Green Tomatoes?!

Gardeners don't waste any of their crop if they can help it. Is it any wonder that Southerners learned how to fry up green tomatoes into delicious-ness? Why waste something that tastes great? By this point in the summer, we've gorged on the red and yellow ones, and now that cooler weather is (perhaps) on the horizon, we're willing to sacrifice some green ones before they ripen.

So, you have some green tomatoes from your garden or a CSA box (like mine from the Colvins!) or even from a local produce stand because you were curious. What can you do with them besides fry them? Glad you asked!

Try one of these recipes--two are for condiments and two are for baked goods. All freeze just fine (bonus!).

Green Tomato Ketchup (tastes almost like BBQ sauce)

Green Tomato Relish (tastes similar to salsa)

Green Tomato Bread (kind of like zucchini bread)

Green Tomato Cake (like an apple spice cake)

Everyday Okra

Now, we Southerners love us some okra. But my Yankee husband can't stand it. I'll eat it pickled, fried, in gumbo, in stir fries...but my favorite is this simple sautéed version. My boys like it this way, too, and when we're busy--this is the way I make it. We've been getting the perfect amount from the Colvins the past few weeks: just enough for me to indulge and to throw a pod or two to the boys.

Everyday Okra

Okra
salt
olive oil

Heat a skillet with a "pour" of olive oil in it over medium to medium high heat. In the meantime, slice the stems off the okra--if you slice right through that little black line that divides the pod from the stem, you can avoid some of the sliminess that folks find offensive. The seeds will remain covered and the pod will hold together better.

Throw in your okra and a touch of salt. Saute until pods are soft and some sides are dark brown/blackened.

This will take 10 minutes or so. Serve immediately!

Red Hot Chili Peppers

For some of us, that blog title causes us to immediately start singing some song from our high school days....

But I digress.

The first year we were CSA shareholders with the Colvins, I remember getting bags of random hot peppers and chilies that would then linger in my fridge.... We like hot peppers, but I was more tied to recipe books then and so few of my recipes actually called for one jalapeño or one Anaheim or....

Now, however, four years later, we are not as stymied. Hence, when Isaac asked if we wanted a few extra this week, I said, "sure." That same day, a neighbor gave me some more jalapeños and a few habaneros. What are we going to do with all of these? Oh, the myriad possibilities!

How Hot Are They?

First, though, it's worth knowing just how hot some of those peppers and chilies are. You can print off this handy chart if you need help remembering, but the Anaheim and jalapeño peppers we get frequently are not terribly hot. In fact, if you only use one or two, you may not even notice much heat in the final dish. Also, for peppers such as jalapeños and cayenne that can be eaten green or red, the green ones are not as spicy as the riper red ones. Those of you who know chili peppers will see that I have some green habaneros and one orange--that orange one will be HOT!

Ideas for Using Them Up

Here are some ideas for using up your miscellaneous hot peppers (and be forewarned--if you ever decide to grow your own, you do not--I repeat, do NOT--need four jalapeño bushes for a family of 5. Don't ask me how I know this; just know that every single one of my extended family members that year got a nice jar of hot pepper jelly, there were bags and bags of peppers in the freezer, and I let a lot just rot on the vine...).

• Salsa! You can make your own salsa with whatever heat level you like, or, if your kids like mild salsa, you can add extra peppers to your own serving.
• Fajitas! Use more or less depending on how hot you like your fajitas and the type of chili peppers you have; just throw some in with your bell peppers next time you're having Mexican food for dinner. 
• Eggs! We love sautéed bell peppers, hot peppers, and onions topped with a fried egg (or two) in the mornings for breakfast. By "we," I mean the grown-ups.
• Jelly! Make up some hot pepper jelly. Mmmm.... That stuff is delicious!
• Salad! If you like a bit of heat, throw in a finely minced hot pepper into your salad dressing next time. Use cautiously because raw peppers are spicier than cooked.
• Stir Fry! Slice them up and include them in your next stir fry. Lots of Asian stir fries (especially Thai) are super hot. Where do you think that heat comes from? For a smaller amount of heat, you can include the entire pepper in the stir fry mix and then pull out the whole pepper before serving. A small amount of residual heat will linger. You can also cut a pepper in half, deseed it, and do this same process. This is a good option for the super hot peppers that you're not brave enough to actually eat.
• Curries! Like other Asian food, many Indian curry dishes are fiery hot. If you like heat, add a few hot peppers to your next curry dish. 
• Mexi-corn and Ro-Tel tomatoes and Canned Green Chilies: All of those have hot peppers in them. Chop some of your hot peppers and add them to Mexican dishes, a side of corn, mix in cornbread, add to chili--anywhere you might use one of those products. 
• Pickle Them! My husband adds pickled jalapeños to everything. There are LOTS of recipes online; here's an allrecipes version.
• Make Your Own Hot Sauce! This is something we've been wanting to try, and we have more than enough hot peppers now to attempt it. Again, allrecipes has a Jalapeño Hot Sauce recipe that says you can use other peppers, too.
• Freeze them until you decide! Yes--not only are hot peppers freezer-friendly, but they are EASY to freeze. Here's how: throw the whole thing in the freezer and shut the door. End of process. I promise. I've even taken the entire bag from my CSA box and thrown the whole thing in the freezer. Let the pepper thaw on the counter a bit when you start your chosen recipe down the road, and soon you'll be able to cut it up and cook it like normal.

