Squash Casserole

Squash Casserole

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

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

Caprese Salad

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

Caprese Salad

·         1 large tomato, sliced

·         2 oz fresh mozzarella

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

·         1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar

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

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

Faux-prese Salad

·         1 large tomato

·         ¼ cup sweet onions

·         1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar

·         1 Tbsp olive oil

·         Fresh basil leaves 

·         Salt and pepper

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

Stuffed Gypsy Peppers, Take two!

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

Stuffed Peppers

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

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

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

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

Makes 2 1/2 servings.


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

Stuffed Zucchini with Avgolemono (Lemon Egg) Sauce

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

Stuffed Zucchini with Avgolemono (Lemon Egg) Sauce

6-8 servings

2 lbs zucchini

3 Tbsp butter

1 large onion, chopped

1 lb lean ground beef

½ cup rice

1/3 cup parsley, chopped

2 tsp salt (may reduce)

Pepper to taste

Sauce:

2 eggs

1 Tbsp water

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

1 cup chicken broth

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

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

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

4.       Meanwhile, make the avgolemono sauce:

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

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

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

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

Cucumber Salsa

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

Cucumber Salsa (Yields 2 1/2 cups)

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

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

Ratatouille

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

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

And it is delicious!

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

Ratatouille (6 servings)

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

2 small zucchini (1/2 lb)

1 medium green pepper, chopped (1 cup)

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

2 medium tomatoes, cut into fourths

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

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

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

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

Serve over rice.

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup and Zucchini bake

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

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

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

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


Zucchini Bake

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

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

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

Attack of the Giant Zucchini

Can you believe the size of this zucchini?!

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

Zucchini Casserole

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

Mexican Zucchini Casserole

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

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

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

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

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

This turned out to be my favorite zucchini casserole recipe.

Still trying, still learning, still looking...

We are growing a vegetable in our garden that I've never eaten before...gypsy peppers.  Because of that, we have been searching for recipes that include them as a main ingredient.  We found a recipe for stuffed peppers that we thought we would try.  It is originally from the cookbook, Amor y Tacos by Deborah Schneider.  However, we modified the ingredients a bit to match or personal preferences.

  Toritos

8 small pointed peppers (we used gypsy peppers, chili peppers and green peppers)
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
1 tablespoon minced chives
10 medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, then chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Salsa (follows)

Wash the peppers, then dry them, but leave the stems attached. If you're using very hot pepper, used gloves as you cut a slit down one side and pull out the seeds, use a spoon if you need to. Try not to break the peppers or crack off the stems.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat and add the garlic and chives. Saute until fragrant, but not quite browned. Add the shrimp, season with the salt, and cook until the shrimp is pink and no longer translucent. Remove this mixture from the heat and let cool as you prepare the salsa.

For the salsa

1 cup pineapple, diced (original recipe uses mango)
1 small tomato, cored and diced
2 tablespoon diced onion
1/2 teaspoon minced chile pepper (remember to wear your gloves!)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Combine all the ingredients and taste for seasoning. It will be very hot, but may need more salt or lime juice. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Returning to the pepper mixture, mix the cheese into the now cooled shrimp mixture. The cheese and shrimp mixture should stick together. Use a small spoon to fill each pepper generously with the stuffing. The recipe can be made ahead and refrigerated to this point, although you'll want to make the salsa just before serving.

Heat a large oven-safe pan over medium-high and lay a sheet of foil over the top. Set the peppers on the foil and roast them until they begin to brown in places and start to soften.

Transfer the pan to the preheated oven and bake for 5 to 7 minutes until the cheese is hot and bubbling. To serve, spoon some of the salsa over the top.

Here's what our end-product looked like:

The chili pepper is on the top left, the gypsy pepper on the top right and the green pepper on the bottom. 

Now for the reason I named this post "Still trying, still learning, still looking...": 

We were not completely satisfied with the end-result.  I didn't like the gypsy peppers.  I liked the shrimp mix and thought it tasted best with the green pepper.  My husband liked the peppers, but wasn't crazy about the shrimp mix.  He suggested we try ground pork, beef or chicken next time. 

The search continues for a good gypsy pepper recipe.

Slightly home-grown Pizza

Okay, so I admit it...I don't always cook from scratch (or entirely from my garden).  Sometimes I just want pre-packaged frozen convenience.  After a long work-week, it's nice to have a simple meal of pizza on Friday nights.  Here's what I do to make it a little healthier and include some of those garden veggies.  I start with a frozen cheese pizza and I top it with tomatoes, basil, green pepper, onions, and canned banana peppers (look for recipe on future blog).

I bake the pizza according to the directions on the box.

Simple & delicious!

Cucumbers! Cucumbers! Cucumbers!

