So You Grew a Garden... Veggie Round-Up!

It's time for the round-up! I have to admit I was drooling every time I opened a new email submission. These are all really great and wonderfully colorful recipes! As much as I love fall, I am already looking forward to next summers garden so I can personally try all of these fantastic recipes! For my own submission, I used a new recipe for a great dip, it is down at the bottom!

Thanks again to all of my participants. Your recipes are a great inspiration to all gardeners that have run out of ideas for their harvest, as well as non-gardeners just looking for a new way to cook up some veggies!

First up we have Amy from the French Kitchen. She submitted this drool worthy recipe for a cheesy vegetable medley. I love how simple AND delicious this looks. Amy says, "This is such an easy but flavorful dish. I used vegetables from my grandfather's garden and the recipe comes from my mother-in-law. It's simply sauteed chopped veggies and melted cheese. Need I say more?" Nope, no need to say more. You had me at cheese.



Next is Jessica from the Novice Chef. Her sauteed eggplant sounds absolutely amazing. I was excited to see an eggplant submission because I have never actually cooked eggplant before. Now I have a great recipe to start with! Jessica says, "This recipe is one of my favorite ways to cook eggplant. The lemon really gives it something special!"


Molly, from the Rookie Chef, submitted this super colorful kabob. Kabobs are a really fantastic way to use vegetables and make a great presentation on a plate, as you can see from her picture. Molly says, "Rainbow Kabobs are a great way to incorporate six different vegetables into your diet. The wider variety of color, the wider variety of nutrients!"


The next submission comes from Yudith at Blissfully Delicious. This tomato tart looks and sounds so delicious! It makes me extra sad that the darn deer ate my tomato plants! Yudith says, "I love how simple this recipe was. It really showcases these homegrown tomatoes that my mom planted this summer!"


Cate, from Cate's World Kitchen, submitted another great eggplant recipe! Again, another reason for me to pick up an eggplant the next time I'm at the grocery store! Cate says, "The smokiness from the eggplant is what makes this salad, but the citrus and all the fresh vegetables keep it light and perfect for summer."


The Beantown Baker, Jen, submitted this incredible looking potato salad. I love how unique this recipe is, it's a great play on an old favorite. Jen says, "I love heading to my farmers market and just grabbing whatever looks fresh to throw something together for dinner that night. I came home one week with snap peas, cucumbers, and tomatoes which turned into this delicious potato salad."


Janet, from Cooking in Cucamonga, sent me 3 great links from her blog. Spinach and ricotta stuff portabellas, chock full of veggies pasta sauce, and black bean and corn salsa. I am such a sucker for any kind of salsa and hers looks really delicious, so I chose it for the round up. Janet says, "The name 'salsa' is misleading in this recipe. This is not really a salsa, or even a garnish; It is more of a side dish. It's a great summery addition to a bbq or burgers, and can be made even better by using fresh corn."


I almost forgot this next submission! I apologize, Amy! Amy, from Skinny Food by Amy submitted a very unique jalapeno pepper jelly. This jelly looks like so much fun to make, and as she points out in her post, what a great Christmas gift! Amy says, "I've never canned anything before, but I was really excited to try to make this jalapeno jelly. It is going to make great gifts for my family and friends this holiday season!"


Finally, my own submission for the round-up. I have just a few straggling Serrano peppers from my garden and I was looking for a way to use them. When I decided to have a few fellow nursing students over for a study session, I wanted to make a good dip and this recipe seemed like the perfect way to meet both of those needs. This dip certainly did not disappoint me or my guests. It's flavorful, spicy and creamy all at the same time. This will be a must for football Sundays which have FINALLY begun! Also, I used the leftovers as a spread on a burger and it was *amazing*. Give this great dip recipe a try!


Jalapeno Popper Dip
(Adapted from The Rookie Chef)

Ingredients

1 block of neufatchel (reduced fat cream cheese), softened
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
4-5 serrano peppers, seeded, roasted and finely chopped
1/4 cups jarred jalapeno rings, finely chopped
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 - 3/4 cup monterey jack shredded cheese

Combine ingredients in a bowl. Transfer the dip to a nice oven proof serving dish. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese starts to turn golden brown on the edges and is bubbly in the middle. You can also put the ingredients in a crockpot, if you do that I would recommend doubling the recipe.

