Great Zukes!

Zucchini-One of the easiest to grow and most prolific in production. Why not grow this wonderful vegetable. It contains folate,potassium,vitamin A, and vitamin C. Dark green zucchini also has some beta carotene. Well if you do not want to eat it for the nutrients-how about this fact: Because of the high water content, Zucchini are very low in calories- 26 calories per cup in its raw state.
When you a gazillion of these coming in and you have no idea what to do with the-get baking. Zucchini bead is a family favorite. I freeze them for the future. It is awesome having a dozen loaves just waiting for guests, a hostess gift, or an afternoon treat with a cup of tea. This recipe doesn't pretend to be low in calories, but it is very tasty and is a great way to sneak in some nutrition. I know that there are some nutritionists (like my daughter and friends) following this blog. I would appreciate any modifications to this recipe to make it healthier.

Amazing Zucchini Bread

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups vegetable or canola oil

3 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

2 cups (about 2 medium) coarsely grated zucchini (skin and all…seeds can be removed if too large).

1 cup walnuts, toasted, coarsely chopped (about 4 ounces)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325F. Squeeze out excess liquid from grated zucchini. Butter and flour two 8x4x2 1/2 inch metal loaf pans. Whisk flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a medium bowl to blend. Whisk sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla, and lemon peel in large bowl to blend. Whisk in flour mixture. Mix in zucchini and nuts. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake breads until a toothpick comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. Turn breads out onto rack and cool completely.

Can there be a Polish version of Tsatsiki?

Who hasn't been to a Greek restaurant and had tsatsiki? You know tsatsiki. It is the yummy cucumber and yogurt concoction served alone or with meat. Ummm- My mouth waters just thinking of it. Well my mom made a version of this every summer when cucumber were in. Instead of yogurt she used -you guessed it, sour cream. Using sour cream led me to assume that this was a Polish version-who really knows. My first cucumbers are in and I could not resist making my mom's creamed cucumbers to serve with mashed potatoes and roast beef for my Father's Day dinner. Hubby used to LOVE this as a summer staple for Sunday meals at Mom and Dad's house. My version of mom's creamed cucumbers were a hit. We could not get enough of it. Here is the recipe. Enjoy!

Creamed Cucumbers
Thinly slice 3 large cucumber or 6 small cucumbers. Thinly slice 1 medium onion. Put them all in a bowl and sprinkle 1 tablespoon salt over the mixture. Mix thoroughly. Set aside at room temperature about 1 hour. The salting draws water out of the cucumbers and onions. Squeeze liquid from the cucumbers and onions and return to dry bowl. Add the juice of one lemon, some fresh dill, and 1/2 cup or more sour cream. You can certainly lighted this recipe by using reduced fat sour cream. Garnish with fresh dill.

What's In?

Now we're talkin'. What a bounty! This is what I LOVE about gardening. I never stop getting a thrill walking into my garden to see what is ready to pick. As you can see in the picture, broccoli, yellow, green, and Italian flat string beans, cucumbers, carrots, and summer squash are all coming in- woohoo! And yes, I have gotten my first tomatoes-the earliest tomatoes ever for me. They are the Fourth of July variety- a smaller variety much like a compari tomato. This time of year, I stir-fry a lot. What ever is in gets cut up and thrown in a pan with a little olive oil. I add a little onion, minced garlic, just a tad of salt and herbs from the garden. Saute until just tender. And voila!
You can eat this dish as is or can be modified. Add some protein like chicken or shrimp. Make a substitution of salt with low sodium soy sauce and add some grated ginger. If you like it spicy, add a chili pepper. Be careful -start with a little the add more to you taste.You can also add some chicken bouillon and thicken with cornstarch. (Cornstarch cooking clue: Mix a tablespoon or more of cornstarch to a cup of cold water. When completely mixed add to warm mixture) Serve over cooked rice, couscous, or cooked quinoa.

Beet It!

