Pickled Beets

Source:  Adapted from Mennonite Country Style Recipes

4 qts. beets

2 1/2 c. vinegar

2 1/2 c. water

2 1/2 c. sugar

1/2 t. salt

2 t. whole allspice

1 (3-inch) stick of cinnamon

1/2 t. whole cloves

1 T. pickling spice (optional)

Cut tops off beats leaving 1" of stem; leave root attached.  (This helps to prevent the nutrients from cooking away in the water.)  Wash thoroughly.  Cover with hot water and cook until tender enough that skins slip off, approximately 15-25 minutes, depending on size.  Dunk in cold water to cool for handling.  Cut off remaining tops and roots and slip off skins.  Cut into cubes, slices or quarters, or leave small beets whole.

Pack beets into quart jars.  Combine vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in saucepan.  Tie spices in a cheesecloth and add to pan.  Heat to boiling and boil 5 min.

Remove spice bag.  Pour vinegar/sugar mixture over beets in jars, leaving 1" headspace.  Tighten lids, and process in boiling water bath for 10 min.

Quick-Marinated Yellow Squash Salad

Here's another nice yellow squash salad recipe!

Source:  Everyday Food magazine, September 2007

3 T. fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)

3 T. olive oil

coarse sea salt and ground pepper

2 medium yellow squash (8 oz. each), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

1 shallot, thinly sliced crosswise*

1-2 t. fresh thyme leaves

In a medium bowl, whisk together lemon juice and oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add squash, shallot, and thyme.  Toss to combine.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 4

*Note - I substituted a red onion for the shallot (I haven't had any luck growing shallots!).

Turnip Soup with Crispy Country Ham and Cornbread Croutons

I just do not like turnips - can I admit that??!!  But, I really want to learn to like them....  They are so easy to grow and oh, so pretty.  This soup recipe gives me hope!  It wasn't too exited about it, but once I added the salty, crispy ham slices and the toasted sweet cornbread, it totally changed my mind about this recipe!!  The cream helps too.  :)  Amazing what flavor and texture combinations can do....

Source:  Emeril Lagasse/Food network

2 oz. unsalted butter

1 1/4 lbs. yellow onions, thinly sliced (about 4 cups)

3 ribs celery, chopped (about 1 c.)

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 bay leaf

3 T. chopped garlic

10 c. chicken stock

2  lbs. turnips, peeled and diced

1/4 c. heavy cream

4 oz. country ham, julienned

2 c. medium diced cornbread

olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Melt the butter in a 6-quart stockpot over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and celery.  Season with salt and black pepper, stirring, until the vegetables are soft and lightly golden, about 8 min.

Add the bay leaf and garlic, stirring for 2 min.  Add the stock and turnips and bring the mixture to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, until the turnips are very soft and the mixture is thick and creamy, about 1 hr.

Remove the soup from the heat.  Discard the bay leaf.  With a hand-held blender, puree until smooth.  Slowly add the cream.  Stir to blend.  Reseason the soup.

In a small saute pan, over medium heat, render the ham until crispy.  Remove and drain on paper towels.  Set aside.  Toss the cornbread with olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Place on a baking sheet and toast until golden brown, about 6-8 minutes.  To serve, ladle the soup into individual bowls.  Garish the soup with the crispy ham and croutons.

Yield:  8 servings

Squash-Blossom Focaccia

Oh my, this was so surprisingly good!!  Way easier (and healthier!) than Stuffed Squash Blossoms.  It just makes me smile to think that those lovely blossoms can be so delightfully delicious....

Source:  Country Living Magazine, June 2013

2 T. olive oil, plus 2 T. for pan

1 pound store-bought pizza dough, at room temperature

1/2 c. fresh ricotta

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 oz.)

1 t. salt

1 t. freshly ground black pepper

8 squash blossoms

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Meanwhile, grease a 9x13" baking pan with 2 T. oil.  Place dough in pan; press it with fingers to dimple, and then stretch it to the corners of the pan.  If dough springs back, let it rest 10 minutes and stretch again.  Bake for 8 min.

