recipe has seemed a little too rich than what suits my mood. In my search for a replacement recipe, I discovered these zucchini muffins.

I think these are about the perfect zucchini muffins. They're not overly rich, they're full of flavor, and they have nice add-ins (pecans and dried fruit). I can easily eat 3 of these when they are warm (did I really just admit that?).

This recipe makes 12 if you don't make large muffins (10 if they're larger).

Zucchini Muffins
adapted from The Williams-Sonoma Baking Book

1 c flour
1/2 c whole wheat flour (or omit and use 1 1/2 c white flour)
3/4 c sugar
2 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
2 eggs
1/3 c canola oil
1/4 c orange marmalade (optional--I've never used this, but I'm sure it would be good!)
1 t vanilla
1 4-oz zucchini or summer squash, shredded (drain on paper towels if you use the marmalade)
3/4 c dried tart cherries (or raisins or other dried fruit)
1/4 c pecans, chopped


In a bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, oil, marmalade, vanilla, and zucchini. Add the flour mixture to the zucchini mixture and stir until the batter is smooth and evenly moistened. Stir in the dried fruit and pecans until just mixed. The batter will be stiff.

Spoon the batter into 12 greased standard muffin cups. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven until muffins are golden, dry, and springy to touch, 17 - 20 minutes (a tester inserted in the center of a muffin should come out clean). Cool for 5 minutes, unmold and eat.

Turkish Lamb and Vegetable Stew

I stay pretty busy. Six days of the week, I do countless loads of laundry, feed our family, pick kids up at schools, keep our house semi-clean, do errands, and the list goes on and on. I am sure your list seems endless sometimes too. Whose doesn't? Needless to say, I am trying to carve out one day a week where I stop a little and take a nap/read/write (just for me--not for any blog), putting aside my mile long to do list for the day. One way I accomplish this without racking up huge eating out bills is to get out the slow cooker. I turn it on the morning, wash all the dishes and then am done for the day in the kitchen. The challenge is finding slow cooker recipes I like that don't turn into a "open up a can" fest. I want recipes that match our summer season and use some of the produce have around.

I found this recipe and was excited. It used eggplant and zucchini (not your normal slow cooker ingredients) in addition to potatoes. All three things I got in my CSA box and had languishing in my crisper (well, not the potatoes).

We all enjoyed it. My only complaint was the amount of work that went into it. I prefer my slow cooker recipes to need not a lot of prep work, but this one took a little longer with browning the lamb and sauteing onions. It also was a shorter cook time than some. However, we had no problem polishing off the leftovers throughout the week, not that we had a large amount of leftovers. It was a hit with all of us. This would be good served with rice or another grain like couscous. If you don't like the gamey lamb flavor, either substitute another stew meat or roast or trim the fat off of the lamb very well.

This makes 6 - 8 servings.

Turkish Lamb and Vegetable Stew
from Eating Well Magazine

1 1/2 lbs boneless leg of lamb, trimmed and cut into 1 1/4" pieces (or other stew meat/roast)
1 1/4 t salt
black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 lg onions, thinly slices
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t dried oregano
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
1 lg potato (or 3 -4 small ones, in my case), sliced 3/8" thick
1/2 lb green beans, trimmed and snapped into 1 - 2" pieces (frozen green beans work fine)
1 sm eggplant, sliced 3/8" thick
1 med zucchini or summer squash, sliced 3/8" thick
6 bay leaves
3 T fresh parsley, chopped

Season lamb with 1/4 t salt and pepper to taste. Heat 1/2 T olive oil in lg skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add half the lamb and brown, 2 - 4 minutes, turning to brown all sides. Set aside and repeat with remaining lamb, adding another 1/2 T olive oil to skillet. Add to slow cooker (and all accumulated juices). Add remaining 1/2 T oil to skillet and reduce heat to medium. Add onions and cook until softened, 3 - 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and oregano and cook for an additional minute. Add tomatoes and bring to a simmer, mashing with a potato masher or fork. Remove from heat.

Spoon half of tomato mixture over lamb. Arrange potatoes over top, followed by green beans, eggplant, and zucchini, seasoning each layer with a little salt and pepper. Spread remaining tomato mixture over top of vegetables. Top with bay leaves. Cover and cook on high about 4 hours or until lamb and vegetables are very tender. Discard bay leaves and serve hot, garnished with parsley.

Savory Summer Muffins

I don't have much to say about this one. Amazing, right? The kids didn't like them much, but Curtis and I did. This a great recipe for those times that summer squash/zucchini may seem overwhelming.

