Favorite Recipes
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Recipes are every where, and so many of them. I wanted to add this page because a lot of recipes are complicated and require many ingredients, many of which you need to add to your shopping list. Most of these recipes are easy and good too. Hope you will try some.
*Many of these recipes were put on this Web site before we changed our eating style to more traditional foods, things your grandparents would have used. We now try to stay away from processed food and cook from scratch. If you are following the "Nourishing Traditions" guidelines just substitute some of the ingredients with homemade versions.
Summer Squash Casserole
My sister raved about this casserole and if not for her glowing report I probably wouldn’t have made it. Am I ever glad she convinced me to try it! It is wonderful.
1 lb. (6c.) yellow summer squash, sliced
1 can cream of chicken or celery soup
1/4- cup chopped onion
1-cup sour cream
1-cup carrots, shredded
8 oz. herb stuffing mix
1/2-cup butter, melted
Cook squash in boiling salted water for 5 minutes. Drain. Mix soup and sour cream. Stir in shredded carrots. Add squash and onion. Combine stuffing and butter in separate bowl. Spread half of stuffing mix in a 9-inch square pan. Spoon on vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with remaining stuffing. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Be sure it is heated through.
Mexican Topping
This made our tortillas fabulous. I am glad I took the extra time to make this instead of just chopping the veggies and using them fresh. You could add this to all kinds of Mexican dishes.
Chopped onions
Chopped green peppers
Chopped hot peppers
Chopped tomatillos
Cumin
Sea Salt
Sauté onions and peppers. Add tomatillos, cumin, salt and heat thoroughly.
Zucchini Brownies
2 cups shredded zucchini
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. Baking soda
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped nuts
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup oil
2 tsp. Vanilla
Mix all together and pour into an 11x15 greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes.
Tomato-Rhubarb Chutney
This recipe is more involved than many of the others we have posted but is worth the effort. Use chutney with meats or in place of salsa or even in a stir-fry sauce.
1 cup fresh rhubarb (or frozen)
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped sweet pepper (and some hot ones also if desired)
1/3 cup dried cherries, cranberries or raisins
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp. Lemon or limejuice
1/4 tsp. Ginger
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. Salt
2 cloves crushed or minced garlic
Combine all ingredients except rhubarb. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Add rhubarb. Simmer for 15 minutes or until thickened. (Add 10 more minutes if using frozen rhubarb.)
Note: This recipe can be ‘tweaked’ to suit your tastes. I thought it was too sweet so added extra ginger and cumin which made a wonderful blend of flavors. I also added tomatillos instead of lemon or limejuice. I made a large pot (had to use up some tomatoes) so I didn’t follow the quantities exactly.
Fiesta Beef & Veggie Barbecue
This meal is good enough to serve company. I like to make it for special occasions, like summer holidays. Since we just had one (holiday) it made me think of making it, so here it is.
Beef (tender and cubed)
Assorted vegetables (peppers, mushrooms, onions, summer squash, zucchini, cherry tomatoes) cut up vegetables (not tomatoes) into chunks.
Marinating sauce*
*Marinating sauce:
Envelope of dry onion soup mix
2 tablespoons sugar
½ cup catsup
1-teaspoon vinegar
¼ cup oil
1-tablespoon mustard
Marinate the cubed beef for several hours. Add onions and any vegetables that need a longer cooking time to the mixture. Grill or Broil this mixture. Near the end of cooking add the remaining vegetables. We prefer our tomatoes to be firm so I don’t add them until serving time but if you like them cooked add them near the end of cooking.
Serve with favorite flavorful rice
*Marinating sauce has a wonderful flavor. It can be used for other recipes when you want a special sauce.
Bread and Butter Pickles
These are easy and great tasting pickles. They can even be frozen. But best of all is their taste. Try them, you won’t be disappointed.
2 quarts of thin sliced cucumbers
onion - sliced (recipe calls for one but I use two)
2 tablespoons salt
Mix and let stand for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Rinse and drain.
Add to drained cucumbers:
1 ½ cups sugar (stir to dissolve)
½ cup vinegar (stir to mix)
Green Beans, Potatoes and Sausage (all in one pot)
Every summer when the beans start to come in my family gets excited for this dinner.
Smoked Sausage (I like to use the ‘Lite’ type because of less fat)
A bunch of green beans with ends snapped off and cut into shorter pieces
Potatoes (washed and scrubbed and cut into chunks, I leave the skins on but you don’t have to)
Garlic
Season Salt
Maggie or soy sauce
Slice sausage approximately into ½ inch slices or less. Put sausage and beans into a large pot with water just covering contents. Add garlic, season salt, Maggie or soy sauce. After the water has started to boil add chunks of potatoes and simmer all together, stirring occasionally.
Depending on the type of green beans you use, the timing of cooking both the potatoes and beans together could be different. You want both the beans and potatoes to be tender but not mushy. I grow a firm Spanish type green bean that needs a few more minutes of cooking than the potatoes; not all types will need this.
Spoon out of pot with a large slotted spoon. Serve with bread or rolls or some fresh sliced tomatoes. Summer produce-YUM!