Transfer pan to a wire rack to cook for 5 min.  Spread ricotta atop bread; then sprinkle on half of Parmesan, plus salt and pepper.  Arrange squash blossoms atop cheeses, as shown.  Sprinkle on remaining Parmesan.  Bake until bread is golden, 10 min.  Remove from oven and drizzle with remaining oil before serving.

Note - Instead of prepping the dough like focaccia, I simply turned it into a pizza.

Yield:  6 slices

Grilled Ratatouille Muffaletta

I've been wanting to try this recipe, but it needed an event!  This evening's outdoor Harrisburg Symphony concert on the lawn of Lebanon Valley College was the perfect occasion.  It was so much fun sharing food with friends outdoors on a lovely summer evening.

Source:  Everyday Food magazine, July/August 2013

 1 medium eggplant, sliced into 1/2" rounds
coarse sea salt
1/2 c. pitted mixed olives, such as Kalamata and Cerignola
2 pepperoncini, stemmed
1/2 c. fresh parsley
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. olive oil, plus more for grilling
4 small tomatoes (1 pound), sliced into 1/2" rounds
1 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise 1/4-inch-thick
1 jar (12 oz.) roasted red peppers, patted dry
1 (8-inch) round rustic bread, split horizontally and hollowed out

In a colander, toss eggplant with 3/4 t. salt.  Let stand 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse olives, pepperoncini, and parsley until very finely chopped.  Transfer to a small bowl and stir in mayonnaise.

Heat a grill or grill pan to medium.  Clean and lightly oil hot grill.  Toss eggplant, tomatoes, and zucchini with oil and season with salt.  Grill, turning frequently, until tender and slightly charred, about 5 minutes for tomatoes and about 7 minutes each for eggplant and zucchini.

Spread bread with olive mixture.  Assemble sandwich with peppers, eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes.  Serve immediately or wrap in plastic and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.
Slice with a good serrated knife to ensure clean slices.

Yield:  Serves 6

Looking back, I should have waited until next month when the tomatoes, eggplant, pepperoncini, and peppers were ready in my garden vs. buying all the ingredients at the farmers' market.  I'll keep that in mind for next year!

Also, I couldn't find the perfect loaf of artisan bread at market, so I tried making my own, but it didn't have a rustic enough texture to support the filling - the sandwiches ended up being soggy and droopy (even though the flavor was good!).  :(    I'll try again!

Herbed Squash with Yogurt Dressing

My yellow squash plants were quite prolific this year - just an unbelievable amount of cute little squash from two plants!  It gave me all kinds of opportunities to try a variety of summer squash recipes.

So, I made this salad for a potluck at my old neighbor's new home.  I knew it was an iffy recipe to try at that type of event (especially with mint leaves as one of the ingredients!), but as usual, I was determined to use produce from the garden vs. buying ingredients at the grocery store.  Surprisingly enough, the gang liked it; several people even asked for the recipe, so I was tickled!

Source:  Everyday Food magazine, July/August 2011

2 medium yellow squash, cut into 1/4-inch half moons

1/4 medium red onion, thinly sliced

1 T. olive oil

2 t. fresh lemon juice

1/3 c. nonfat plain Greek yogurt

2 t. fresh parsley, chopped

2 t. fresh mint leaves, chopped

coarse salt and ground pepper

Combine all ingredients and serve.

Serves 4

Garlic Scape Pesto and Mushroom Pizza

Yummo!

Source:  MyKitchenAddiction.com

Dough for one large 15-inch pizza

1 c. garlic scape pesto

4 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 oz. Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated

4 oz. sliced portobello mushrooms

Italian seasoning or fresh herbs

Place a pizza stone on the middle rack of the oven and preheat to 475 degrees.

On a large piece of parchment paper, spread the pizza dough out to be as thick or thin as you like.  Spread the pesto on top of the dough.  Then, top with the cheeses, and arrange mushrooms on top of the pizza.  Sprinkle seasoning or herbs on top of the pizza.