Beet it! You must try them. I must admit, beets and I go way back. A very favorite beet recipe that graces our Thanksgiving table is buraki (our family pronounce this as burashki). This is a creamed beets recipe to die for. I'll give you the recipe later in the post. But I venture to say that many of you have not tried this nutritious vegetable. Why try it? Well just look at the beet. The color is so dark and luscious, you just know that it is good for you. In fact, beets are full of vitamin B, folate, and a very good source of manganese, potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin C, magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus. The beet has been known to aid in the fight of cancer, heart disease, and inflammation. And don't forget to eat the tops. Saute or add them to your salad. I know the tops are an especially delectable treat for a neighborhood critter (UGH). Last weekend, I pickled some .The remaining crop will be canned. I would love to make some buraki in the fall. Don't forget that these are also delicious roasted with olive oil and sea salt. Throw in some other seasonal vegies. Yum!!!!!
Buraki (Our family pronounces this dish ‘burashki’)

This dish is a must at Thanksgiving. We triple or quadruple this recipe for our family.

6 cooked beets (can use canned beets)

2 TBSP butter

1 TBSP flour

1 TBSP vinegar

1 TBSP sugar (adjust up or down according the beet sweetness)

1/2 teas salt

1/2 cup sour cream

Peel and grate cooked beets. Melt butter, add flour and bring to boiling point. Add vinegar, salt, sugar. Mix and boil for 2 or 3 minutes. Add sour cream. Heat and serve.

Swiss Chard

This glorious looking vegetable is still giving in my garden. Sometimes I just like looking at it. It is an early crop (at the same time the Kale came in). Swiss chard in new to my diet and garden.
I decided to try it for its concentrations of vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium, manganese, potassium, iron, vitamin E, and dietary fiber. Swiss chard is also as a very good or good source of calcium, copper, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, protein, phosphorus, vitamin B1, zinc, folate, biotin, niacin and pantothenic acid. WOW! With that going for it, why would you not want to try it? Besides preparing it just the way you prepare spinach-just wilting it with a little water or olive oil and lemon, I have become a little adventurous. Ravioli anyone?

Cheesey Chard Ravioli

Prepare Marinara Sauce in per instructions in previous blog. Take 10-15 chopped swiss chard leaves lightly saute in a few tablespoon of olive oil until slightly wilted. Drain chard and squeeze excess water out. Put aside. In a food processor, put 6 ounces of very sharp chedder cheese. Process until shredded. Add 1 small container of marscapone cheese, 1 pint drained ricotta cheese, 1 container bousin (or other herbed soft cheese)with garlic and herbs. Process until smooth. Add swiss chard and quickly pulse two or three times just until it is incorporated. That will be your ravioli filling. Now for a short-cut you can use store bought wonton wrappers. but I make my dough from scratch and use my pasta maker. Usually, I use the following recipe for pasta dough: 2 cups flour, 2 large eggs, 1/4 cup olive oil, 3 tablespoons water. When I made this ravioli, I decided to experiment by adding quinoa flour as follows: 1 cup regular flour, 1/2 cup quinoa flour, 1/2 cup semolina flour, 2 effs, 1/4 cup olive oil, and 4 tablespoons water. I wanted to add quinoa flour to add some more nutrition to an otherwise caloric dish. After you mix your dough, always wrap in saran wrap and let rest about an hour before you handle it. This pasta recipe to several passes it the pasta machine to become smooth. The work was worth it! The ribbons of pasta held up beautifully when boiled. If you have never assembled ravioli before, there are a tone of websites and you tube sites to refer to. After I slipped the assembled ravioli into boiling salted water and they floated to the top, I scooped them out and gently placed them in marinara. Top with parmesan and fresh basil. Buon appetito!

Oh, What the Kale

Love that Kale It is still growing strong! Kale was the first crop that matured in my 2010 garden. Although I harvested it several times, the leaves still sprout. I love the hearty flavor. My daughter, Kat, says that she thinks she prefers it over spinach. How do I prepare it? I just chop it and put it in slightly salted boiling water. This vegetable brings back memories of my chilhood. Walking into the house smelling kale on the stove with a bacon vinegar base, I knew my Polish-born Babcia (grandmother) was cooking tonight! Yummy! Try serving your Kale next to a baked sweet potato and a choice of protein. It is not only a very nutritious meal but pleasing to the eye.