This will make about 18 or so muffins.

Savory Summer Muffins
adapted from Sundays at Moosewood

3 c flour
4 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1 1/2 t salt
1 c cheddar cheese, grated
1 c zucchini or summer squash, grated
3 T parsley
2 eggs
1 c buttermilk
1/4 c melted butter

Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl with a whisk. Add cheese, squash, and parsley. Toss lightly to mix. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and then whisk in the buttermilk and butter. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just blended (not smooth or anything like that). Spoon batter into greased muffin tins, filling them 3/4 full. Bake in preheated 350 degrees oven for 30 - 35 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cupcakes

As I've said many times, I am not a fan of the summer squash. Early in the season I'll cook it in identifiable forms with pasta, in sautes, grilled, or in a quiche. I'll make zucchini cakes and occasionally chilled zucchini soup. By September though, my patience has waned and I look only for those recipes that hide the zucchini and involve sugar, butter, and baking. I think zucchini was the original motivation for the whole Deceptively Delicious/The Sneaky Chef/ hide healthy foods in other dishes movement. People had the need to use zucchini that just coming and coming and coming.

In my shameless avoidance of cleaning this week, I stumbled onto another food blog after my own heart (Real Mom Kitchen, click here to see all her posts labeled with zucchini) There was a whole host of zucchini recipes involving baking and not knowing that zucchini is in it at all. This recipe was one of them. I also hope to make the zucchini whoopie pie that she has on her blog, however based off the picture, I'll want to tweak it a little to make it into one of those great Pennsylvania Dutch (ie Amish) whoopie pies I grew up with. (Don't get me started on those flat things that stores are now calling whoopie pies that are the size of saucers).

The cupcakes were really good. Curtis thought they were the best chocolate cupcakes I've ever made. I wouldn't go that far, but I do like them and can totally ignore the zucchini. The chocolate cream cheese frosting is awesome. The kids like them pretty good too.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cupcakes
from Real Mom Kitchen blog

2 (1 oz) squares unsweetened chocolate, cut into chunks
3 eggs
1 3/4 c packed brown sugar
1 c vegetable oil
2 c flour
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
2 c zucchini, grated
1/2 c chocolate chips

Toss zucchini with 1/2 t salt and place in sieve over a bowl. Let set until it is added to cake batter, squeezing out excess liquid before adding it to the cake (see middle picture).

In a double boiler, bring water to a boil. Turn off heat, place chocolate in bowl, cover, and let set until chocolate is melted. Set aside. (See top picture for my method of using a double boiler, setting a small metal mixing bowl inside a pot of boiling water).

In a mixer, beat eggs with sugar until pale and thickened, 5 - 10 minutes depending on mixer speed and strength. Blend in oil and cooled chocolate into the beaten egg mixture. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to egg mixture and combine until just blended. Stir in drained, grated zucchini and chocolate chips. Spoon batter into 24 paper-lined muffin cups, filling cups 2/3 (or slightly more) full. Bake in preheated 350 degrees oven for 20 minutes or until tester inserted into center comes out clean. Let cool on pans on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely before icing.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
1 (8-0z) pkg of cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 c butter, at room temperature
3 c sifted powdered sugar (you may need as much as 4 c depending on how thick you want your frosting)
1/2 c cocoa powder

Mix cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. Mix in powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Mix in cocoa powder and frost cupcakes.

Beef Enchiladas (with Zucchini)

This recipe is the perfect enchilada in so many ways. (I know enchilada purists would disagree with me). It has a great beef flavor and isn't overloaded with greasy, flavorless ground beef. It has lots of protein--thanks to the beef and two different kinds of beans. AND--this is the best part--it uses up zucchini in such way I never notice it's there. This recipe is more or less one of my own creations---I wanted beef enchiladas without the ground beef so I roasted a chuck roast, shredded it, and threw about 1 1/2 cups of it into a recipe for crockpot burritos (and then changed everything else to be enchiladas made in the oven instead). The roast makes enough meat that I freeze half it so the next time I want enchilada the work is cut in half. The roast takes awhile to cook, but it is basically ignored--either on the stove, in the oven, or in a crockpot.

Everyone loved these. My cousin decided black beans were tolerable after eating this, M decided she all out liked black beans, and my other cousins was pleased she couldn't notice the zucchini or summer squash. It was a hit.