Use a pizza peel to transfer the pizza (still on the parchment paper) to the preheated pizza stone.  Bake for 12-15 min., or until the pizza crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly.

Garlic Scape and Almond Pesto

Oh my word, if you love garlic as much as I do, you will think you are in heaven with this Garlic Scape Pesto!!  It's fabulous on pasta.  

If you're used to the texture of traditional basil or parsley pesto, just be prepared that the garlic scapes have a more substantial texture (not sure if that's the best way to describe it - as soon as you taste it, you'll understand what I'm trying to explain).  Once you get over that unexpected difference, you'll be in garlic heaven....  

Be sure to take advantage of the short scape season and stock your freezer with plenty of this pesto for future dining (if you can wait that long, unlike me!!).

Source:  Dorie Greenspan.com

10 garlic scapes, finely chopped

1/3 to 1/2 c. finely grated Parmesan (to taste and texture)

1/3 c. slivered almonds (toasted lightly, if you prefer)

1/2 c. olive oil

sea salt

Put the scapes, 1/3 c. cheese, almonds and half the olive oil in the bowl of a food processor (or use a blender or a mortar and pestle).  Whir to chop and blend all the ingredients and then add the remainder of the oil and, if you want, more cheese.  If you like the texture, stop; if you'd like it a little thinner, add some more oil.  Season with salt.

If you're not going to use the pesto immediately, press a piece of plastic against the surface to keep it from oxidizing.  The pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for several days or packed airtight and frozen for several months, by which time tomatoes should be at their juiciest.

Yield:  1 cup

Baked Spaghetti Squash

Oooh, this was good!!  I found this recipe in my "Spaghetti Squash" file after I had used up my last spaghetti squash of the season, so I broke down and bought another one at the grocery store so I didn't have to wait  until next fall to try this recipe.  There were no local spaghetti squash left at Root's, so I had to settle for an imported one from Mexico.  (Maybe my guilt caused me to forget to include it in the picture above!)  But, I'm so glad I made it, and I'll be sure to prepare this dish next fall when winter squash and red peppers are available in my garden.  (I tried freezing several portions, so I'm thinking I can make it when the produce is available in the fall, then enjoy it over the winter.)  I was very happy to be able to use some Italian sausage I purchased at Rooster St Provisions in Etown (what a fabulous shop!!), along with some local Raw Monterey Jack Cheese made from 100% grassfed cows that I found at the Country Store. Yum!  And, I had just enough fresh (or should I say frozen!) Italian parsley remaining in the garden to sprinkle on top.  :)

Source:  adapted from Better Homes & Gardens magazine, Sept. 2006.

(Thanks, Julia H. for passing this recipe on to me!)

1 medium spaghetti squash (2 1/4 lbs.)

12 oz. bulk Italian sausage

1 1/2 c. sliced fresh mushrooms

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped

1/3 c. finely chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 t. dried Italian seasoning, crushed

1/8 t.black pepper

1 1/2 c. red pasta sauce

1 1/2 c. shredded Monterey Jack, mozzarella, or Italian blend cheese

1/4 c. snipped fresh Italian parsley

Halve squash crosswise; remove seeds.  (Be sure to save seeds for toasting at another time!)  Oil rims of squash with olive oil.  Place cut sides down on a rimmed cookie sheet.  Roast squash at 450 degrees for 25-30 minutes until just tender (when the tip of a paring knife can be slipped into the flesh with slight resistance).

While squash is roasting, in a large skillet, cook sausage, mushrooms, pepper, onion and garlic over medium heat until sausage is no longer pink; stir to break up sausage.  Drain off fat.

After removing squash from oven, turn heat down to 350 degrees.

Scrape pulp from squash (about 3 cups).  Oil a 2-quart rectangular baking dish.  Spread half the squash in dish.  Add half the sausage mixture.  Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and black pepper.  Top with half the sauce and half the cheese.  Top with remaining squash, sausage and sauce.

Bake for 30 minutes.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Let stand for 10 minutes.  Sprinkle with fresh parsley.