Fruit Cobbler
This is a great tasting cobbler and soooo easy to prepare, exactly what I like in a recipe.
I got this recipe from a friend who said it was a family favorite. She used rhubarb; I have used rhubarb and several fruits also, such as apples and berries. If you use apples add some spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, etc. to the apples.
The secret to getting the cobbler not to rise too high and become like a biscuit is the boiling water you pour on the batter and fruit.
4 tablespoons butter
1 ½ cup Bisquick or Jiffy baking mix
2 ½ cup sugar – divided
½ cup milk
4 cups of diced fruit or whole berries
1 cup boiling water
Add 2 cups of sugar to fruit. Melt butter in 9 x 13 pan. Combine baking mix, ½ cup sugar and ½ cup milk in a separate bowl. Spread over melted butter. Top with fruit and sugar mixture. Pour boiling water over mixture.
Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes
Easy Cookies for bored kids
For those rainy days when the kids need something to do in the house or you need some quick and easy cookies, try these easy but soooo yummy cookies. I realize that this recipe does not use anything from the garden but they are so easy and the kids are home for the summer, so I couldn’t resist in putting in on the recipe site.
1 box yellow cake mix
½ bag of butterscotch morsels
¼ cup oil
¼ cup water
1 egg
Mix together. Drop on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.
These cookies are so good it is hard to believe they are so easy. I have tried using chocolate morsels but it tastes much better with butterscotch. The flavor of the yellow cake mix and butterscotch blend perfectly. You could try different flavors of cake mixes with different morsels or candies.
Almond Chicken
This recipe uses those wonderful snow peas from your garden.
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Breadcrumbs
Coconut Oil (or preference) for frying
Season Salt
Snow peas (cleaned)
Chicken Gravy
1 can sliced water chestnuts
Tamari sauce (fermented soy sauce)
Sliced almonds
Cooked rice
You need about 20 to 30 minutes for the chicken portion, so time rice accordingly so that both chicken and pea are ready when rice is ready.
Clean chicken of fat and slice into strips about 1 ½ inches wide. Put breadcrumbs in a plastic bag along with some season salt; coat chicken pieces by tossing in the bag with breadcrumbs. Brown in heavy pan with oil. After chicken is thoroughly browned, remove chicken from pan. Drain oil, in same pan pour in gravy, snow peas, tamari sauce or other seasoning (to taste) and water chestnuts. Add water if needed. Simmer and stir occasionally until snow peas are tender but not over cooked.
Place chicken on top of pea mixture, spoon some gravy on top of chicken. Sprinkle sliced almonds on top and serve with cooked rice.
Tomatillo Salsa
When I serve this salsa most people go nuts over it! I have been told that I should sell this salsa; hope you like it too.
1 Tbsp. Oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups fresh tomatillos, chopped well
Hot peppers, at least 2, more if you want more heat
2 tsp. Chicken soup base
2 Tbsp. Lime juice
1 tsp. Oregano
1 tsp. Sugar
½ tsp. Ground cumin
salt (to taste)
Heat oil in saucepan, sauté onion and garlic until softened but not brown. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, turn down heat, simmer gently for 20 minutes.
Chicken and Rice Casserole
This one of a very few casseroles my husband will eat; and most people really like it, even kids. It uses broccoli and carrots from your garden.
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cups of cut up broccoli
1-½ cups of sliced carrots or baby carrots
1 can sliced water chestnuts
1/3 cup Italian Dressing
1 to 1 ½ cup uncooked rice
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning or oregano
1 large can French Fried Onion Rings (I have tried to find an organic substitute but to no avail)
1 tablespoon of chicken bouillon
4 cups water
Par-boil chicken. Remove any fat and yucky stuff. Cut into pieces. Lay chicken in a 9 X 13 pan. Sprinkle rice over top of chicken. Place vegetables on top of rice. Heat water and add bouillon to dissolve. Pour over top of mixture. Sprinkle Italian dressing on top of mixture. Sprinkle seasoning. Cover with onion rings. Place foil on top and crimp edges to keep steam inside. Bake for 1 ½ hours at 350 degrees. Check rice in middle of pan for doneness.
Pickled Beets
These beets are some of the best tasting pickled beets and so easy.
If you grow your own beets you will need to boil them, remove the skins, and slice them. I stopped growing them because all we wanted them for was pickled beets. So I just buy 4 cans of sliced beets, drain them to get the liquid I need for the recipe, (discard the remainder) and put the beets in a large bowl with a lid.
This recipe is for a large bowl of beets (or 4 cans of sliced beets)
1 ½ cup water or beet juice
1 sugar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
Optional: cinnamon sticks or cinnamon (add to liquid after it is poured over beets)
Bring ingredients to a boil with an occasional stir. Add hot liquid to bowl of beets; will be pickled in 24 hours.
Keep refrigerated and use as a side dish like you would pickles.
Homemade Teas
Most mints will brew into fabulous teas. I like to brew Chocolate Mint with Stevia and also Lemon Balm with Stevia. Both are wonderful and I am not even a big tea drinker, but I do enjoy these two teas. You don’t need Stevia to make mint teas, you can use the mints by themselves for a great tea.