Storage and Preparation Tips

Unless you are familiar with hot peppers, WEAR GLOVES. For you lazy ones out there like myself who eschew this handy precaution, WASH YOUR HANDS--and make sure you get under your fingernails. I don't know how many times I've gotten an eyelash or something out from the corner of my eye some evening after having cut up jalapeños for dinner.... Ouch!

Seeds and white inner veins carry most of the heat. Keep if you like extra heat and remove if you don't!

Keep in the fridge in a loose plastic bag for up to a week. If you're going to have them around much longer, you may want to just toss them in the freezer.

One final note: the heat "builds" the more peppers you are cutting up. If you don't wear gloves for chopping one or two peppers (like me), but you're planning to chop a lot--go ahead and get the gloves out. Trust me on this one.

Yellow Squash Casserole with Almonds

So many people I know these days are gluten-free, low-carb, or something similar. This casserole is delicious and very similar to classic squash casserole, but it uses both raw and roasted almonds to achieve the effect given by crackers in the original. I left my squash pieces a little larger and didn't cook them until mushy, so this casserole has more texture over all--which seemed to go over well when I served it (similar to the Microwave Squasherole already on full tummies). I also used all sorts of different summer squash since I had an assortment from the Colvins (the onions and garlic were from them, too!). I'm sure you could mix in some zucchini as well. I thought the mixture looked too runny before baking, so I added in some green beans. The casserole thickens up a lot when it cooks, so the green beans probably weren't necessary. (sorry for the poor picture quality below!)

Squash Casserole with Almonds
~adapted from this recipe on allrecipes

• 2 T. olive oil
• 2 t. butter
• 2 small onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 c. chopped yellow squash*
• 2 t. kosher salt
• 1 t. pepper
• 2/3 c. finely chopped/coarsely ground raw almonds
• 2 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese (can also use Colby Jack)
• 1/2 c. plain yogurt
• 1/2 c. milk (can use whipping cream instead of milk and/or yogurt)
• 4 eggs
• 1/3 c. chopped roasted, salted almonds

1. Heat butter and olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onions and garlic in hot oil until softened, about 3 minutes. Add squash and salt and pepper and stir. Cover and cook until squash is softened, stirring occasionally (about 5 minutes). 
2. Meanwhile, mix raw almonds and half the cheese in a small bowl. Add to cooked squash mixture. Whisk dairy and eggs together and add to squash mixture. Pour squash mixture into greased 13x9-inch casserole. Top with remaining cheese and roasted almonds.
3. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Casserole can be assembled ahead of time and baked before dinner--it may need extra time if it's very cold.

~Serves 10-12

Citrus-Asian Slaw

Another slaw recipe from Weight Watchers that is delicious and uses up our CSA veggies nicely. Yes, this is the same picture of produce from my last slaw recipe, but I promise the resulting taste is different. Bonus: this recipe also uses jalapeños AND it specifically calls for radishes (which I added in extra to the last recipe). Add some sliced chicken or cooked shrimp on top for a crunchy salad lunch!