Beef Enchiladas with Zucchini













adapted almost beyond recognition of the two original recipes from Simply in Season

1 - 2 lb chuck roast
1/2 onion, chopped
1 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 quart of water

2 c (1 - 15 oz can) cooked kidney beans
2 c (1 - 15 oz can) cooked black beans
2 c (1 -15 oz can) tomatoes, chopped
1/4 c water
1 t chili powder
1/2 t ground cumin
1/4 t pepper
1 c summer squash (yellow or zucchini), shredded
1 c corn (optional)
2 c cheese (cheddar or Monterey Jack or a mix)
8 flour tortillas

Saute the onion and garlic in a large Dutch oven (stock pot/soup pot) in olive oil until tender. Add meat and brown on both sides. Add 1 quart water (or more to cover chuck roast) and simmer slowly for 3 - 4 hours (can also do this step in the oven or a crock pot). When meat is tender, remove from broth (cool broth, skim fat off, and freeze for later use--makes a great base of stews or soups), and shred meat. Set aside 1 1/2 c of beef, freeze remaining meat for later use.

In a large, heavy skillet, add beef, kidney beans, black beans, tomatoes, water, chili powder, cumin, pepper, summer squash, and corn. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Put 1/2 c meat mixture and a little grated cheese in each tortilla and roll up. Put in a 9 x 13" pan. Top with leftover meat sauce and cheese. Bake in preheated 350 degrees oven for 30 minutes.

Julia Child's Ratatouille

I think for every cook inundated with eggplant and zucchini there is a unique ratatouille recipe. I decided to give Julia Child's recipe a try, but with a few changes. I cut the recipe in half because I knew it would just be Curtis and I eating it. I also had to finish it in the oven instead of the stove because I had no casserole dishes that can also go stove top (oooh....now for my Christmas a Le Crueset enameled cast iron casserole dish).

As I admitted before, I am on the Julia Child bandwagon. I am learning some different cooking techniques and finding some good recipes. Does this mean I am straying away from the whole local thing? Absolutely not. In my opinion, most other ethnic (as in other than "American"-- French being ethnic as well) recipes do a much better job of incorporating local, in season ingredients than we do. To quote Julia Child in Mastering the Art of French Cooking "Any fine, fresh vegetable in season will taste just as good in America or anywhere else if the French vegetable-cooking techniques are used." (bold is my emphasis). She, like most chefs and good cooks, recognized seasonal, local vegetables (and fruit) make the best tasting food. My Julia Child bandwagon is just a way of increasing my collection of recipes and the repertoire of skills.

As far as the results (the picture is the before cooking picture). Curtis and I loved it. It had the seemingly silly technique of patting each piece of sliced vegetable dry before frying, but from what I understand, that step is what allows any cooked food (meat, vegetable, whatever) to brown. So, I did it and the vegetables looked beautiful. I think I like almost any ratatouille...it's just a great side dish. I am listing the proportions for a full recipe.

Ratatouille
adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking

1 lb eggplant, peeled and cut lengthwise into 3/8" slices, 3" long, and 1" wide
1 lb zucchini, cut similarly to eggplant
1 t salt
4 T olive oil (or more, if needed)
1/2 lb (1 1/2 c) thinly sliced yellow onions
2 (1 c) sliced bell peppers
2 - 3 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and juiced**
3 T parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Place eggplant and zucchini a bowl and toss with 1 t salt. Let stand for 30 minutes (to drain the liquid from the vegetables). Drain and dry each slice with a towel. One layer at a time, saute the eggplant and then zucchini in hot olive oil (4 T) for about a minute on each side to brown lightly. Remove to side dish. Cook the onions and peppers slowly in the olive oil from about 10 minutes or until tender, but not browned. Stir in the garlic and season with salt and pepper to taste. Slice the tomatoes into 3/8" strips. Lay them over the onions and peppers. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over low heat for 5 minutes or until tomatoes have released their juices. Uncover, baste the tomatoes with the juices, raise the heat, and boil for several minutes, until the juice has almost entirely evaporated.

Place 1/3 of the tomato mixture in the bottom of casserole dish (2 1/2 quart) and sprinkle over it 1 T parsley. Arrange 1/2 the eggplant and zucchini on top, then the half the remaining tomatoes and parsley. Put in the rest of the eggplant and zucchini, and finish with the remaining tomatoes and parsley. Cover the casserole and bake in a preheated 350 degrees oven for 10 minutes. Uncover, raise heat to 375 degrees and cook, uncovered, for 15 - 30 minutes, until juices have mostly evaporated. Serve hot or set aside and reheat (or even serve cold) slowly just before serving.