Hot Tea:
For an individual cup of hot tea just take a few sprigs of mint and steep with boiling water in your cup; if you have Stevia add it along with the mint at the same time. Strain.
Iced Tea:
For a larger container of iced tea take a handful of mint, (add a little smaller amount of Stevia if you have it and like your tea sweet), add to boiling water and steep for hours until dark in color. Strain into container you keep in the refrigerator.
Zucchini Cookies
1/2 cup soften butter
1-cup sugar
1 beaten egg
1 teaspoon Almond Extract (optional)
2 cups flour
1-teaspoon baking soda
1/2-teaspoon cloves or nutmeg
1-teaspoon cinnamon
1/2-teaspoon salt
1-cup raisins
1-cup chopped nutmeats
1-cup shredded zucchini
Cream butter, sugar, egg and optional almond extract. Mix dry ingredients together then add to butter mixture. Add zucchini, nuts and raisins.
Drop by spoonfuls on ungreased baking sheet.
375 degrees – 12-15 minutes. Don’t over bake.
Store leftovers in refrigerator
Cranberry Pie
This pie made a big hit. You can serve it for dessert or even a holiday brunch.
3 cups cranberries- 12 oz. (rinse and sort)
¾ cup walnuts or pecans
½ cup sugar
¾ cup melted butter
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons orange juice
1-cup sugar
1-cup flour
Spray and flour quiche dish or deep pie plate. Place cranberries in dish. Sprinkle with nuts then ½ cup sugar.
Combine in a mixing bowl melted butter, eggs, juice, sugar and flour. Beat until smooth. Pour over cranberries.
Bake at 325 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes. Inserted knife into center; it is done when it comes out clean. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Fresh Cranberry Relish
Cranberries
Apples
Oranges or orange juice
Sugar
Wash and sort cranberries. Chop in a food processor until small pieces. Quarter the apples and remove the core, don’t remove skin. Chop in the processor also. You can either chop oranges or use orange juice to add a citrus flavor. Mix all together with sugar (to your taste).
I used half and half cranberries and apples and I didn’t have fresh oranges in the house only orange juice but it is common to use them in cranberry relish. It was so good that that a big bowl was gone in a few days.
ROASTED TOMATO SAUCE
Wash tomatoes and cut out stems and any bad spots. Pulse in food processor. (If fussy about seeds you can strain them out, I don't.)
Pour into baking sheet (with sides) and sprinkle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt and brown sugar. Bake at 375 for 15 to 25 minutes, reduce to 350 and continue baking until most of the water is evaporated. Watch carefully so the edges don't burn. Open door often to let moisture escape. Bake for an hour or two depending quantity and your oven. It is finished when the tomatoes are deep in color and water is mostly gone but don't burn.
You can add roasted peppers to the food processor for added flavor if you prefer.
Freeze sauce in quart size zipper bags. Lay on their sides stacked on top of each other to save freezer space.
I also let some of the sauce bake a little longer for pizza sauce. I put this into smaller zipper bags and label "pizza sauce". Add herbs when making the pizza.
Oh My! It tastes good as is but to make spaghetti sauce you can add garlic, onions, green pepper, herbs, browned meat or sausage, mushrooms, etc. If too thick add more tomatoes when making into sauce.
DRYING TOMATOES
Select meaty (not juicy) tomatoes. Juliets are perfect for drying.
‘Steam blanch’ for 3 minutes- leave them whole. (Use a steamer; don’t put them directly into boiling water.) (If you can't steam them you can skip this step.)
Slice in half lengthwise and lay out on baking sheet, cut side up. I fill up a whole baking sheet with them.
Although some states are hot enough to dry tomatoes in the sun, Michigan's weather is seldom appropriate. Here in Michigan we don’t have the intense sun needed for the process but an oven will give the same results; if you have a convection oven, all the better. A dehydrator works great too.
Bake in oven at 200 degrees.
The baking process will take many hours.
Check on them after several hours; if you haven’t seen them in the store, you want them to be dried like a dried apricot. I start pulling off the edge tomatoes after a few hours as they dry quicker.
Store in snack size zip-lock bags in refrigerator for a couple weeks and in the freezer for longer periods.
Here is a collection of SUMMER SQUASH recipes from members that have been a big hit in past years. For the baking recipes where you are grating large squashes any of the summer squashes (yellow, zucchini, magda, patty pan, etc) can be used. They all taste the same once grated and added with baking ingredients.
SKILLET FRIED SUMMER SQUASH
Our favorite way to eat summer squash is slice thin discs, toss into bag of flour, sauté in coconut oil and olive oil until golden. Don't overwork and turn too much, you want the squash to lightly brown in pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mrs. Dash makes a mix with tomato, basil and garlic that is very nice to sprinkle on before serving.
SUMMER SQUASH CASSEROLE
My sister raved about this casserole and if not for her glowing report I probably wouldn’t have made it. Am I ever glad she convinced me to try it! It is wonderful. If you take this to a potluck this summer people will be going back for seconds!
