Summer Satisfaction

Oh the spoils of summer... fresh juicy tomatoes, tender zucchini, and rows of spicy arugula abound. It's a short lived treat here in Michigan, so I am savoring every second of it. Call me crazy, but I am not interested in canning or saving these tasty little morsels for the dreary winter months, despite the abundance. Indulging now in the backyard harvest serves to build my anticipation over the winter. I need that proverbial carrot. That being said, I do grow more than I can eat and as a way of dealing with the overflow, I share. Not only does this feed my friends, it feeds my soul and nothing is more satisfying than that.

Zucchini Tomato Stack

Slice 1 zucchini and 1 tomato. Brush zucchini slices with oil (I used roasted garlic oil) and roast on a baking sheet about 5-7 minutes at 450 degrees. Sprinkle tomato slices with sea salt and layer with roasted zucchini in a stack on top of vidalia onion dressing. Finish with fresh arugula leaves.

What's In Your Fridge?

When I opened my refrigerator to assess today's side dish situation, I was greeted by one small zucchini and a tiny jar of pesto. A container of sour cream was perched on the top shelf and a single lonely egg sat quietly in the carton. Certainly there was a recipe hidden in these rogue ingredients... but what could it be? I opened my cupboard to find italian breadcrumbs and instantly the proverbial lightbulb clicked on - zucchini cakes! I grated the zucchini into a bowl and mixed in the egg white, a spoonful of pesto and about 3/4 of a cup of breadcrumbs. I warmed a skillet to medium heat and made one pass around it with some olive oil. I infused the oil with a clove of garlic and spooned in the zucchini mixture. As it sizzled in the pan, I watched for the edges to brown and then turned each patty like a pancake. Once they were crisp and golden brown, I removed them from the pan and sat each cake on a paper towel to draw out any excess oil. I served them as a pair with a healthy dollop of sour cream and the result was absolutely delightful. The subtle hint of garlic, the herby flavor of the pesto and the crunchy texture really made these veggie cakes quite delectable. With a little creativity, there is always a recipe waiting to be found.

Project Zucchini - Part 3

Ok, so I've grown them, harvested them, and now I am cooking them. I've made zucchini lasagna, sauteed zucchini, grilled zucchini, baked zucchini, and I've even tossed it in my spaghetti.  This weekend, I tried my hand at zucchini bread. Aside from the tiny flecks of green in the loaf, you would never even know about the veggies in this deliciously moist bread.  Everyone has their own way of making this standard but since I am a rookie, I started with the internet and pieced together my favorite elements from different recipes.  I took the basic ingredients from AllRecipes.com and then added lemon zest and a crumb topping after reading several different iterations.

I left out the walnuts in the bread but added chopped pecans to the crumb topping.  I think my next experiment will be chocolate zucchini cupcakes, thanks to 101 Cookbooks. Hmmmm, could I count a cupcake as a serving of vegetables?  I think so.

Project Zucchini - Part 2

Well, here it is...the first crop of zucchinis!  They are gorgeous and delicious. I gave the first one a quick flash in a skillet with some olive oil, onions, and broccoli.  Then I put the warmed up veggies on top of an arugula salad from the garden and it was the perfect dinner. Since there are several that are almost ready for harvest, I smell a batch of zucchini bread coming soon.

Project Zucchini

I am fascinated by nature.  I captured these images in my zucchini garden over the weekend.  My plan for this project is to document their growth and eventually end with images of zucchini bread or another zucchini recipe.  Stay tuned to see how it turns out.