I don't know about your garden, but after temps of over 100 in Western Washington, my plants have drawn their last gasp and have shriveled into oblivion! In Olympia on July 29th it was 107..with several days on either side of that record high well into the 90s. I watered and watered, but in the end it was just too hot, and I have no trees around the garden to provide shade. The tomato plants are up on the back porch so they fared a little better, but I overdid the nitrogen, so I have...ONE tomato...lol.
Fortunately, Olympia has a fabulous Farmer's Market, down on the waterfront at the north end of town. Open Thursdays through Sundays from April until Christmas, it always has a vast assortment of organic vegetables, fruits, eggs, and wonderfully fresh bakery items. I have relied on them heavily this summer to keep me supplied with almost everything I need to make the recipes I am about to share with you.
So, what am I fixing from someone else's garden? Pull a chair up to the kitchen table, and I will tell you!
I am in the process of collecting family recipes to put into a digital scrapbook which I will print off for presents around Christmastime. In my published gift books, I will include a picture of the cook on the page with their recipe so future generations have an idea of who their family ancestors are.
I would like to share some of those with you, all featuring ingredients from the garden.
Marilyn's Summer Squash Casserole
Too much zucchini and summer squash seems to be a common problem for gardeners. We have all heard the stories of people leaving bags of them on neighbor's doorsteps. This is a great recipe for a casserole to take to a BBQ or other family picnic.
2 pounds diced yellow summer squash and zucchini squash combined (or about 4 cups)
1 medium vidalia or Walla Walla sweet onion, diced
1 T. butter
2 oz (1/2 can) Ortega diced green chilies ( I use the whole 4 oz .can)
1 T. flour
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp pepper
2/3 cup pepper jack cheese – grated
2/3 cup cottage cheese
1 egg, beaten
Parmesan cheese
Sautee squash and onion together in butter. Add green chilies.
Combine: flour, salt and pepper and add to squash mixture. Transfer mixture to one-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with pepper jack. Mix cottage cheese and beaten egg, pour on top of pepper jack cheese. Sprinkle A LOT of Parmesan cheese over the top. Bake at 400 degrees for 24-30 minutes. Yum!
Grandma's Green Tomato Raw Relish
My grandmother made this wonderful relish from green tomatoes left over at the end of the season.
To shred the veggies, use a food processor with the grater blade.. You can also use an old fashioned hand grinder with fairly coarse blade. Hand graters are not satisfactory, nor is whizzing the veggies in the processor until they are mush. Heat processing is not necessary as this is raw relish. Refridgerate after opening.
4 cups shredded Walla Walla sweet onions
4 cups shredded celery
4 QUARTS shredded green tomatoes
6 green bell peppers, shredded ( can be 4 HUGE ones)
6 red bell peppers, shredded
Mix veggies together in a huge bowl ( I use the largest stainless steel bowl made--glass is ok too, just don't use aluminum). Stir in 1/2 cup salt and let sit overnight.
In the morning, add 4 cups sugar, 4 cups APPLE CIDER vinegar.
Add 1 cup white mustard seed. Mix well and put in sterilized jars, but do not fill all the way to the top. Leave 1/2 inch or so for expansion and some fermentation. Jars may be capped, but do not seal. Do not screw the lids down tight. If you do, the tops will bulge..no it's not botulism, its the fermentation, and you end up with a mess. Store in a cool, dark place. Relish is delicious with all kinds of meat dishes.
Tracy's Blackberry Liquor
I have a huge blackberry bush that runs the entire length of my property on my 1 acre of heaven. They are small and seedy, and too much trouble for jam, so I was happy to be given this recipe. It is a very adjustable recipe so it doesn't matter what sized jars you use as long as you keep the proportions!
Take any sized jar, fill it halfway with blackberries. Fill it up the rest of the way with sugar cubes. Get out your best bottle of vodka and fill in all the empty spaces until it comes to about 1/2 inch below the top of the jar. Seal tightly and turn the jar upside down. The next day, flip it over, and continue to do this for about a month. The vodka will take on the gorgeous dark purple of the berries.