1 lb. (6c.) yellow summer squash, sliced
1 can cream of chicken or celery soup
1/4- cup chopped onion
1-cup sour cream
1-cup carrots, shredded
8 oz. herb stuffing mix
1/2-cup butter, melted
Cook squash in boiling salted water for 5 minutes. Drain. Mix soup and sour cream. Stir in shredded carrots. Add squash and onion. Combine stuffing and margarine in separate bowl. Spread half of stuffing mix in a 9-inch square pan. Spoon on vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with remaining stuffing. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Be sure it is heated through.
MAGDA SQUASH
One of the CSA member's favorite summer squashes is Magda. They are light green and pear shaped. Magda squash are known for being great for stuffing. They are also good for anything you would use any other summer squash for; frying, stir-fries, grating for zucchini bread, salads, etc. Several people have asked me to send out a recipe for stuffing them. The following is something I got from a friend who cooks many Middle Eastern foods and stuffing magda squash is common. It is also called Kousa.
STUFFED MAGDA SQUASH
Brown ground meat with chopped onions.
Cook rice just until starting to get tender
Mix cooked meat and rice together along with butter and cinnamon and allspice.
Slice squash lengthwise and scoop out seeds to make a hollow area to hold mixture. Put mixture into cavity, cover and cook in oven until tender.
I have also added some tomatoes or ketchup to the mix and put some cheese on top. Both those suggestions are not traditional Middle Eastern but we like it.
ZUCCHINI CRUSTED PIZZA--A normal pizza on top and a beautiful egg and cheese crust with flecks of green.
We enjoy this version of pizza each summer. Easy to make and yummy too.
3 ½ cups grated zucchini
Salt the zucchini lightly and let it sit for 15 minutes; squeeze out all excess moisture.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (use convection if available to help dry out crust)
Combine the following and then mix with grated zucchini
3 eggs
2/3 cup flour
½ cup grated Mozzarella
½ cup grated parmesan (optional)
Handful of chopped fresh basil leaves or 1 tsp of dried
Salt and pepper
Spread on oiled 9x13 baking pan or pizza stone. (stoneware is great for this)
Bake for 20-25 minutes until surface is dry and firm. Brush top with oil and broil under moderate heat for 5 minutes. (I leave the crust in warm but turned off oven a while to help dry the crust further.
Add pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese and favorite toppings. Bake for 25 minutes more.
Serve with a tossed salad
Most common use for zucchini in baking is ZUCCHINI BREAD. You can find bread recipes in a internet search. Hint: use more spices than most bread recipes call for, your bread will taste better.
ZUCCHINI PANCAKES
We have been eating zucchini pancakes for years and I have finally got the recipe tweaked to what I feel is worthy of sharing. These are not traditional pancakes, they are comprised mostly of grated zucchini; they are green and moist. Don't hurry the cooking time; cook slow to remove extra moisture. We eat them with butter and maple syrup. For a real treat serve with sausage and maple syrup!
The night before grate the zucchini, leave in small colander over a bowl in the fridge so extra water can drain.
2 eggs, whisked
Add:
½ cup flour
½ tps. Sea salt
1 T. sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ to 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Finally add:
2 cups of grated zucchini
Heat pans (two pans work best and if you have cast iron they are best) with coconut oil. Drop by serving spoon size dollops, about 3 to 4 inches across. Turn several times to prevent scorching while cooking. Cook real slow and much longer than typical pancakes.
LIME or LEMON ZUCCHINI MARMALADE
Here is a recipe I came across and I wouldn’t be surprised if you could add tomatillos (limey flavor) to the mix. (I would still use the lime juice though) (Experiment with ways to cut down the sugar, I think there is pectin that calls for reduced sugar. But jams are tricky to cut sugar; they tend to not "set-up" if sugar is reduced.)
4 cups shredded zucchini (1 lb 2 oz)
5 cups granulated sugar
2 cups water
1/2 cup lime or lemon juice (4 limes)
1 package (1-3/4 oz) powdered pectin
3 tablespoons grated lime or orange (for lemon marmalade) peel
In a large stockpot, combine zucchini, water and lime or lemon juice. Bring to a
boil on high heat. Once it comes to a boil, turn down heat and simmer about
10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in pectin. Return to boil. Stir in
sugar and lime or orange peel. Return to hard rolling boil that cannot be stirred
down. Boil, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir
well. Let rest for 5 minutes. Ladle into sterilized jars to leaving
one-half inch head space. Wipe rims. Cap and seal. Process in a water
bath canner for 15 minutes or freeze with 1 inch head space.
Yield 5 – 6 pints
ZUCCHINI PIE (Mock Apple Pie) (This one might seem weird but trust me, it is a big hit with the CSA members. Don't tell your family what it is until they finish up their first serving, they will be shocked that it isn't really apples.)
Boil together for 20-30 minutes
5 cups peeled and seeded cubed or sliced zucchini, 1/2 cup lemon juice, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup water, 2 tsp cinnamon and Thicken with cornstarch.
Tip: Melt the butter and coconut oil listed below in your pie plate. Use this for the topping mix but by melting in the pie plate you grease the plate at the same time. Just pour off most of it into your bowl and add the remainder of the ingredients.