So You Grew a Garden... Now What? 9

This post has move to the Sunny Side :) Click the link for the recipe, I promise it's worth it!

So You Grew a Garden...Now What? 7

I can't believe I am already on my seventh "So You Grew a Garden... Now What?" post! If you've been following the series I hope you are finding it to be helpful (and thanks for reading!) If you are just now finding it I hope you get comfy and stay awhile :)! Now onto the actual post!

Today I am sharing another (very very very easy)summer squash recipe because let's face, those babies know how to grow! If you've never grown summer squash before you should try it! It is one of the "easier" vegetables that we've grown. In the past even when we've slacked on caring for our garden and skipped a few days of watering the squash and zucchini just keep on growing. I never seem to run out of either. I only used squash for this recipe today but really it is great for squash, zucchini, broccoli, carrots, you name it (think restaurant vegetable medley). The only reason I used only squash is because I gave several zucchinis away and now I'm waiting for the many many blooms to sprout.

Easy Summer Squash (or zucchini!)

2 1/2 cups of squash or zucchini cut into bite size chunks (This is about 2-3 medium size squash)
3/4-1 cup chicken broth (It could possibly be more depending on the amount of vegetables you use)
2 tbsp lemon garlic butter (see below)
1 tbsp fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley

In a large skillet or wok add the squash and just enough chicken broth to come half way up the squash. Bring to a simmer and cook until the broth is just about gone (this took about 15 minutes). Then add the lemon garlic butter and stir until the butter has melted. Finish with the fresh chopped parsley.

Lemon Garlic Butter

2 tbsp butter, softened
1/2 tsp garlic powder
juice squeezed from half a lemon
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Using a fork, combine all of the ingredients until well blended.

So You Grew a Garden...Now What? 4

Yesterday I picked the first head of broccoli from the garden. Not just for the year, but ever! I was so excited when I saw the first tiny florets popping up in the middle of the plant a few weeks ago that I have been dreaming about what I would make with it. My original thought was broccoli cheddar soup. But it's not really soup season and the first head probably would not have been enough to make soup. So I did some more research and I came across something that seemed like a a great unique side dish. Spicy roasted broccoli and peppers. It was the perfect (and different)pair for the enchiladas I made for dinner last night (recipe will be posted tomorrow!).


Spicy Roasted Broccoli and Peppers
(Adapted from Allrecipes)

2 cups broccoli florets
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 tablespoon Montreal steak seasoning
1 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees. Toss all ingredients together in a bowl. Spread out on a baking sheet or stone. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

So You Grew a Garden...Now What? 3

Today I am going to feature 2 vegetables. Yellow squash and zucchini. I love zucchini and in the past it has been one of our best successes in the garden. This year is starting out no different. I have already picked 5 or 6 really beautiful zucchinis. The yellow squash is also growing really fast and I've picked several of them as well. If you would like to learn a little more about these vegetables I found this website to be very informative.

I found this recipe on the Food Network website and I am so glad that I tried it. Even my dad who claimed to not like "that kind of stuff" (stuff = vegetables) loved it. The zucchini and squash really soaked up all of the flavor from the garlic, onion and thyme and the egg and cream just helped to smooth it all out. If you have a garden full of zucchini/squash and you want to try something a little different, definitely give this a try. I served this casserole with *Orange Roughy (using this recipe, but please read my note below!*) and plain risotto but it could be paired with just about anything!

Zucchini and Summer Squash Casserole
(Source: Emeril Lagasse via Foodnetwork.com)
I cut the original recipe in half and it easily fed 5 people with left overs. Below I am listing the half recipe as I made it.

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 pounds summer squash (about 3 medium), sliced into thin rounds
1 pounds zucchini (about 3 medium), sliced into thin rounds
1/2 tsp dry thyme
1 large egg
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup crushed butter crackers (I only had saltines so I crushed them up in a bowl and added 1 tbsp of melted butter)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, optional (It says optional but I say, Why would you not add cheese? ;))

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a casserole baking dish with nonstick spray or grease with 1/2 tbsp of butter.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, salt, and black pepper and cook until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the squash and zucchini and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Stir in the thyme and remove from the heat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to the prepared baking dish, reserving the cooking liquid.