**To deal with tomatoes, drop in boiling water for 10 or so seconds, remove, and the skin will slip right off. Cut the tomato in half when it is cool enough to handle and gently squeeze out the seeds (and some juice as well). The process is much easier than it initially sounds.

Sicilian Stir Fry

I was craving some stir fry yesterday. The thought of a nice dark sesame beef and broccoli stir fry made me happy. However, it is over 100 degrees out (again and again and again) and no sight of fresh broccoli to be found anywhere. Thus I thought of the recipe for Sicilian Stir Fry--a recipe using lots of summer vegetables and not as heavy as a dark sesame sauce.

Like many stir-fry's, you can use whatever vegetables you have on hand. Add green beans or asparagus if you have want more green. Just have 5 - 6 c of raw vegetables to put in. I didn't have the celery or fennel and left that out. I can just imagine that ingredient would have made everything even more tasty. The combination of ingredients reminds me a little of caponata.

We all enjoyed it. Curtis and I ate all the veggies. J and M didn't eat the eggplant, onions, or peppers, but they did eat the tomatoes, squash, and mushrooms. It's pretty quick and easy summer meal. The most time intensive part was chopping the vegetables, the rest went quickly. I had all my ingredients in little bowls before hand so when I started cooking, I could be like a TV food show host---just dumping little bowls of food into the skillet. I think cooking is so much more fun that way!

Sicilian Stir-Fry
adapted from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics

1 T olive oil
1 c sliced onions
1/2 c celery or fennel, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 c sliced mushrooms
1 c sliced zucchini or summer squash
1/2 c sliced bell peppers
1 c diced eggplant
1/2 t fresh rosemary, minced
1/2 t salt
2 T dry red wine
1 c fresh tomatoes, chopped
2 T fresh basil, chopped
1 T capers
1/2 lb chunky pasta such as farfalle

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet on med-high heat. Add onions and cook 2 - 3 minutes. Add celery, garlic, and eggplant and stir-fry for 4 minutes (but do not brown). Add mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers, rosemary and salt and continue to stir-fry 2 -3 minutes. Stir in red wine, tomatoes, basil, and capers. Continue to stir fry another couple of minutes until every things hot and vegetables have released their juices. Serve over hot pasta and top with grated Parmesan if desired.

Tuscan Panzanella

This is one of those recipes that can occasionally frustrate me--more than anything because it calls for mixed greens, asparagus, tomatoes, and zucchini. In what area (except maybe California) can you find all of those things in season at the same time? I went for it this time though because I love the recipe and I've been off the local wagon a little more lately.

It's a good recipe. Curtis and I really enjoyed it, as did our guests. The garlic parmesan dressing was great. I think I'll try the process differently next time....maybe add the olive oil last instead of the milk. The dressing separated quickly and the oil wasn't emulsified, so I would like to try adding it very slowly at the end, like in mayonnaise, instead of at the beginning. I grilled the vegetables and bread, but you the original recipe calls for them to be roasted in a 450 degrees oven.

Tuscan Panzanella
from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics cookbook

Creamy Garlic Parmesan Dressing
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 c cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c red wine vinegar
1/2 c Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 t ground black pepper
1 t salt
1/2 c whole or 2% milk

Panzanella
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4" thick slices
1 medium yellow summer squash, cut into 1/4" thick slices
2 large bell pepper, halved and seeded (assorted colors are nice)
1 T olive oil
12 - 16 fresh asparagus, stemmed and cut into 2" pieces
2 c tomatoes, chopped
8 c mixed field greens
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 T red wine vinegar
salt and black pepper to taste
2 t minced fresh basil, parsley, or thyme
1 large loaf of crusty French or Italian bread

Combine the dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor, adding the milk last while you puree or process. Whirl for 30 - 45 seconds, until the dressing is the consistency of a light mayonnaise. Set aside.

Lightly brush the zucchini and squash slices and bell pepper halves with olive oil. Place bell pepper halves, zucchini, and squash on preheated grill. Roast until bell pepper halves are charred on the skin side and zucchini and squash are beginning to brown and are tender. Place roasted bell pepper halves in a covered bowl or plastic bag for 10 minutes to steam. Meanwhile, blanch the asparagus for 2 minutes in a boiling pan of water. Drain and plunge into cold water to cool. Drain again and set aside. Place the tomatoes and greens in a serving bowl. In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and herb and set aside.

