Zucchini and Olive Flatbread

I'm so glad my friend Kristy shared this recipe with me!  My zucchini plant had kicked the bucket, but I still had plenty of yellow squash from the garden; it worked just fine in this recipe.  Instead of following the flatbread directions, I simply prepared and baked it like a traditional pizza.

Source:  food network

1 pound pizza dough

1 T. extra-virgin olive oil plus extra, for drizzling

1 large (8 oz.) zucchini, trimmed and cut into 1/8" slices

2 T. chopped fresh oregano leaves, divided

1 1/2 c. (4 oz.) shredded mozzarella

1 c. (2 1/2 oz.) grated Pecorino Romano

1/2 c. pitted sliced black olives

Place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 12" circle.  With a pastry brush, brush 1 T. olive oil over the dough.  Using the tines of a fork, prick the dough all over.  Arrange the zucchini slices in a single layer on top of the dough.  Drizzle the zucchini with oil.  Bake the dough for 18-20 min. until the edges begin to brown.  Remove the bread from the oven, sprinkle with 1 T. oregano, the cheeses, and the olives.  Bake for 5-7 minutes until the cheeses are melted and bubbly.

Sprinkle with remaining oregano, cut into wedges and serve.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Endamame

Source:  Julia Hair

This particular variety is so easy to grow.  I'm so grateful Julia shared some of her heirloom soybean seeds with me last fall!

Simply cook the endamame (soybeans) in their pods in boiling, salted water for 5 min.

You can serve them in their pods and pop the beans out with your teeth, or you can shell them.

Tasty!!

Green Bean, Tomato and Chickpea Salad

As soon as the green beans and grape tomatoes are in, this is a staple summer recipe for me.  The chick peas make it a one-dish meal for more lunches and dinners than I can count!

Source:  Adapted from a recipe from Aunt Yvonne and Everyday Food magazine

1 can (15.5 oz.) chick peas, rinsed and drained

1 1/2 c. quartered grape tomatoes

1 1/2 c. green beans, steamed 'til crisp tender, then chilled

1/4 c. red onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

2 T. coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 T. lemon juice

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil

sea salt & pepper

In medium bowl, gently stir together chick peas, tomatoes, green beans, onion, garlic, and parsley.  

In separate small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.  

Pour dressing over vegetables and toss until coated completely.  Chill and let marinate for at least 1/2 hour.

Yield: 4 Servings

Fresh Peach Pie

After several tries (and a few tasty, but unpresentable flops!), I think I have finally nailed Fresh Peach Pie!  The trick is to make sure the peaches aren't too ripe - if they are ripe enough for eating, they will be too juicy for pie baking.

I'm so glad Cindy brought this pie to our food group last week and was willing to share the recipe with me!

Source:  Cindy Umberger

1 unbaked pie crust

Filling:

4 or a bit more cups of fresh peaches

1/4 c. flour

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/8 t. cinnamon

Crumbs:

1 c. flour

1/4 t. salt

1/4 c. sugar

1/4 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. butter

Gently pat the crumbs around the edge to seal.  Bake around 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes, then reduce to 350 degrees for the last 10-15 minutes until peaches are soft and crust is golden.*

*Note - I baked mine for 45 minutes total.

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

I stumbled across this recipe just in time for dinner tonight with my food group.  This was my first attempt at growing Fingerling potatoes, just wasn't quite sure what to expect nor when to harvest them.  I'm not sure I'll grow them again next year, but it was fun to try them.

Source:  Masonic Village Farm Market newsletter

Toss potatoes with crushed and chopped garlic cloves, olive oil, sea salt and pepper.  Spread on cookie sheet.  Roast at 500 degrees until tender, about 20 min.

Watermelon and Tomato Salad with Basil Oil

I had been wanting to try this recipe, so was very grateful Julia and Alan volunteered (or should I say, were volunteered - no one else in the group wanted to attempt the basil-infused oil!) to make this salad for our food group this evening.  It was yummy, and their presentation was just as lovely.

Source:  Martha Stewart Living magazine, August 2011

BASIL OIL:

2 c. fresh basil, plus more for garnish

1 1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil

SALAD:

6 c. cold cubed watermelon (from about 4 1/2 lbs. watermelon), rind removed

3 heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1/2" wedges

1 Kirby cucumber, cut into 1/2"-thick slices on the bias

1 T. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 t. fresh lemon juice

1/2 c. crumbled soft goat cheese (4 oz.)

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

BASIL OIL DIRECTIONS:

Prepare an ice-water bath.  Bring a saucepan of water to a boil.  Blanch basil for 1 min.  Transfer to ice-water bath to stop the cooking process.  Drain.

Puree basil in a blender with olive oil until smooth.  Strain mixture through a cheesecloth-lined fine sieve set over a bowl.  Let stand until oil drips through, about 1 hour (do not squeeze cheesecloth).

SALAD DIRECTIONS:

Toss together watermelon, tomatoes, cucumber, olive oil, and lemon juice in a bowl.  Transfer to a serving platter, and sprinkle with goat cheese.  Drizzle with basil oil and more olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Garnish with basil.

Serves 4

Zucchini Salad with Red Onion

Quick, easy and delish!

Source:  Everyday Food magazine, June 2007

1 T. red-wine vinegar

1 T. olive oil

coarse sea salt and ground pepper

1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced

4 small zucchini (about 1 1/2 lbs. total)

In a medium bowl, whisk together vinegar and oil; season with salt and pepper.  Stir in onion, and let stand 15 min.

Meanwhile, using a vegetable peeler, slice zucchini into paper-thin ribbons, avoiding seeds.  Add to bowl with dressing, season with salt and pepper; toss to combine.

Serves 4