Citrus-Asian Slaw
~Weight Watchers

• 2 c. shredded carrots (white or orange)
• 2 c. shredded cabbage (red or green)
• 1 c. sliced fresh radishes (or less--use what you have!)
• 1 c. jicama, shredded or cut into matchsticks (cucumber makes a fantastic sub)
• 1/3 c. minced scallions or red onion (or even white!)
• 3 T. minced leaves--this is a lot, so leave out if you're not a mint fan
• 2 jalapeños, seeded and minced (or other hot peppers)
• 2 T. orange marmalade
• 4 t. rice wine vinegar
• 2 t. toasted sesame oil
• 2 T. sesame seeds, toasted

1. Combine carrots through jalapeños. 
2. Combine marmalade through seeds. Pour dressing over slaw mix.
3. Eat right away or store up to a few hours (cabbage will soften slightly as it sits--which might make this more appealing to tentative cabbage eaters).

~Serves 4-6 as a side dish; 2-3 as a main topped with chicken/shrimp

Farmer's Market Slaw

Slaw is basically cabbage salad. And this particular recipe's original title is... "Health Salad." I don't know about you, but that original title is completely uninspiring. Like it's trying to turn away any less-than-sure salad eaters. But this slaw (it's really a slaw) is delicious. The dressing is faintly sweet, and, due to the minimal oil content, this slaw is far lower in calories than many slaws gracing summer picnic tables. Even better, there are no ingredients in this that can't sit out safely on a picnic table for a while (unlike mayo-based dressings). The recipe is flexible; use the veggies you have on hand as long as there's some cabbage (and all of mine came in my CSA basket this week! I could have used white onion from the basket, but I had some red already cut so I went with that. I also subbed in some radishes instead of the bell pepper). Pull out that food processor and let it earn its keep (I had my carrots ready to go before I remembered to take the picture!). Recipe doubles just fine.

One final note: this is definitely better when made ahead and allowed to marinate a bit in the fridge (a few hours). If you're adding in cherry tomatoes, like I did (since I had them in my CSA basket and they were so pretty!), make sure you add them right before serving. Tomatoes get mushy in the fridge.

Farmer's Market Slaw
~"Health Salad" from Weight Watchers

• 4 c. shredded cabbage
• 1/2 medium cucumber, seeded if desired, and thinly sliced*
• 1 medium carrot, shredded*
• 1/4 thinly sliced red onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 medium green pepper, thinly sliced 
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/2 t. pepper
• 2 1/2 T. sugar
• 2 1/2 T. apple cider vinegar
• 1 T. olive oil
• 1 T. water
• 1 T. fresh dill or 1 t. dried

1. Combine cabbage through bell pepper in a large bowl.
2. Combine salt through dill and pour over slaw mix. Toss well. Chill for a couple of hours before serving.

~Serves 12-16

Kitchen Sink Recipes

Every chef needs a few "back pocket" recipes he or she can whip out and produce at the last minute. The ones you keep pantry supplies on hand for or the recipes you could make in your sleep (even if it's just boxed noodles and jarred pasta sauce.)

The CSA shareholder and the gardener need "Kitchen Sink" Recipes, too: recipes where you can put everything in but the kitchen sink, vegetable-wise. Val Colvin, the Farmer's Wife, gave a nod to my pizza-making in this vein, and I thought I'd share some of my favorite Kitchen Sink Recipes here. This is my go to list of meal ideas for my CSA basket. While I post one-two recipes each week that are a little "fancier" or more exotic as ideas for folks to use when contemplating their weekly harvest/haul, the ones below are far more regular features for us:

Stir-Fry: always an option with rice or noodles, with or without meat. Basic preparation tips: chop/slice veggies in similar sizes for even cooking. Start longer cooking veggies first (onions, cabbage, broccoli, roots in general (carrots, kohlrabi, etc)). Then do medium cooking veggies (peppers, beans, etc.). End with shortest cooking times (summer squash, peas, etc.). I usually use my Basic Stir Fry as a base and just change up sauces as I feel like it (BiBimBap is a nice variation, and Trader Joe's makes a great Teriyaki sauce--Soyaki--for when I'm in a hurry)

Pizza: YES! We put anything and everything on a pizza crust, with or without tomato sauce. Longer cooking veggies benefit from blanching first (potatoes, etc.) unless they're sliced VERY thin. Super short-cooking veggies benefit from pre-baking the crust slightly (i.e. lettuces). Check out the pizza category in the side bar for some possibilities.