Peel the charred skin off the peppers and cut them into 2 inch pieces. Slice the loaf of bread in half lengthwise and place on hot grill for 5 - 10 minutes to crisp. Add the vegetables to the bowl of tomatoes and greens. Just before serving, toss the salad with reserved oil and vinegar mixture. Cut the bread into 1" cubes and add them to the salad. Serve with a generous spoonful of the creamy garlic parmesan dressing.

Squash Yeast Rolls

I got a giant zucchini in the box yesterday and was planning on hamburgers for supper. I needed buns (and it turned out, a whole lot more, but that's a different story) and decided to make my own rolls using my giant zucchini. When using large zucchini, it is helpful to scoop the seeds out of the zucchini (just because they are so large and may affect texture). To scoop out the seeds, cut the zucchini in half and using a spoon, scoop out the seeds (like a cucumber).

I don't peel my zucchini for this recipe, I like the flecks of green in the rolls. However, if you are trying to sneak one by someone, peel the zucchini. You can also use yellow summer squash interchangeably--I pretty much use whatever we have on hand. I didn't have dry milk powder (also known as powdered milk) so I left it out. It didn't change taste or texture considerably, but I did use a lot more flour than usual.

These were a hit. M asked what the green was and I hesitantly told her. Her response caught me off guard---Mmmm....zucchini. The rolls are that good. They were great for hamburgers and we plan on using them for pulled pork on Sunday as well. The recipe will make 12 hamburger sized buns or 24 dinner roll.

Squash Yeast Rolls
From Simply in Season

2 -3 c zucchini and/or summer squash, shredded
1 c water
1/2 c sugar
3 T olive oil
1 c bread flour
1 c whole wheat flour
1/3 c dry milk powder
2 T active dry yeast
additional 2 - 3 c bread flour

Combine squash, water, sugar, oil, and salt in a saucepan and heat slowly until warm (still cool enough you can stick your comfortably stick your finger in the water), stirring to blend. In a mixing bowl, combine 1 c bread flour, whole wheat flour, milk powder, and yeast in a mixing bowl. Add liquid ingredients and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Stir in enough additional flour (2 - 3 c) to make a soft dough. The dough will be very sticky. Knead on a lightly floured surface 8 - 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Place in an oiled bowl, turn to grease both sides, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Punch down and let rise 10 minutes. Shape into rolls and place on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 15 - 20 minutes. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees oven for 25 - 35 minutes. Brush with milk for a soft crust (I never do this step....) and let stand 5 - 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

Skirt Steak with Poblano Rajas and Zucchini

I am always challenged by the amount of peppers we get every summer in our box. I was searching last week and found one that took 2 poblanos and decided I needed to make it. It wasn't difficult or time consuming to make. I used the grill to roast the poblanos and cook the steaks so I didn't need to heat up the house too much.

M and J just ate the steak for supper and passed on the vegetable cream sauce on top. Curtis and I liked the cream sauce just fine, but as leftovers, I couldn't bring myself to eat the cream sauce. We also had roasted potatoes with cilantro lime mayonnaise with this meal as well.

Skirt Steak with Poblano Rajas and Zucchini
from Bon Appetit

2 large poblanos
2 (12-oz) skirt steaks
3 T olive oil
2 t cumin
1 t chile powder (optional)

1 c zucchini, diced
3/4 c onions, chopped
1/2 c whipping cream

Roast poblanos either in the broiler or on a grill. To roast, char the chile on all sides, until blackened all over. Put in ziploc bag for 10 - 15 minutes to allow the chile to steam (which loosens the skin). Remove blackened skin with your fingers or the back of knife (if using your fingers, be careful. This is a chile and can burn, especially in small cuts). Seed and cut chiles lengthwise into 1/2" wide strips. Set aside. Brush steaks with 1 T oil. Mix 1 t cumin and chile powder, if using, and rub on both sides of steaks. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 T oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add zucchini, poblanos, and onions. Saute until zucchini is tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1 t cumin. Add cream, boil until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Grill steaks, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Let cool for 5 minutes. Thinly slice across the grain. Transfer steaks to platter. Top with poblanos and chopped cilantro.

Grilled Portabella Bulgur "Burgers"

This recipe looked wonderful when I found it on Epicurious. I love grilled portabellas and I was excited to find another use for zucchini and bell peppers.

To put it mildly, I absolutely destroyed the portabellas. I am going to blame it on being out of grilling practice. The mushrooms were charred, but very firm--not at all soft like they should have been. The filling was incredible--I ate leftovers for several meals. It was great. I'll probably try this recipe again because of how good the bulgur filling was. Next time I'll make sure I have the grill on very, very low heat (maybe even use indirect heat for a little part of the time...) and hopefully these will turn out better. Curtis also loved the filling and he could tolerate the mushrooms (which is more than I could do). J ate a little filling and M worked on part of a mushroom.