Topping
1 c. Flour
1 c. sugar
¾ c. melted butter (I used half butter and half coconut oil)
½ c. chopped nuts
1 egg, slightly beaten
Mix well and place on top of filling.
You can also use a 9x13 pan which makes it thinner – slice into bars
I freeze the "Topping" in quart size freezer bags for winter use too, all ready made up and ready to use.
Bake at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes
ZUCCHINI CRUMB BARS
8 cups zucchini, peeled, cubed and seeded. Cook 8 minutes or until tender; drain. Add 2/3 cup lemon juice, 1 1/2 cup sugar 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg. Cook another 2 minutes. Make crust and add 1/2 the above mixture.
Crust; 4 cups flour or (2 1/2 cups flour and 1 1/2 cups oatmeal) 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 cup oleo, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 tsp salt. Mix well and divide in half. Pat 1/2 in bottom of 9x13 pan and bake for 10 minutes at 375. Pour zucchini mixture over bottom crust and sprinkle other 1/2 of dough mix on top. Bake another 30 minutes.
CHOCOLATE CHIP ZUCCHINI CAKE
Preheat oven to 325 F.
Cream together:
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 butter or coconut oil
3/4 to 1 cup of sugar
Add and mix well:
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cup sour milk (or milk with 1 tsp vinegar added)
Add and mix well:
2 1/2 cups flour
4 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
2 cups grated zucchini
Place into greased or non-stick 9X13 inch pan. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup chocolate chips. Bake at 325 F until done, about 45 minutes. This freezes well
ZUCCHINI CHOCOLATE CAKE
4 oz. unsweetened choco.
1/2 C butter or coconut oil
1/2 C butter, room temp.
2 C sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 T vanilla
2 C all-purpose flour
1/3 C cocoa
2 t baking soda
2 t baking powder
1 t salt
1/3 C buttermilk
3 C (or 4) coarsely grated zucchini
1/2 C chopped nuts (optional)
Preheat oven 350
Melt choco and oil in small saucepan over low heat.
Cream butter-add sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Beat well. Add melted choco and oil.
Stir dry ingredients into the batter with the buttermilk. Mix in zucchini and nuts.
Grease and flour two 9 inch pans, bake on middle shelf 40 minutes. Cool completely and frost with your favorite frosting. Can also be baked in 9x13 pan, bake a little longer.
ZUCCHINI BLONDIES
1/4 cup Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO)-- melted
1 tablespoon water
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar -- organic
1 teaspoon molasses -- organic
1 large egg -- organic, free-range
1 teaspoon vanilla extract –
1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour -- organic
1 teaspoon baking powder (non-aluminum)
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 medium zucchini -- peeled, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 cup walnuts -- coarsely chopped
1/4 cup miniature chocolate chips -- organic
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9-inch square baking pan.
Melt 1/4 cup of VCO with the Tablespoon of water. Pour into large mixing bowl. Add brown sugar and molasses and mix well. Crack egg into bowl, add vanilla, and beat by hand until blended.
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the bowl and stir to mix. Add the zucchini and the nuts and stir to mix into a stiff batter.
Spread the batter into the baking pan (as even as possible, it is a stiff batter) and sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out almost clean but still a little batter coated (otherwise it will be overcooked).
Remove, cool enough to handle, and slice into squares. Serve warm or at room temp. Will keep covered for 3 days at room temperature. Or wrap individually and freeze for longer storage.
GRILLED MARINATED VEGETABLE SALAD
4 T. olive oil
3 T. honey
2 T. balsamic vinegar
1 t. sea salt
½ t. pepper
6 summer squash of different types (yellow, magda, patty pan, zucchini)
6 bell or sweet peppers
1 lb. Fresh green beans
Stir together 1 T. oil, honey, and next 3 ingredients until blended. Slice squash and cut peppers into 1-inch pieces. Prepare green beans for eating size.
Toss squash and pepper with 2 T. oil. Toss green beans with 1 T. oil. Grill squash, beans and pepper in grill wok. Using medium heat, cover with grill lid and stir occasionally for 5 to 7 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Toss vegetables with honey mixture, cover and chill 8 hours.
MARINATING SAUCE
One of our favorite marinating sauces for summer squash along with various vegetables like pea pods and onions and boneless chicken is half Italian dressing and half Lawry's Tequila Lime marinating sauce. It isn't organic but an occasional stray can be very tasty. I toss the vegetables separate from the chicken into two bowls with the sauce and grill starting with chicken and then add vegetables after a few minutes. Serve over rice. You could start with a cast iron skillet to save juices and then move to an open holed grill wok for the last minutes of grilling.
EGGPLANT AND POLENTA
2 or more eggplants (depending on how much you want to make)
1 tube of organic polenta Sliced about 1/2" to 3/4" thick.
1 Jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce or homemade roasted tomato sauce
1 or 2 Roasted Red Peppers
Sliced Provolone Cheese
Slice eggplant about 1/2" thick season with salt, pepper and garlic powder and grill on both sides. Very lightly oil a skillet or grill pan with oil and heat. Grill eggplant slices. Wipe a 9X13 pan with olive oil (very lightly as eggplant absorbs quickly). First put a light layer of spaghetti sauce, then a layer of eggplant, then a layer of sliced polenta, another light layer of spaghetti sauce, a layer of roasted red peppers, and top with provolone cheese. Finish with a light layer of spaghetti sauce.
