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Preserving Zucchini

My garden is winding down. I need to can tomatoes, but a free afternoon eludes me. Canning isn’t really that big of an operation, but until I get everything out, it feels that way.

But zucchini? Zucchini is easy. There are always several ‘escapees’–you know, those squash you somehow overlook until they are the size of a small child? Those are perfect candidates for freezing. If you have smaller zuchs, and you are more ambitious, you can pickle them, but for soups, sauces, muffins, and quick breads, freezing is the way to go.

Commence whining: BUT, as easy as it is to freeze zucchini, thawing and dealing with a mass of soggy squash is a bit of a turn-off, and always prevents me from freezing all of my excess. You have to thaw the entire bag, your recipe never needs that much, and then you’re left with a mess.

My solution this season is to individually freeze one cup portions of zucchini.  I shredded everything up in my food processor. (I found that a zucchini the size of my forearm yields approximately four cups.) I packed a one cup measuring cup with squash, and then gently turned it out on a silpat-lined cookie sheet. When the sheet was full, it went into the freezer for several hours, later to be removed and stored in plastic bags in the freezer.

The only drawback here is that a bag full of these cakes takes up more room in your freezer than a mass of zucchini that you can freeze flat. The advantage is that I can remove and thaw a compact, one cup portion.

And if your kiddo or yourself is so inclined, the raw shredded zucchini is delicious drizzled with a little maple vinaigrette.

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Posted 20 September 2010 | gardening   preserving   vegetarian   zucchini | Comments (3) Tagged: ,

Kid Snacks: Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

I know what you’re thinking–another condiment! But stay with me, hummus is so much more than that. It really can be the foundation of a meal, and it makes a great (nutritious) snack for big and little kids.

This is an obvious dip for veggies, crackers, and pita, but it also makes a great spread on sandwiches, wraps, or in burritos. Pair with all sorts of crunchy vegetables, olives, and feta in some sort of sandwich carrier, and you’ve got lunch or a light dinner.

The color of this hummus is vibrant, and it has a subtle kick from the garlic and the tahini. It feels luxurious, but it is so good for you – protein, fiber, minerals, and more.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
juice of one lemon
2 T tahini
1 clove garlic
1 1/2 whole roasted red peppers
pinch salt

Combine all ingredients, and whir in blender until very smooth.

I love recipes with one line instructions.

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Posted 16 September 2010 | condiments   kid snacks   kid stuff   legumes   vegetarian | Comments (3) Tagged: , , , ,

Spinach Basil Pesto

Don’t you love it when you learn an incredible cooking tip? The kind that revolutionizes how you make something, is simple, and has great results? The tip I’m about to share with you is right up there with using parchment paper to get your loaded pizza onto your pizza stone.

I learned about it from The Purple Foodie, who learned about it from someone else, who originally got it from the folks at American’s Test Kitchen (who else?) I’ve found, and I know you have too, that after I’ve picked a bunch of fresh basil and whirred it together with all sorts of yummy ingredients to make some delicious pesto, that I’m often a the tiniest bit disappointed with the results.

My pesto has a hint of bitterness. Not awful – in fact, it’s subtle enough that I usually forget about it until I’ve picked another bunch of fresh basil, and whirred my blender, and am once again a little bit disappointed.

Apparently, olive oil is made up of polyphenols coated in fatty acids. When blended, the polyphenols lose their protective fatty acid coating, turning the mixture bitter. Sorry, that is a super-unscientific explanation. But the bottom line is, olive oil and your blender are not friends.

So, this makes the making of pesto ever-so-slightly more finicky, but it is worth it. You will never be disappointed again (at least not in your pesto.)

Basil Spinach Pesto

1 1/2 cups  basil
1 1/2 cups spinach
a few T of water, as needed for processing
1 garlic clove
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup parmesan
1/2 cup olive oil
salt to taste

1) Put basil, spinach, garlic, and pine nuts in your blender or food processor. Add just enough water to get it to blend smoothly.

2) Scrape into bowl, and stir in olive oil, parmesan cheese, and salt.

You can enjoy this on pasta, crostini, in a salad dressing, in soup, on a sandwich…you get the idea. If you have an abundance of basil, make a lot and freeze it in ice cube trays. Once frozen, pop out cubes and store in a bag in the freezer to melt into soup or pasta anytime year round.