Grilled Portabella and Bulgar "Burgers"
from Gourmet

For tomato vinaigrette:
2 lg garlic clove
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
1/2 c parsley
1/3 c extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c red wine vinegar
1 T chopped fresh rosemary

For bulgar burgers
6 - 8 large portabella mushrooms, stems removed
1 sm onion, cut lengthwise into 1/2" wedges
2 med bell peppers, quartered lengthwise
1 med zucchini, halved lengthwise
1 1/2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 c boiling water
1 c bulgur
1/4 c pine nuts, toasted
2 1/2 oz arugula (4 c)
1 firm-ripe small avocado

To make vinaigrette, drop garlic into food processor with motor running, and finely chop. Add tomatoes, parsley, oil, vinegar, rosemary, 1/2 t salt, and 1/4 t pepper and pulse until tomatoes finely chopped, but not pureed.

To make the salad, toss the cleaned portabellas with a 1/2 c of the vinaigrette in a 13 x 9" baking dish and let stand, turning occasionally, 20 minutes. Toss onions, bell peppers, and zucchini with oil, 1/4 t salt, 1/8 t pepper. Oil grill rack, then grill vegetables, covered on a preheated gas grill to medium heat, until tender (6 - 8 minutes for peppers, 6 - 10 minutes for zucchini, 8 - 12 minutes for onion wedges, and 12 - 15 minutes for portabellas). Transfer the portabellas to a plate and the remaining vegetables to a bowl as they finish cooking. Cool slightly and then coarsely chop onions, peppers, and zucchini.

While vegetables cook, pour boiling water over bulgur with 1/2 t salt in a large bowl and let stand until water is absorbed and bulgur is tender, about 5 minutes. Drain in a sieve if any water remains. Add vegetables to bulgur with pine nuts and remaining vinaigrette and toss.

Put arugula on a platter. Top with an upside down portabella. Pack bulgur mixture into a cup measure and then unmold on top of portabella. Top with another portabella, right side up. serve with an avocado quarter.

Zucchini Patties with Feta

My family does not love summer squash (zucchini included). In fact, Curtis and I rather dread the start of the very long squash season. When Curtis saw what was for supper last night, his response was to groan and ask "Zucchini?" However, by the time the meal was over, Curtis had changed his mind. In Curtis's words, "we have gotten past the painful zucchini stage and found some recipes we like." This one he deemed repeatable.

We turned supper into a finger food type supper. With the exception of the zucchini patties (which we topped with sour cream and/or salsa), nothing else was eaten with a utensils. We had tomato slices, cucumber slices, thick, hearty wheat bread, and black olives. M didn't like the patties--I didn't expect her to since they had feta/goat cheese in them. However, the rest of us rather enjoyed them.

The original recipe suggested making this as an appetizer. It said it would make 18 patties. I made it as a main course and made 7 (you can make more or less depending on how big you want a serving). I also didn't have the parsley so I omitted it. My patties were much wetter so I added about 3/4 - 1 c of flour. They still seemed to moist. Instead of adding even more flour (I was scared they may taste doughy), I added about 1/4 - 1/2 c of bread crumbs. That did the trick.

Zucchini Patties with Feta
from Bon Appetit

2 1/2 c coarsely grated zucchini or yellow squash
1 t salt, divided
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/2 c (to as much as 1 c) of flour
1/2 c crumbled feta or goat cheese or a mixture of both
1 c fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1/2 c onions, finely chopped
1 1/2 T fresh dill, chopped (don't leave this out!)

1/2 c olive oil
1/2 c canola oil

Toss zucchini (squash) and 1/2 t salt in large bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes. Transfer to sieve and press out excess liquid. Place zucchini in a dry bowl and mix in egg, yolk, 1/2 c flour, cheese, and 1/2 t salt. Mix in parsley, onions, and dill. Add extra flour (and even bread crumbs) if batter is very wet, a little at a time. Batter should be moist and will stick to your fingers, but it should be dry enough to be able to hold together as a patty long enough to put it in the pan.

Heat 2 T of olive oil and 2 T of canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Form patties with your hands and drop into skillet. Fry patties until golden, 5 minutes per side, adding more oils as needed. Transfer to paper towels and drain excess oil. Serve hot or at room temperature topped with sour cream, yogurt, and/or salsa.