Roasted Veggies: I eat these for any meal of the day. Yum yum yum. As with stir-fries, make sure everything is cut in similar sized pieces. Toss with olive oil and salt and pepper.  Roast for 15-30 minutes or until veggies are done to your liking. Stir every 5-10. If you have a mixture of short and long cooking times, just start the longer ones first and add in the shorter ones halfway through. We roast at 400-425 degrees usually, but it's very flexible--if I have something else in the oven, I'll adjust the temperature accordingly. Favorites for this: potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips, kohlrabi, onions, peppers, broccoli florets (add in halfway through), carrots, tomatoes (keep separate if you don't want their juice over everything else), summer squash, green beans, …. Leftovers can be topped with a fried egg for breakfast, folded into a wrap or used in a salad for lunch, or simply reheated and enjoyed anytime of the day. Grilled veggies are a similar option.

Wraps/Quesadillas: Saute some sliced bell peppers, onions, summer squash and throw 'em in your next tortilla. Use leftover roasted veggies, cooked greens, you name it--it can all go in a wrap or quesadilla or burrito.

Veggie Sandwiches: Anything that can be eaten raw goes into these. Sliced or shredded: carrots, bell peppers, kohlrabi, radishes, lettuces, greens, tomatoes, broccoli, summer squash, onions, ….

Salad: (duh) There's more than meets the eye here. Of course, we think of lettuce salads topped with the usual suspects: tomatoes and cucumbers. But don't forget that the Mediterranean, for instance, often eats a salad of tomatoes, bell peppers and cucumbers sans lettuce. And slaw is just cabbage salad. Other root veggies (kohlrabi and turnips, for example) can be shredded and used for slaw just like cabbage. Kale is delicious in a salad. In the Mediterranean, cooked greens are eaten cold with a drizzle of oil and vinegar as a salad. I often just eat a tomato or cucumber sliced with salt and pepper.

Quiche: We've camouflaged put lots of things in a cheesy, custardy egg base…. summer squash, greens, and nearly anything else (we've not tried root vegetables this way).

Ethnic: If you're trying to disguise the taste/texture of a vegetable you're learning to like, strong ethnic flavors can go a long way. We're curry fans, and curry dishes have helped us learn to like mustard greens, cauliflower, and turnips in particular. Salsa camouflages the blander tastes of summer squash, milder cooked greens, and the like--you can sneak them into burritos and enchiladas easily. Lasagna or manicotti is a good vehicle for cooked veggies, too. And, of course, stir fries full of familiar veggies can help hide one or two surprises.

Asian Grilled Tuna Salad with Creamy Ginger Dressing

We like to do a big entree salad once a week or so in the summer. It's light, cool, and easy to throw together with our steady supply of fresh ingredients from the Colvins! Usually, we do a grilled chicken salad. This week, though, we tried something different: fresh tuna. And it was delicious!

Note for families with young children: if your children aren't enthused by a big salad for dinner, try deconstructing the salad. Put the meat/protein in one section of the plate, the veggies (that they like) in one section, the lettuce in another. Provide a little bowl of dressing for them to dip ingredients into.

Asian Grilled Tuna Salad with Creamy Ginger Dressing
~Weigh Watchers

• 3 T. soy sauce (can use low-sodium)*
• 3 T. rice vinegar or rice wine vinegar*
• 2 T. minced or grated fresh ginger*
• 2 T. minced garlic*
• 1 T. brown sugar*
• 2 t. sesame oil*
• 1/4 c. reduced fat mayo
• 2 T. warm water
• 1 t. sriracha chili sauce
• 1 pound tuna steak, at least 1-inch thick
• 4 c. mixed salad greens
• 2 c. grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 c. shredded carrots
• 1/2 cucumber, sliced (and seeded if necessary)
• 4 green onions, sliced, or a small amount of chopped red onion

*You can also substitute in a good quality teriyaki sauce for these ingredients since this is essentially what you're making. Make sure it has good ginger flavor. Trader Joe's Soyaki is a possibility.

1. In a small bowl, whisk the starred (*) ingredients together. Alternately, get your bottle of teriyaki sauce ready. Move 3 tablespoons to a small bowl or cup. With the remaining mixture, marinate tuna for 2 to 4 hours in the fridge. (This is approximately 7-8 tablespoons teriyaki sauce if you're going with the shortcut route.)
2. Meanwhile, to the 3 tablespoons mixture, add mayo, water, and sriracha. This is your salad dressing. Cover and keep in fridge until ready to use.
3. Prep veggies.
4. When tuna is done marinating, grill or broil on high heat until tuna is done to your liking (a couple of minutes/side for seared tuna, longer for more well done.)
5. Assemble salad!