Combine the eggs and cream in a medium bowl and whisk to blend. Gradually whisk the reserved cooking liquid into the egg mixture. When all the cooking liquid is incorporated, pour the mixture over the vegetables in the baking dish. Using a spoon, gently shift the vegetables around so the egg mixture is evenly distributed. Bake until the mixture sets, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle first with the crackers and then with the Parmesan, if using, and return to the oven. Bake until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

*After buying this fish, I learned that Orange Roughy is highly susceptible to overfishing because they are very slow to mature and many stocks have already crashed. Next time I will buy a more sustainable fish.

So You Grew a Garden...Now What? 2

Tonight's edition of "So You Grew a Garden... Now What" is dedicated to the impatient gardener. It's so hard to plan your garden and then plant your garden and then....wait. The beauty of Fried Green Tomatoes is that you don't have to wait until your pretty little tomato plant turns red. :)

Like many people the first time I heard of Fried Green Tomatoes was during the movie by the same name. I have always been interested in trying to make my own but I was worried that I wouldn't like them. Finally this year I decided I would try them and make it a part of the series. I was very pleasantly surprised with the flavor of these. The inside is slightly tart and the outside is crispy and delicious. I will absolutely make these again!


Fried Green Tomatoes
(Source: Simply Recipes)

3 medium, firm green tomatoes
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup milk
2 beaten eggs
2/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs or cornmeal
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 Cut unpeeled tomatoes into 1/2 inch slices. Sprinkle slices with salt and pepper. Let tomato slices stand for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place flour, milk, eggs, and bread crumbs in separate shallow dishes.

2 Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a skillet on medium heat (Be very careful to not get the oil too hot!). Dip tomato slices in milk, then flour, then eggs, then bread crumbs. In the skillet, fry half of the coated tomato slices at a time, for 4-6 minutes on each side or until brown. As you cook the rest of the tomatoes, add olive oil as needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

So You Grew a Garden...Now What? 1

This post has moved to the Sunny Side :) Click the link for the recipe, I promise it's worth it!

Rice Pilaf

I can not tell a lie. This recipe was inspired by...... Rice-a-Roni. I have always loved it and could never find a recipe that captured the right texture. I don't think that this recipe is an exact clone, but it's pretty close and darn tasty. It is also really easy to throw together. The other great thing about this recipe is that it makes great leftovers. I actually turned these leftovers into fried rice by adding onions, ginger, an egg, chicken and soy sauce. Yum!

Rice Pilaf with Broken Spaghetti

1 cup of Basmati rice (Basmati rice is really key if you want the right texture)
Handful of dry spaghetti noodles broken into 1 inch pieces
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 3/4 cup low sodium vegetable broth (chicken broth would also work)
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp dry parsley
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4-1/2 tsp black pepper
and salt to taste (I use low sodium broth and add just a pinch of salt at the end)

In a large skillet (that has a lid) heat the oil and butter.
Add the broken noodles to the pan and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon or spatula (you want the noodles to turn golden brown but not burn).
Add the rice to the pan and continue to cook for another 2 minutes (still stirring to coat the rice evenly with the oil and keep the noodles/rice from scorching).
Add the broth to the pan and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low, put the lid on the pan and let simmer for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes open the lid and fluff with a fork. Then add the seasonings. Put the lid back on and cook for an another 5 minutes.

The Simple Things in Life

Have you ever gone to a party and completely fallen in love with a dish, then you find the person that made it and learn that it is actually really simple and has only a few ingredients? Food doesn't always need to be overly complicated and have the most trendy and exotic ingredients. Sometimes the best things in life are the simple things. Just a few classic ingredients that when put together.... YUM!

That's what this potato salad is. I remember the first time my awesome friend Michelle had this recipe at a party. I remember telling her how much I loved it and asking how it was made, I was shocked at how simple it was! It's just a really good potato salad. Of course it makes sense that she would have a fabulously simple recipe like this because potato salad is in her blood (well figuratively not literally, LOL). Her grandparents own a deli in New York, so her mom was pretty much raised around these sorts of classic deli treats and she passed them on to Michelle.