Ratatouille over Pasta

Last year, I made ratatouille by grilling the vegetables. This year, our gas grill still isn't hooked up and I am charcoal grill challenged, so I adapted my recipe to be made in the oven. The result was great. Curtis said this was his favorite meal I had made all year. The seasonings in the ratatouille are scant--just basil, olive oil, and salt. The vegetables are what really provide all the flavor. That said, use the freshest eggplant and tomatoes possible. We topped it with goat cheese which really complemented the flavor. In the past, I've also used feta in place of the goat cheese. I like the goat cheese much better though. I predict we will be eating lots of ratatouille this summer!

Ratatouille over Pasta
1/2 lb eggplant, cut in 1/2" cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 zucchini, halved and sliced
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
1/4 c + 2T olive oil
coarse sea salt
2 tomatoes, pureed
2 T basil, chopped
8 oz chunky pasta
goat cheese, crumbled

Stir together eggplant and onions in a roasting pan. Toss with 1/4 c olive oil and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Roast in preheated 450 degrees oven for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in zucchini and bell pepper with the eggplants and onions. Toss with remaining 2 T olive oil and a dash of sea salt. Roast for an additional 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. While the vegetables roast, bring pureed tomatoes and basil to a boil in a saucepan. Simmer until the sauce is thickened and the pasta and vegetables are ready. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta. Drain. Put the vegetables in the tomato sauce and combine. Place pasta in a serving bowl and pour tomato/vegetable sauce on top of the pasta. Sprinkle with goat cheese and serve.

Zucchini Quiche

I think I have found another zucchini recipe that is worth repeating. I loved this quiche. It has bacon in it, and really, where can you go wrong with bacon? Bacon makes almost all vegetables more palatable and it doesn't take much to season a whole dish (only two strips of hearty farmer's market bacon in this dish--for six servings, that's 1/3 a strip a bacon each, not bad...). Curtis and I liked this. M ate the crust, not surprised because she hasn't been a big quiche fan lately. J ate some of his, before deciding he just wanted crusts too. We served it with some small tomatoes cut into wedges that we had gotten in our box. I will definitely make this again!

A note on the filling--it acted differently than what I expected. Trust the baking times and if a toothpick comes out basically clean, call it done. It didn't get as firm as some of the other quiches I've made, but I really enjoyed the consistency.

Zucchini Quiche
adapted from Gourmet

1 (9-inch) pre-made pie crust
1/4 lb sliced bacon (use a lot less if you are using good Farmer's Market bacon)
2 medium zucchini (3/4 lb total), halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/8" thick slices
3/4 c heavy cream
3/4 c milk
1/4 t black pepper
3 large eggs
1 c grated Swiss cheese (or Gruyere)

Prick pie crust all over and bake in preheated 450 degrees oven for 10 minutes. Let cool on a rack. Reduce oven temperature to 350.

While crust bakes, cook bacon in heavy 12" skillet (I used my cast iron black skillet) over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Remove all but 1 T bacon fat from skillet. Add zucchini and saute in 1 T bacon fat over medium high heat, stirring frequently until zucchini is tender and starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Heat cream, milk, and pepper in a small saucepan until mixture just begins to simmer, then remove from heat. Whisk together eggs in a large heatproof bowl, then gradually whisk in hot cream mixture until combined. Stir in bacon, zucchini, and cheese and pour into pie crust. Bake in preheated 350 degrees oven until filling is just set,, 25 - 30 minutes. Let cool (in the pan) on a rack about 20 minutes. Serve.

Zucchini and Onion Flatbread

I made this as a bread to go with lasagne when we had friends over. It was a big hit with all the adults. M didn't like it, but that was fine with all of us. The zucchini is very unobtrusive and not obnoxiously in your face, thanks to the onions and the herbed cheese spread. I will definitely repeat this (probably many times) throughout the summer. You could also easily mix up a batch of your favorite homemade pizza dough. I took the easy route this time around.