~Serves 4

Meatloaf-Stuffed Zucchini

When we got zucchini in our basket  from the Colvins today, I wondered what to do with it. I know there's a lot of summer ahead full of more summer squash to doctor up for the tender palettes at my table. And despite my reticence to make anything more difficult to make, this just might be the ticket. Inspired by a Weight Watchers recipe, this is similar to stuffed peppers. Around here, we prefer meatloaf to zucchini, but the two together are delicious! (Bonus: the kids like the "boats.")

Meatloaf-Stuffed Zucchini

• favorite meatloaf recipe, uncooked, about 3/4 pounds meat's worth (most recipes use more, so scale your recipe down accordingly; meatloaf is pretty forgiving)*
• 2-3 medium to large zucchini (I used a good-sized 8-ball zucchini and a good-sized regular zucchini)

*If you need an easy meatloaf base, use 3/4 pound ground beef, 1 beaten egg, 1-2 tablespoons leftover rice or bread crumbs, some Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, 1-2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, and a bit of minced onion.

1. Slice zucchini in half long ways (if you have a large 8-ball, slice it in quarters vertically).
2. Scoop out any big seeds. Scoop the remaining flesh out until you have a 1/4-inch shell. Chop/mince the flesh and add it to the meatloaf mixture. 
3. Fill zucchini shells with meat, mounding it up slightly. Drizzle with olive oil or top with your usual sauce.
4. Bake in a baking pan (jelly roll pan, 13x9-inch pan, or something similar) and bake at 375 degrees until meat is done. (350 degrees=40 minutes or so; 375 degrees=35-40 minutes).
5. Top with a bit of shredded cheese or more sauce. We like ours with ketchup, too!

~Serves 4-6

Mixed Berry Crunch

This is my mother-in-law's recipe, and it is YUMMY! The original recipe calls for all blueberries, but she's made it with blueberries and peaches and--my personal favorite--blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries. Use what you have on hand. The topping is not a granola-type crunchy topping, but it's not really a pie crust either. It's delicious! Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.  (Recipe can be doubled and baked in a 13x9-inch pan.)

Mixed Berry Crunch

• 3 c. blueberries or mixed berries/peaches
• 1 T. lemon juice
• 1 c. flour
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 egg
• 6 T. melted butter

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix fruit and lemon juice and pour into 9-inch pie plate.
3. Combine flour, sugar, and egg. Pour/drizzle on top of fruit.
4. Drizzle melted butter on top.
5. Bake for 30 minutes.

~Serves 6-8

*image from Around the Plate

Southwestern Succotash Salad

Our CSA pick-ups begin this week from the Colvins!! My fridge is nice and empty after being at the beach last week, and I'm avoiding buying much until we get our first veggie box in a few days. This pretty salad was born of the need for a healthy side dish for our cheese and (frozen) bell pepper quesadillas… and my freezer and pantry contributed all the ingredients. It's a little on the mild side--add some jalapeños if you have them. But, as it is, it makes a pretty good quesadilla filling along with some cheese…or a nice side salad for spicy Mexican food…or a good salad with lettuce and some salsa as a dressing .... Our kids actually ate theirs in quesadilla form--even knowing there were bell peppers in the mix.

Southwestern Succotash Salad
~inspired by this salad

• 1 cup frozen baby lima beans, cooked and drained
• 1 can black beans, drained
• ~1-2 cups frozen corn, thawed
• 1 small red onion, finely minced
• 1-1 1/2 cups chopped bell peppers*
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 t. cumin
• 1/2 T. olive oil
• 2 T. white wine vinegar

*my bell peppers were the tri-colored frozen variety

Combine all in a bowl and stir well (I did not make the dressing separately--just dumped it all in a bowl and stirred). Enjoy right away or after a day or two in the fridge!

~Serves 4-6

Italian Veggie Bake

This is delicious and can be made ahead! The vegetables listed below are the original list--sort of like a ratatouille--but we don't like eggplant or mushrooms, so I sometimes leave those out and just add extra squash and/or peppers. We got a great looking assortment of squash and peppers from the Colvins this week, so that's primarily what I used.