Use several layers of eggplant and roasted red peppers and only one layer of polenta and I guess depending on how much cheese you like one or more layers of provolone.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes (lightly covered) until heated through and uncover for about 10 minutes to brown cheese on top.
EASY EGGPLANT PARMESAN
Eggplant cut into ½ inch slices
Sea salt
Italian seasoning (or basil and oregano)
Spaghetti sauce
Monterey Jack cheese, grated or sliced
Grated Parmesan
Preheat over to 350 degrees. Place eggplant slices in baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and seasonings or herbs. Top with sauce. Place MJ cheese on eggplant and sprinkle with Parmesan. Cover and bake for 10 minutes. Uncover and bake until eggplant is tender and cheese is bubbly, about 20 minutes.
EGGPLANT/ZUCCHINI PARMESAN
Preheat oven at 350 degrees
3 to 4 eggplant (depending on how much you want to make) sliced about 1/4 to 1/2"
3 to 4 Zucchini (sliced lengthwise about 1/4 to 1/2"
2 eggs
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese
Marinara Sauce
Mozzarella Cheese
If your eggplant is long and thin I recommend that you slice the eggplant on the diagonal to make larger pieces. Lightly sauté the eggplant on both sides. Same with the zucchini.
In a bowl beat 2 eggs and then add the parmesan cheese to the egg mixture.
Cover bottom of 9X13" pan with marinara sauce. Place one single layer of eggplant. Brush the tops of eggplant with egg mixture. Another thin layer of sauce and light dusting of mozzarella cheese.
Next layer the zucchini and brush the tops with the egg mixture. Another thin layer of sauce and light dusting of mozzarella cheese.
Repeat using eggplant as above and then zucchini making as many layers as you would like. Two of each is probably sufficient but again that is a personal choice. The very last layer should be sauce with a little mozzarella cheese.
Bake covered for about 35/40 mins and uncovered for about 10 minutes.
Again..........the time depends on how many layers you make.
P.S. you do not want to overcook the zucchini - it should be al dente when you serve it.
TERIYAKI BEETS
4 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon tamari
1 Tablespoon fresh minced or grated ginger (sometimes I leave this out and it is fine)
Boil or steam beets until tender. Rinse in cold water to pop off the skins. Cut into slices or cubes. Combine butter, honey, ginger, and tamari sauce in small saucepan. Heat until butter and honey are melted. Add cooked prepared beets.
Dill picked kohlrabi sticks were first introduced to me by a CSA member, Eric, and I was so surprised how wonderful they tasted that I quickly made my own. The sticks available in the barn for tasting are made from inferior kohlrabi (old and pithy) and dried dill. Fresh kohlrabi and fresh dill will produce a superior pickle. I normally only use white vinegar for cleaning but liked Eric's sticks so much I didn't want to change the ingredients.
KOHLRABI DILL STICKS
Dill picked kohlrabi sticks were first introduced to me by a CSA member, Eric, and I was so surprised how wonderful they tasted that I quickly made my own. Although I normally only use white vinegar for cleaning I liked Eric's sticks so much I didn't want to change the ingredients. You can use the healthier organic raw apple cider vinegar if you prefer.
Peel kohlrabi and cut into sticks. Stack tightly into jars lengthwise. I prefer wide mouth quart jars; it is easier to pack tightly with the jar turned on its side. Add garlic cloves (up to 4 cloves per quart). Add dill (at least one head per jar along with ferns and stems, cram them in, more makes it more dilly.)
Brine (fills about 4 quart jars)
¾ cup sugar, honey, or other sweetener
½ cup sea salt or canning salt
1 qt white vinegar
1 qt water
Combine above ingredients and simmer 15 minutes. Ladle hot liquid into jars covering the sticks. Leave on counter overnight to cool. The next day you can refrigerate. If you want to 'water bath' to seal jars follow directions for canning dill pickles in Ball Blue Book. Watering Bathing does change the sticks, they won't be so white and they will loose a little crispness.
You can also pickle kohlrabi using the Bread and Butter brine to make them sweet.
KOHLRABI VEGETABLE STEW
2-3 medium kohlrabi, peeled and cut into pieces
Kale
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, cut in slivers
3 medium carrots, cut in 3/4" chunks
2 medium potatoes, cut in 3/4" chunks
1 C peeled chopped tomatoes
4 C vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. dried oregano (If you want to use fresh oregano, use more; I'd suggest maybe 2 teaspoonfuls, chopped. Dried herbs are always more concentrated in flavor than fresh)
1 tsp. salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tbsp. molasses
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions & saute for several minutes. Add kohlrabi bulb chunks, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, broth, bay leaf, oregano, salt, pepper, molasses & mustard. Turn up heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover & simmer for about 15 minutes, or until veggies are not quite tender. Add kale cut into pieces simmer, uncovered, for another 5 minutes, or until veggies are just cooked.