When Michelle gave me this recipe she just gave me the list of ingredients and said that taste testing is the best way to go. Since this is a food blog I'll go ahead and give you the measurements that I used, but remember, TASTE TASTE TASTE. It's the only way you'll end up with your own perfect potato salad. Also, I should mention that I did ask for permission before posting this recipe. She said as long as I gave a shout out to her family it was fine. :)


My Friend Michelle's Family Potato Salad
(Source: My friend Michelle and the generations before her)

Red potatoes (I bought 3 3 lb bags and after picking out the very smallest ones I probably had 6-7 pounds)
8 boiled eggs chopped into small pieces
2 boiled eggs sliced, for topping
1 smaller jar (15 oz I think) HELLMAN'S mayonnaise (brand is very important according to Michelle)
2 tbsp milk (Michelle didn't say milk but I used some because I was worried I didn't have enough mayo)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp celery seed
3/4 tsp salt (plus some for the water when boiling the potatoes)
A few sprigs of parsley and some paprika for garnishing

Boil the whole red potatoes with the skin on.
While the potatoes are boiling combine the mayonnaise, black pepper, celery seed and salt. I added each ingredient 1/4 tsp at a time taste testing in between to make sure I had the right amounts. Set the mayonnaise mixture in the refrigerator until it's time to combine with the potatoes and eggs.
When the potatoes are done (mine took about 26 minutes) drain the water and let cool for a few minutes. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle start peeling and chopping the potatoes into bite size pieces.
Put 1/2 of the potato pieces and 1/2 of the eggs in the container (I used an aluminum pan that was about 9x13 and 3 inches deep). Top with 1/2 off the mayo mixture and carefully stir with a rubber spatula. Top with the remaining potatoes, eggs, and mayo. Carefully stir with a rubber spatula again until the potatoes are well covered. Finish with the sliced egg, parsley and paprika for a pretty presentation.

Pulled pork, coleslaw and mac and cheese

Can you think of three things that go together more perfectly? Growing up I always had BBQ and coleslaw together. I'm not sure if it is a regional thing or not, but I like to put the slaw right on the sandwich! The crunch of the slaw with tang of the BBQ is just perfect. If you haven't tried it before you should!

I am very proud of this meal because it was completely from scratch! I even made my own BBQ sauce!

Beer BBQ Pork
(My own recipe)

1 bottle of good flavorful beer (I like Shock Top or Blue Moon)
2 cups of BBQ sauce (my recipe to follow)
2-3 lbs pork shoulder roast

The night before put the pork in a dish and pour the bottle of beer over the meat. Cover and let marinade overnight.
The next morning drain half of the beer from the meat and put the remaining beer and pork in a crockpot.
Pour the BBQ sauce over the meat and cook on high for 6-8 hours.
About 30 minutes before serving shred the meat with a fork and leave the lid off the crock pot (while still on high) to thicken the sauce a little bit.

My version of BBQ

1 can tomato sauce
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes or tomato puree
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp finely chopped onions
1 tsp prepared mustard
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp regular paprika
a sprinkle of chili powder


Put all of the ingredients in a sauce pan and simmer for 30 minutes.

Cole Slaw
(Adapated from Amber)

Ingredients
1 bag cole slaw mix [or 1 head finely chopped cabbage and
1/4 c shredded carrot]
1/3 c sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 celery seed
1/4 c milk
1/2 c mayonnaise
1/4 c buttermilk
1 1/2 tbsp white vinegar
2 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients and beat until smooth.
Add the finely chopped cabbage and carrots.
Mix well - cover and refrigerate AT LEAST 2 hours before serving - this time is vital for the best flavor.

Tip - If you like your cole slaw in smaller pieces pulse the cabbage and carrots (or Cole slaw bag mix) in a food processor for 1 second 3 or 4 times. Do this in 2 batches so it is evenly chopped.

My version of mac and cheese

2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup extra sharp vermont white
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 pound cooked to al dente elbow noodles

Start by making of roux with the butter and flour.
Slowy add the milk and let it reduce down for about 3 or 4 minutes.
Add the spices
Add the cheese and mix well until the cheese is melted and the sauce is thick.
Pour the cooked noodles and cheese sauce in a casserole dish and bake for 15-20 minutes at 350. Or until the edges start turning golden brown.