After about a month, take off the lid and strain the liquid through a sieve into a glass measuring cup for easy pouring. Discard the berries or add them to your compost pile.
You can use decorative bottles, or do what I do and use rinsed out mini wine or champagne bottles. This makes a good size for gift giving at Christmas. Store in a cool, dry place, out of direct sunlight.
Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps
My cousin Amy likes exotic food, but like me, she has to watch her carbs. This recipe of hers will definitely be in my book.
1 pound ground turkey
1 package of microwaveable 90 second instant rice.
1 small sweet onion, chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
1 medium sized red bell pepper
1/4 cup of Hoisin sauce, or more to taste
1 small can of water chestnuts, drained and sliced into small pieces
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs Thai sweet chili sauce
2 tbs freshly grated ginger
1 tbs Asian 5-spice powder or more to taste
2 heads of butter lettuce, leaves separated, washed and dried
chopped chives
1 carrot, grated.
Heat the sesame and olive oil in a large saucepan or wok. Snip off the top of the rice packet and put in the microwave for 90 seconds. ( If you want the extra work, go ahead and make your favorite rice the old fashioned way!)
Saute the chopped onion until transluscent. Add the garlic and ground turkey and brown until no pink is showing. Add ginger, red bell pepper, water chestnuts, 5 Spice and Hoisin and Thai sweet chili sauces, salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook the mixture over medium low heat until bell pepper has softened and you are sure the turkey is fully cooked. Add the envelope of rice, or about 1 1/2 cups of your own prepared rice. Mix together well, and remove from heat.
For each person, I put 3-5 lettuce leaves on a plate, along with a small bowl of the meat mixture, along with a smaller bowl with some of the chopped chives and grated carrot. Take a lettuce leaf and lay it on the plate. Spoon about 1-2 TBS of the meat mixture, then add some chives and carrot on top. Roll up the lettuce leaf like a spring roll, and eat! Do not try to prepare these ahead of time for your guests, as the heat of the meat mixture will make the lettuce leaves go soggy and you have to use a fork..which takes away the fun of eating this dish! I serve it with a side of garlic bread, which is not your usual Asian side, but I like it!
Patty's BLT Salad
Auntie Pat loooooves bacon. I do too, but I try to limit myself because I know its not very good for you to eat a lot of it. This salad is a nice low carb version of our favorite sandwich
For the Salad you will need:
* 1 head lettuce, chopped..I like Romaine with Spring Mix blended in
* 8 slices bacon,thick cut, cooked and cut into bite-size pieces
* 4-8 Crimini mushrooms, sliced
* 1 avocado, sliced
* 1 cup fresh tomato, sliced
* 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, cubed
* 3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
* 3 tablespoon red onion, finely chopped
* 3 tablespoons toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
When you boil the eggs, put them in cold water in a pot on the stove. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and let them sit for 10 minutes. They will be perfectly cooked and not have green yolks! Remove the shells and slice very thin and put aside.
* 3 tablespoons plain yogurt ( I use fat free )
* 1 tablespoon mayonnaise ( I use reduced fat )
* 4 ounces blue or gorgonzola cheese
* 1 teaspoon fresh dill (or 1/2 t dried dill)
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
* 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
#1 Combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, dill, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a bowl. Crumble in your stinky cheese of choice, stirring until thick and creamy, but still chunky.
#2 Wash and dry your lettuce, chop or tear into bite sized pieces and place in a large bowl and add bacon, mushrooms, cheddar cheese, red onion, and nuts (if using). Toss lightly to combine well.
#3 Add the sliced tomatoes and sliced avocado.
#4 Scoop salad onto salad plates. Top each plate with eggs and spoon on some salad dressing. You can top with additional pieces of bacon.
Ok, I'm hungry now. Tell me what your favorite recipes are from your garden ( or the produce department of your farmer's market or grocery store.}