EASY BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES
These are easy and great tasting pickles. They can even be frozen. But best of all is their taste. Try them, you won’t be disappointed.
2 quarts of thin sliced cucumbers
onion - sliced (recipe calls for one but I use two)
2 tablespoons salt
Mix and let stand for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Rinse and drain.
Add to drained cucumbers:
1 ½ cups sugar (stir to dissolve)
½ cup vinegar (stir to mix)
Allow to sit overnight in brine
Refrigerate or freeze
CRISP PICKLE SLICES
(Bread & Butter type)
4 Qts Sliced un-pared medium cucumbers
6 Medium white onions, sliced (6 cups)
2 Green peppers, sliced (1 2/3 cups)
3 Cloves garlic
1/3 Cup granulated pickling salt
5 Cups Organic Cane Sugar
3 Cups Apple Cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp Turmeric
1 1/2 tsp Celery seed
2 Tbsp Mustard seed
Combine cucumber, onion, green pepper, and whole garlic cloves. Add salt;
cover with cracked ice; mix thoroughly. Let stand 3 hours; drain well.
Remove garlic. Combine remaining ingredients; pour over cucumber mixture.
Bring to boil.
DILL PICKLES
Here is a different dill pickle recipe.
Boil together for 10 minutes, then cool for 5 - 10 minutes.
1 1/2 quarts of water
8 Tablespoons of kosher salt
1 1/2 cup vinegar
Let set to cool for 5 minutes or so. Put fresh dill in bottom of quart jar and a clove of garlic cut in half. Then fill jar with cucumbers (you may also slice larger cucumbers - for sliced pickles) sprinkle 1 teaspoon of kosher salt over cucumbers in jar then poor somewhat cooled brine solution over cucumbers and add a little dill on top. Let stand on counter for 8 hours or overnight. Then refrigerate. They will keep several months in the refrigerator.
This recipe makes 5 to 6 quart jars of pickles. The amounts of salt, vinegar and water may be altered a little. The person giving me the recipe just adds and does not measure.
DILL PICKLES
In a gallon jar:
at bottom of jar put:
3 heads of dill
1 clove of garlic (more if you like garlic)
1/4 t. alum
Pack jar with pickles (small cucumbers or you may try slicing large ones).
Mix together:
6 cups of water
2 1/2 cups white vinegar
2/3 cup Kosher Salt
Pour over cukes
Cover with 3 more heads of dill and seal tight. Set in sun for 3 days.
Refrigerate.
Learning to make a good stir-fry sauce is important. For years I couldn't figure out how to make a decent stir-fry sauce and finally came up with something that rivals Oriental Restaurant's mixtures. You can use this as is or doctor it up to your suiting; such as add hotter spices if you like spicy.
Try serving stir-fries on a bed of chopped lettuce or other greens, yummy! Add some nuts (cashews our personal favorite) on top and you will be surprised!
ZUCCHINI SALSA
Submitted from CSA member Lisa I. who said it is great salsa.
10 cups zucchini -- coarsely shredded
4 onions -- chopped
2 green peppers -- chopped
4 large jalapeno pepper -- seeded and chopped fine
2 red peppers -- chopped
1/4 cup pickling salt
1 tablespoon pickling salt
2 tablespoons dry mustard
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon cumin
2 cups white vinegar
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon pepper
5 cups chopped ripe tomatoes -- peeled
2 tablespoons cornstarch
12 ounces tomato paste 2-12 ounce cans
In a large bowl combine; Zucchini, onions, green pepper, red pepper and the salt
Mix together cover and let stand over night.
Next day rinse, drain well and put into a large pot then add mustard, garlic,
cumin, vinegar, brown sugar, pepper flakes, cornstarch, nutmeg, pepper, tomatoes
and tomato paste.
Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
Pour into sterilized jars and seal. I put in hot water bath for 15 minutes
STIR-FRY SAUCE
Raw honey
Tamari Sauce
Molasses
Garlic
Ginger
Chutneys are great to add if you have them or if not use a little berry jam
BASIL BURGERS (John's favorite meat! We eat with ketchup, no bun.)
One pound of ground beef
One chopped onion
Lots of chopped basil (be sure to get some at distribution)
Beef Roast seasoning (Penzeys)
Worcestershire sauce
Mix all together and make into four patties. I brown ours in a cast iron skillet but they could also be cooked on a grill. We eat them without buns, with plenty of ketchup. Sorry, I can't give you measurements; I just dump in what looks good. Use plenty of basil and lots of onion.
ORGANIC BARBECUE SAUCE (Mix to your tastes with the ketchup being the greatest amount and then in descending order for amounts.)
Organic Ketchup
Raw Honey
Organic Molasses
Prepared Mustard
Tamari Sauce
All Spice
TOMATILLOS
Tomatillos are often strange to food to us Americans but very common in Mexico. They are used often in their dishes. They have a fruity, limey taste, not at all hot. We have several members who like to eat them as fruit, eating like an apple.
One of the member's most favorite recipes for tomatillo and squash is "Tomatillo Squash Bisque"; it sounds strange but if you tried it just once you would be won over too. You can find the recipe along with 23 other recipes using tomatillos by going to: www.recipesource.com and search for tomatillo.