Italian Veggie Bake
~Out Here cookbook

• 1/3 c. Italian dressing (any kind: homemade, storebought, light, etc.)*
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 small unpeeled eggplant, cubed
• 1 medium zucchini, cubed
• 1 large red pepper, cubed
• 1 fresh package (6 oz.) sliced mushrooms
• 1 can (14.5 oz) Italian-style stewed tomatoes, drained and diced (or 2 c. fresh, diced tomatoes)*
• 1/3 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 T. chopped parsley, optional

 *"Light" Italian dressing is often sweeter as are stewed tomatoes. These make the dish a bit sweeter--which many folks (especially children) enjoy.

1. Heat salad dressing in a large skillet over medium heat. 
2. Add onion and cook 5 minutes or until tender.
3. Add eggplant and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally (if not using eggplant, just cook the onion for the additional 5 minutes before moving on).
4. Add remaining vegetables except tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to love, cover, and simmer 15 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.
6. Pour mixture into a casserole dish (I use a 13x9-inch dish). Sprinkle with cheese.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until heated through. You can also refrigerate at this point and bake tomorrow!
8. Sprinkle with parsley just before serving.

 ~Makes 14 1/2-cup servings

Roasted Green Beans

Man, oh man, if you've never tried roasting green beans, you're in for a treat. My husband is the one who got us started down this road. As soon as we got green beans from the Colvins this summer, we made these. Mmmmm

Roasted Green Beans

• green beans, fresh or frozen
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• seasonings*

For fresh green beans: trim beans, cut into 3- to 4-inch lengths, and parboil for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water. Pat dry.

For frozen green beans: let beans thaw (I leave them out on the counter during the day). Drain and pat dry.

*Seasonings: we like Paula Deen's house seasoning (salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder) or salt and pepper plus onion powder or salt plus garlic powder. Alternately, toss the beans in garlic-flavored olive oil and add salt. Salt and garlic are the essentials here.

Toss beans in olive oil and seasonings of choice. Spread out on jelly roll pan or in roasting pan. You don't need a single layer, but you also don't want them piled high. Roast at 400-425 degrees (or even 450), stirring every few minutes, until desired tenderness. The outsides will shrivel slightly. At 425 degrees, they take roughly 20-30 minutes or so (also depends on how soft they are to start with; thawed beans from frozen start out a touch softer).


Enjoy!!

Easy Roasted Veggies

I don't know what it is about roasting, but vegetables come out of that oven a totally different breed than by any other cooking method. We've yet to find a vegetable (save, perhaps, for lettuce and spinach and the like) that can't be roasted successfully. Mixtures are nice, but so are single vegetable dishes. A couple of weeks ago, we had a lovely assortment of veggies from the Colvins that practically begged to be roasted: fennel, summer squash, tomatoes bell peppers (see the picture below)--I tossed the whole mixture with a balsamic vinaigrette that had fresh basil (also from the Colvins) in it, but the simple method listed below works a base no matter what else you plan to do with them. This week, we got more summer squash and some bell peppers in our CSA box, and I added a carrot, sweet potato, and a couple of white potatoes into the mix. Mmmmm

What can you do with roasted vegetables, besides use them as a side dish? Top a pre-baked pizza crust with them, add a little cheese, and pop back in the oven briefly. Toss them, cold, with some greens and salad dressings. Add them to a wrap. Mix them with some rice and add some extra seasoning/salsa/salad dressing. You get the picture. Possibilities are nearly endless.


Easy Roasted Veggies--basic method

Assortment of prepared vegetables*
Olive oil
salt and pepper or other seasoning blend (we've used Herbes de Provence, Cajun seasoning, Adobo/Fajita seasoning, Paula Deen's House Seasoning, ....)

Alternately, you can just use a vinaigrette--homemade or storebought--instead of the oil and seasonings.

Toss prepared vegetables with oil and seasonings. Spread out on a jelly roll pan; you may need two pans if you roast a lot of vegetables at once. They don't need to be in a single layer, but you also don't want them piled too high. If you're roasting tomatoes, keep them separate from the big mixture and roast them at the end of the pan in their own area. They will release lots of juice--which is delicious--but you might not want the whole mixture to taste like tomatoes.