Zucchini and Onion Flatbread
(slightly adapted from Bon Appetit)
1 (10-oz) tube refrigerated pizza dough
3/4 c garlic and herb cheese spread (such as Alouette or Boursin), divided
3/4 c Parmesan cheese, finely grated, divided
3 T fresh parsley, chopped, divided
1 small onion (original recipe suggests a red onion, I used a young sweet onion), cut into 1/8" thick rounds
1 (7- 8 inch long) zucchini, cut crosswise into 1/8" thick rounds
Olive oil

Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray with non-stick spray. Unroll dough onto parchment and stretch to fit pan. Spread 1/2 of herb cheese over one long half of dough, leaving 1/2 " plain border. Sprinkle with half of Parmesan and 2 T parsley. Fold plain half of dough over filled half (using parchment as aid). Do not seal edges. Spread remaining herb cheese over top; sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Arrange one row of zucchini down one long side of dough. Arrange onion rounds in row alongside zucchini. Arrange one more row of zucchini alongside onion. (you can repeat this alternation as many times as you have space for). Brush vegetables with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake bread in preheated 400 degrees oven until puffed and deep brown at the edges, about 24 minutes. Sprinkle with 1 T parsley and serve.

Ginger Zucchini Cupcakes

I have started my ever constant summer search of Zucchini recipes I like and the family will eat. I experimented with two this weekend--this is the first of those. I am not a big ginger in desserts fan (ginger in stir-fry, etc, oh yeah!! But desserts, no thanks). I ate one and didn't dislike it, I just wouldn't go for another. Curtis thought the icing made them a lot better. It was worth the try and possibly a repeatable recipe if I have people to share them with.

In terms of zucchini recipes, they are a pretty good deal. They use 2 c of grated zucchini (which you can grate using a box grater or a food processor) and made only 12 cupcakes. You can find crystallized ginger in the Asian section of the grocery store.

Ginger Zucchini Cupcakes
from Gourmet magazine
1/3 c crystallized ginger (1 3/4 oz), coarsely chopped
2 c flour
1 t ground ginger
1 t ground cinnamon
1 t finely grated fresh orange zest
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
2 c zucchini, coarsely grated
3/4 c mild olive oil
3/4 c honey
2 large eggs, beaten
1 t vanilla

Frosting
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 T unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 c confectioners sugar
1 t vanilla
1/2 t ground ginger
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t finely grated fresh orange zest


Pulse crystallized ginger in food processor until finely ground, then add flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, zest, salt, baking powder, and baking soda and pulse until combined. Whisk together zucchini, oil, honey, eggs, and vanilla in a medium bowl, then stir in flour mixture until just combined. Divide batter among 12 muffin cups lined with muffin papers and bake on the center rack of a preheated 350 degrees oven until golden and wooden pick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 - 24 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely, 1 hour.

For the frosting: Beat together frosting ingredients with an electric mixer at high speed until combined well and fluffy, about 3 - 5 minutes. Frost tops of cooled cupcakes.

Vegetarian Chili with Cashews

At the farmers market last weekend, I saw zucchini. I know it's the middle of November when I eagerly grab at zucchini at the Farmer's Market (usually I walk on by, as quickly as possible). I'd had a hankering for Vegetarian Chili with cashews for a while and the zucchini was all I needed for that little extra bit of encouragement.

First a brief disclaimer. In the Texas sense of the word chili, this is not chili. In Texas, your chili does not have beans in it. That basically means the name Vegetarian Chili is an oxymoron. If it doesn't have met it can't be chili. I am not from Texas (just reside here now) and I think chili should have beans. Thus, my love for this recipe.

To make the vegetarian chili, saute 2 small chopped onions and 1 clove of minced garlic in a T of oil in a large soup pot for 5 minutes. Add to the onions and garlic 2 diced medium zucchini, 2 diced stalks of celery, 2 diced medium carrots, 2 diced bell peppers, 2 T chili powder, 1 t cumin, 1/2 t cayenne, 2 bay leaves, and 2 T brown sugar (I actually left the chili powder and cayenne out in hopes the kids would eat it). Cover and simmer over low heat for 4 minutes. Stir in 2 (15-oz) cans of kidney beans and 2 (15-oz) cans of tomato sauce. I didn't have any tomato sauce so I used a pint jar of tomato juice I canned earlier in the summer and a pint jar of end of the garden I had canned (end of the garden is canned tomatoes, bell peppers, and onions). I since it was thinner than juice, I simmered it down for about 30 minutes before I started making supper. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer until the vegetables are tender, but not mushy, and flavors have blended (about 10 minutes). Remove bay leaves. Serve and top each bowl with a handful of roasted, unsalted cashews. (If you put the cashews straight in the pot, the leftovers will end up with soft, bloated cashews). This is a large recipe. It can easily serve at least 8 people.

M and J weren't thrilled with supper tonight. They both really like the whole wheat toast topped with local honey, but didn't eat a lot of soup. M said she liked it, I just don't think she was especially hungry for some reason. Curtis and I both loved it. I thought it was exactly like this cold November day needed.