We have been overly blessed with cucumbers in our garden.  By our calculations, we have harvested over 100 cucumbers from our garden since April and we continue to harvest 3-4 more every day.  Therefore, I have tried a lot of recipes for cucumbers.  These are my top three:

Asian Cucumber Salad

·         6 Tbsp sugar

·         4 Tbsp vinegar

·         ¼ tsp salt

·         2 Tbsp water

·         2-3 cucumbers, peeled & sliced

·         ¼ cup chopped onion

Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil, cool.  Add cucumber and onion.  Chill until ready to serve.

Cucumber Sandwich Spread

·         8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened

·         1 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely chopped

·         ½ cup minced chives (can substitute green onions)

·         ¼ cup fresh dill

·         2 Tbsp mayonnaise

·         ½ tsp ground pepper

Stir together all ingredients.  Chill until ready to serve.  Serve on your favorite bread or crackers.  I have also made tea sandwiches by trimming the crusts from bread and cutting the sandwich in half diagonally.

Tzatziki Sauce (Greek Cucumber Sauce)

·         2 cups plain Greek Yogurt (can substitute sour cream)

·         1 cup cucumber, peeled and diced

·         1 clove garlic, minced

·         1 Tbsp olive oil

·         1 Tbsp lemon juice

·         1 tsp garlic salt

·         1 Tbsp chopped chives

Combine all ingredients.  Chill until ready to serve.  Serve with pita bread cut into triangles.

Blueberry Picking!

We are fortunate enough to live near a farm where you can pick-your-own blueberries.  We went this past weekend and brought home 2 ½ pounds of blueberries.  Of course, we enjoy eating the berries “plain” (fresh or frozen).  I like to use them as a yogurt parfait topping along with granola.  Below are two recipes that we enjoy, as well.

Make-Ahead Blueberry French Toast (Serves 8)

·         1 loaf French Bread

·         6 eggs

·         3 cups milk

·         2 tsp vanilla extract

·         1 cup brown sugar

·         2 cups blueberries

·         1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

·         Maple syrup

The day before, cut bread into 1-inch slices.  Lightly oil a 9x13 baking dish.  Place bread slices in baking dish.  In a mixing bowl, slightly beat the eggs before mixing in milk and vanilla extract.   Pour egg mixture over bread, cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Sprinkle brown sugar over bread and top with blueberries and nuts.  Bake for 45-50 minutes.

Blueberry Muffins

·         ½ cup sugar

·         ¼ cup butter

·         ½ cup milk

·         1 egg

·         1 ½ cups flour

·         1 ½ tsp baking powder

·         ½ tsp salt

·         1 cup blueberries

·         2 Tbsp flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Use electric mixer to cream sugar and butter together.  Add egg and milk.  Sift dry flour, baking powder and salt together and combine with sugar/butter mixture.  Dredge blueberries in 2 Tbsp of flour (to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of muffins during baking), and fold into the mixture.  Pour mixture into greased muffin pan.  Bake 30 minutes.

Fresh Salsa - Quick & easy

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

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

You can simply serve with tortilla chips for an appetizer/snack or you can incorporate it into a mexican meal.

We chose to make beef & bean burritos and topped them with this salsa.

You may notice there are more green veggies...my husband decided to add diced cucumbers to his burrito.

My Story

A few years ago, our family decided we wanted to start eating better...to get away from the Standard American Diet (SAD) and start eating more fresh produce.  We started buying organic produce from a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program in our area.  Because of the increase in produce consumption in our household (some of which I had never eaten before), I was forced to try new recipes.  As I tried new recipes, I rated them and kept a folder of the ones I really liked.  That folder is overflowing and coming apart at the seams now.  That's where this blog comes in...I want to create a digital record of my favorite recipes and share them with others.  I hope I can be a resource for others who want to eat more fruits and vegetables, particularly those items that are in-season.  My posts will include recipes and pictures of what I have made.  I hope to inspire blog readers to try my favorite recipes (and hopefully share their own). 

This year, my husband and I decided to start our own organic garden.  Our gardening adventure began in April this year when we created two 4' X 8' raised beds in our back yard (pictured below).  Our soil was not fit to use (too many weeds), so we bought enough 2.5 cubic ft bags of potting soil to fill the beds.  We planted seeds of zucchini, yellow squash, bush beans, and cucumber.  We also transplanted four bell pepper plants, two tomato plants (determinate cherries and indeterminate Big Beefs), a cowhorn pepper, an eggplant, and cucumber.  In between the plants, we scattered onion and herb plants (basil, chives, oregano, and mint).  We also started other herbs from seeds (thyme, basil, cilantro, & parsley). 

Our first garden beds:

It didn't take long for things to really grow.These pictures we taken after three weeks:

A month later we had our first harvest:

Then the cooking began.  :-)

Note:  If you are interested in finding a CSA in your area, the following website is a good resource:
localharvest.org