Roast at 400-450 degrees until tender. Vague, huh? That's because the temperature and time are both flexible (do you want them done sooner? use a higher temperature and chop them smaller. Have a roast in the oven at 400 degrees? Use that temperature and go with it.). Roasted vegetables don't have to be piping hot to be enjoyed. As long as the harder vegetables (potatoes, carrots) are in small bite-size chunks, you're looking at about 20-30 minutes. Stir every 5-10 minutes, depending on oven temperature and size of vegetable chunks.

*Vegetable Preparation:

Peel vegetables like sweet potatoes, winter squash, and any other vegetable you might normally peel before eating (except for garlic). Cut all veggies into appropriate sized pieces, remembering that vegetables like summer squash and tomatoes will cook faster than vegetables like sweet potatoes. If you're roasting a mixture, cut up harder vegetables into smaller pieces (you'll notice that my sweet potatoes in the picture above are cut fairly thin). For vegetables like green beans, you may want to blanch them first.

Summer Squash with Basil

YUM YUM YUM

I could stop there, but I'll add that the kids enjoyed this one, too, even though they're not squash fans. It's easy and, in the summer, inexpensive. We got our squash and basil both in our CSA basket two weeks in a row. Thanks, Colvins!

Summer Squash with Basil
~inspired by a similar recipe in the 1997 ed. of Joy of Cooking that uses parsley

Yellow summer squash, chopped into 3/4-inch pieces (we used 4 medium-sized squash)
Olive oil
Minced garlic (2-3 cloves, depending on amount of squash)
Snipped fresh basil (about 1/3 cup)

Pour in some olive oil into a nonstick or cast iron skillet and heat over medium heat. When hot, toss in squash and saute for a few minutes until it's starting to get tender. Raise the heat if you want to cook it faster. We like ours still a touch firm/crunchy.

When squash is pretty much ready, toss in basil and garlic cloves and stir a few times.

Enjoy!

~Serves 4-6

How to Store Cut Basil

Oh, we love our fresh basil. Every year, even if I grow nothing else edible, I have a few pots of basil. And it's quite easy to store for a week or more once you cut it. This is handy when you need to cut sprigs off to keep it from flowering and don't have time to make pesto right away. It's also an easy way to root more basil. Frequently, one or more of the stems will root for me if left long enough. This week, not only do I have my own basil, but I got another big bunch from the Colvins in my CSA basket. Pesto, here we come!

Simply cut stalks right above a pair of leaves. Sharp scissors are helpful, but I've used sharp fingernails in a pinch. Then, plunk the stalks into a cup of water. Any leaves that are below the water line will turn back. It's best to have enough water to cover the bottom stem ends by an inch or so and just replenish. If you're getting basil from somewhere like a CSA basket or farmer's market, you may want to give the stems a fresh cut.

Do not store in the fridge. I store mine on my kitchen windowsill which gets filtered sunlight. Any similar spot should work fine for you.

You can also pull the leaves off and freeze them on a cookie sheet. When frozen, toss them all in a bag. They'll turn black, but the flavor will be far superior to the dried stuff and will work well in cooked dishes (like spaghetti sauce or tomato basil soup) in the months to come.

Pasta and Summer Squash with Tomatoes, Basil, and Nuts

One of my go to recipes in the summer, particularly with summer squash, is what we call the P3: Pasta, Produce, and Pesto (with a good sprinkling of Parmesan). But today, I didn't have pesto! Ack! My trusty Cook's Illustrated Cookbook came to the rescue with a similar, yet much more complex tasting, summer recipe. This is a good way to use up some summer squash bounty in that CSA basket or from your garden (when you're tired of squash casserole!). Bonus: this is good at room temp!

Pasta and Summer Squash with Tomatoes, Basil, and Nuts
~Cook's Illustrated Cookbook

• 1.5-2 pounds yellow summer squash, zucchini, or a mixture, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 T. coarse sea or kosher salt
• 4 T. olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 t. red pepper flakes
• 12-16 oz. pasta (CI recommends farfalle; I used spaghetti)
• 1/2 c. chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 c. toasted pine nuts (or walnuts)
• 12 oz. cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 2 T. balsamic vinegar
• Parmesan cheese for garnish