The following recipes are other favorites using tomatillos.
Store them in a plastic bag in the fridge with the paper skins on if still in place. They are sticky, this is normal.
MEXICAN TOPPING
This made our tortillas fabulous. I am glad I took the extra time to make this instead of just chopping the veggies and using them fresh. You could add this to all kinds of Mexican dishes.
Chopped onions
Chopped green peppers
Chopped hot peppers
Chopped tomatillos
Cumin
Sea Salt
Sauté onions and peppers. Add tomatillos, cumin, salt and heat thoroughly.
TOMATILLO SALSA
When I serve this salsa most people go nuts over it! I have been told that I should sell this salsa; hope you like it too.
1 Tbsp. Oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups fresh tomatillos, chopped well
Hot peppers, at least 2, more if you want more heat
2 tsp. Chicken Soup Base
2 Tbsp. Lime juice
1 tsp. Oregano
1 tsp. Sugar
½ tsp. Ground cumin
salt (to taste)
Heat oil in saucepan, sauté onion and garlic until softened but not brown. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, turn down heat, simmer gently for 20 minutes.
The following comes from a CSA member (thank you Rene) using ground cherries.
GROUND CHERRY JAM
2lb Ground cherries; 8 c husked
4 c sugar
1 c water
2 Lemons; grated rind and juice
Husk and wash the ground cherries carefully. Measure the sugar and water into a large kettle. Bring to a full rolling boil, and boil for 2 minutes.
Add the cherries, lemon rinds and juice. Bring to a full rolling boil again, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover with a clean towel, and let stand overnight.
Next day, return to the heat, and again bring to boil. Reduce heat and cook gently until transparent (about 15 minutes). Immediately pour into hot, sterilized glasses seal at once.
Yields 5 to 6 cups
GROUND CHERRY COMPOTE
6 c Ground cherries
2 c peaches - chopped
2 c plums or apples - chopped
1 c dried cranberries
1 c dried cherries
2 lemons - zested and juiced
1 c Amaretto
2 c Rapadura sugar
1/2 to 1 c slivered almonds
Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 20-30 minutes. Put into pint jars and process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes.
Makes 5 pints
RUTABAGA RECIPES
Many of you don't know what to do with your rutabagas because they aren't a real common veggie. Not to worry, here are some yummy ideas.
Our favorite way to eat rutabagas is half and half with mashed potatoes. It makes the potatoes so much more flavorful adding a sweet component. Peel and cut rutabagas into smaller pieces. Boil in water for 30 minutes before adding potatoes to the same pot. When tender drain and whip or mash with butter and milk, salt and pepper.
Add rutabagas to soup and pasties. Our rutabagas are really delicious; especially since they were frosted several nights which causes sugar to develop. If you have had rutabagas that weren't sweet but strong flavored it is because they weren't frosted.
RUTABAGA CROQUETTES
2 cups mashed cooked rutabaga
¼ c. butter
1 beaten egg
¾ c. grated cheddar cheese*
Coating
¼ t. pepper
1 beaten egg
½ c. fine breadcrumbs
*( try some minced onion in some instead of cheese for a change.)
Combine first five ingredients and beat until smooth. Chill until firm enough to handle (about 1 hour). Shape into 1-inch balls for serving as a vegetable or ½ inch balls as hors d'oeuvres.
Dip in beaten egg then bread crumbs. Place on well-greased baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 10-20 minutes or until brown. Makes 6 servings as a veggie or 3 dz. Party nibblers.
RUTABAGA FRIES
Preheat oven 400 degrees-melt coconut oil in oven proof bowl (olive oil works too)
Peel rutabaga
Slice into sticks the size of old fashion French fries
Put into bowl and toss with melted coconut or olive oil
Put on baking sheet, bake until golden
serve with salt and ketchup
*Note* The nice thing about coconut oil is since we should be getting a daily allowance (anti microbial, immune booster, good lauric acid, healthy omega's and essentials) of it you don't have to feel guilty anymore about using oil in your cooking. It hasn't made me gain weight, believe me, I can gain easily and watch that sort of thing diligently. Actually, coconut oil helps many people loose weight.
ONION SOUP
6 T. butter
5 to 7 cups thinly sliced onion
2 to 4 garlic cloves, minced or use garlic press
½ t. dry mustard powder
Thyme, a dash of dry or 1 T. fresh
1 qt. stock (water can be used but stock preferred)
1 to 2 T. tamari sauce
3 T. white cooking wine
Salt and pepper to taste
1t. honey (optional)
Croutons or dry crusty bread
Grated cheese
Heat butter in large pot, add onions and garlic. Cook over medium heat until brown and tender.
Stir in mustard and thyme, then add remaining ingredients except croutons and cheese.
Cover and cook slowly, at least 30 minutes
Top with croutons and cheese, melt cheese if necessary.
Diane's notes
When the ingredients give a choice of amounts, I used the greater amount, those were my changes.
I used beef stock I had frozen, followed recipe from Nourishing Traditions. Organic stock can often be found in grocery stores.
I also added some beef base flavoring, like beef bouillon, to get that restaurant quality flavor.