Or, just put a big spoonful of the pretty green stuff on a dining room chair for all to admire, and hope no one sits on it.

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Posted 13 September 2010 | condiments   vegetarian | Comments (4) Tagged: , ,

Caramel Popcorn with Condensed Milk

Fran, this one’s for you.

If you are craving something really sweet, really chewy, and really good, I urge you to go and make this immediately. Don’t be intimidated by the candy thermometer–it’s really easy, and super-fast. You will be satisfying your sweet tooth and promoting rapid weight gain in minutes.

I found this recipe at the fabulous La Fuji Mama site. Check it out, if you haven’t already. I cut it in half, and substituted honey for corn syrup, (this is what I had). It was good, but the honey taste  overpowered the caramel a bit. So if you want a purer, more old-fashioned caramel taste, use corn syrup instead of honey. Maple syrup would be interesting too (if you try it, let me know.)

This caramel corn is soft and chewy, instead of  crunchy. That’s the way I like it. If you want a crisper corn, here’s another fantastic recipe from Orangette. (Although I’ve made this before and just not baked it to retain the soft gooey texture I like so much.)

Condensed Milk Ice Cream, adapted from recipe at La Fuji Mama

12 cups of popcorn, popped (about 2 bags of microwave kind, or 1/2 cup unpopped kernels popped in my whirly-pop)
1 cup brown sugar
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup honey
1/2 14.5 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1) Stir brown sugar, butter, and honey in heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, bring to a boil. Add condensed milk, and lower heat to medium-low (or low if starting to burn.)

2) Add a candy thermometer, and cook until mixture reaches 235 degrees (soft ball stage), stirring frequently.

3) Remove from heat, and add vanilla. Quickly pour over popcorn in large bowl, and stir until coated.

Just try to not burn yourself as you immediately begin eating it. And whatever you do with the remaining half-can of sweetened condensed milk is your business.

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Posted 06 September 2010 | comfort food   dessert   kid stuff | Comments (2) Tagged: , ,

Oatmeal Pancakes and Maple Pear Compote

We have fantastic neighbors. Not just good neighbors–good neighbors are people who live in close proximity and refrain from having a garage metal band or weed-whacking at 6 am. Fantastic neighbors let you walk on their trails whenever you want, let you borrow a single egg (and deliver it to your door in the pouring rain), give your delighted two-year-old a chainsaw demonstration, and BRING YOU PEARS from their PEAR TREE!

I harbor many secret fantasies – a close second to my number one fantasy (running a sophisticated ice pop truck), is having a fabulous orchard. A stand of my own apple, plum, apricot, sour cherry, and pear trees, freeing me from insufferable grocery store orchard fruit forever. Well, until I get my own, I’ll just have to continue living next door to kind neighbors who share the fruits from their orchard.

Said fantastic neighbors gave us a large bag of pears. They weren’t quite ripe enough to eat out of hand yet, but I couldn’t wait to do something with them. I made a pear compote, and I liked that the pears were a bit under ripe, because they held their shape instead of turning to pear mush (not that that isn’t tasty too.)

And served over the pancakes below–divine!

Maple Pear Compote

4 slightly under ripe pears, chopped

2 T butter

2 T maple syrup

3 T brown sugar

squeeze of lemon juice

1) Melt butter in pan and let brown slightly. Add pears, syrup, and sugar. Stir and bring to a boil.

2) Let boil for 5-10 minutes, until pears are soft but still hold their shape. Remove from heat and drizzle with lemon juice.

Oatmeal Pancakes from Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats

2 cups buttermilk

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 T maple syrup

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup flour

1/4 tsp grated nutmeg

1/2 tsp baking soda

1) Stir oats and buttermilk together, let stand for about 20 minutes.

2) Beat eggs with vanilla, maple syrup and oil, then stir in the soaked oats.

3) Whisk together salt, flour, nutmeg, and baking soda in separate bowl. Stir everything together.

4) Drop spoonfuls onto heated, greased skillet. Flip when bubbles pop and form small holes, and cook until second side is golden brown.

Note: These pancakes are very moisture-rich, and cook more slowly than typical pancakes. Be patient, it’s worth the wait. These cakes are also spectacular cold out of the fridge, especially when made into a peanut butter and honey sandwich.

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Posted 27 August 2010 | breakfast   comfort food   condiments   vegetarian | Comments (8) Tagged: , ,