1. Toss squash pieces with 1 tablespoon coarse sea or kosher salt (use half as much if using regular table salt). Let drain in a colander over a bowl (or in the sink) for 30 minutes. Turn out onto a double layer of paper towels and blot dry with more paper towels.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick or cast iron skillet over high heat. Saute squash in two batches, 5-7 minutes each, until golden brown, slightly charred in spots, and cooked (this gives it a great smoky taste). If skillet starts to burn, turn down heat slightly. Move each batch to a plate when it's done.
3. Meanwhile, heat 4 quarts water for pasta. When boiling, add pasta and 2 tablespoons salt. Cook per directions on package. When done, save 1/2 cup pasta water and drain pasta well. Put back in stockpot.
4. When squash is done, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in same skillet over high heat and add garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook and stir for about 30 seconds (until fragrant) and add squash back in. Stir for another 30 seconds. Then, dump entire mixture into pot with cooked and drained pasta. Add in tomatoes, basil, nuts, and balsamic vinegar. Add 1 more tablespoon oil and cooking water if needed for more moisture.
5. Serve garnished with Parmesan cheese.

~Serves 4-6

Watermelon Ice

Need a good, reasonably healthy patriotic treat this 4th of July? (or any hot day this summer?) This is delicious, very refreshing, and is fairly simple to make.

Watermelon Ice
~Paula Deen's Southern Cooking Bible

• 2/3 c. sugar
• 1/3 c. water
• 6 c. cubed watermelon (deseeded, if necessary)
• 1 T. fresh lemon juice

1.  Bring sugar and water to a boil, stirring constantly. Simmer until mixture is clear. Chill.
2. When sugar syrup is cool, puree watermelon, lemon juice, and sugar syrup in a blender. Pour into a wide, shallow (freezer-safe) pan: deep dish pie plate, 13x9-inch or 8x8-inch, or similar. The shallower, the faster it will freeze.
3. Place in freezer. After about an hour, scrape mixture thoroughly with a fork--stir it well. Put back in freezer.
4. After another hour, scrape again, and refreeze for one more hour.
5. After the third hour, scrape thoroughly, and serve! Garnish with mint sprigs.

~Serves 6-8

Zucchini Pizzas

This is a "pizza" that the Colvins introduced us to the first year we joined their CSA. It's a fun lunch for kids, and it's a great way to introduce zucchini. I'll admit that this year, my kids weren't as gung-ho about these, but in the past, they've gobbled them up with nary a second thought about the "crust." Perhaps they're onto me and my wily ways with vegetables. Hmm.... I'm sure you can make these with regular ol' zucchini, but we use the 8-ball (round) ones from the Colvins. There's a video of Val (the farmer's wife) making these that I need to track down. But for now, here is the way I make them and some pictures....  (these zucchini haven't been in our shareholder boxes yet, but I'm sure they will be soon! And, in the meantime, it helps having friends like Isaac :-))

Zucchini Pizzas

• 1/4-inch thick horizontal slices of 8-ball zucchinis
• pizza sauce
• mozzarella cheese
• mini pepperonis
• olive oil

1.  Lay zucchini slices on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and let sit while you get the rest of the ingredients ready and preheat oven to 450 degrees.
   
2. Pat zucchini slices dry with a paper towel, brush with olive oil, sprinkle with a touch of salt, and bake at 450 degrees until they look a tiny bit shriveled/dry. (sorry--I didn't time this!)
   
3. Spread with pizza sauce, top with cheese and pepperonis, and pop back in the oven until the cheese melts.
   
4. Enjoy!

Pizza with Squash, Arugula, and Rosemary

OK, I'll admit right off that we didn't have any arugula for this delicious pizza (hint, hint, Colvins :-) ). And, secondly, this is not really a way to use up squash so much as it's a way to entice your kids to try it. You will need very little for the pizza. But this is delicious and different from the usual pizza fare.

Pizza with Squash, Arugula, and Rosemary
~inspired by one from Food & Wine

• 1 pizza crust, homemade or storebought
• 2 oz. thinly sliced summer squash (~1/3 cup?)
• handful arugula
• 2 t. fresh rosemary
• Parmesan cheese
• mozzarella cheese
• crushed red pepper flakes
• sea salt

1. Prebake the crust slightly if it's homemade.
2. Finely shred Parmesan cheese over the whole crust--you want a decent coating here.
3. Lay squash slices around on top of Parmesan.
4. Sprinkle rosemary generously around on top of squash.
5. Shred mozzarella over top of rosemary/squash.
6. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and a touch of salt.
7. Add arugula, if using, on top.
8. Bake at 450 degrees until cheese is melted and starting to brown.

Enjoy!