Serves 6

Luxurious Mashed Potatoes

I had seen this Everyday Foods video on how to make these mashed potatoes just before Thanksgiving, but didn't get around to trying them until now.  Oh my, after making mashed potatoes with their method (using a ricer and Yukon Gold potatoes), I will NEVER go back to making mashed potatoes using any other method or with any other variety of potatoes.  "Luxurious" doesn't even begin to describe these.  Divine....  Comforting....  Too amazing for words....   I won't even admit how many days in a row I've made these!  Using raw cream and high quality butter takes them to yet another level....

Source:  Everyday Food magazine, November 2009

2 lbs. Yukon God potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces

coarse sea salt and ground pepper

1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut in pieces, at room temp

1 - 1 1/2 c. heavy cream, warmed

In a large pot, cover potatoes by 2" with salted water.  Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender (mushy, but not water logged), about 12 min.  Drain thoroughly; put back into pot to dry a bit.  Pass potatoes through a potato ricer into pot.

Over low heat, add butter and stir until melted.  Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until potatoes are stiff, about 1 min.  Gradually add cream, stirring constantly to combine.  If you wish, you may pass the potatoes through a fine-mesh sieve, using a rubber spatula, for a finer consistency.  (I don't bother.)  Season with salt and pepper.

Serves 6

Maple-Thyme Roasted Carrots

Source:  marthastewart.com

2 T. olive oil

2 T. maple syrup

3 springs fresh thyme, leaves removed from stems

1/2 t. sea salt

1 lb. carrots, peeled and cut in oblique shape

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Mix olive oil, maple syrup, thyme and salt together in a small bowl, then toss the carrots in the mixture.  Place carrots on a small baking sheet and roast in oven for 20 min.

Sweet Potato, Sausage & Greens Soup

Yum, yum, yum!  I decided to try this recipe because I had an abundance of kale and sweet potatoes from the garden, but I never dreamed it would be so delicious.  I'm sure the Italian sausage I bought at Rooster St. Provisions was part of the secret to the fabulous flavor combo.  Yum!

Source:  marthastewart.com

1 T. olive oil

1 large yellow onion, diced large

2 cloves garlic, minced

Sea salt & pepper

3/4 lb. sweet Italian sausage, casings removed

1 lb. sweet potatoes, unpeeled and diced medium

4 c. chicken broth

2 c. water

3/4 c. small pasta shells

4 c. packed roughly chopped mixed greens, such as kale and Swiss chard

Grated Parmesan. for serving

In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high.  Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is translucent, about 6 minutes; season with sea salt and pepper.  Add sausage and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes.

Add sweet potatoes, broth and water and bring to a boil.  Add pasta and cook 3 minutes less than package instructions.  Reduce to a simmer, add greens, and cook until pasta is tender and greens are wilted, 4 minutes.  Serve with Parmesan.

Serves 6.

Sausages with Acorn Squash and Onions

Source:  Everyday Food magazine, December 2012

1 large acorn squash, halved, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch slices

1 red onion, cut into 1/4-inch wedges

3 T. olive oil

sea salt and pepper

4 hot or sweet Italian sausages (3/4 lb. total)

1/2 c. grated aged Asiago cheese (2 oz.)

1 T. chopped fresh sage leaves

1/4 c. dried cherries, chopped

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.  On a rimmed baking sheet, toss squash and onion with oil and arrange in an even layer; season with salt and pepper.  Add sausages to sheet.  Roast until vegetables are just tender, 15-18 minutes.  Heat broiler.  Sprinkle Asiago and sage over vegetables and broil until cheese is browned and bubbling and sausages are cooked through, 3 minutes.  Sprinkle with cherries to serve.

Fresh Apple Pie

There's nothing like a classic Apple Pie, especially when paired with a flaky pie crust made with lard!

Source:  Betty Crocker's Cookbook. 1983 edition

8-inch

Pastry for 8" two-crust pie

1/2 c. sugar

3 T. flour

1/4 t. ground nutmeg

1/4 t. ground cinnamon

dash of salt

5 c. thinly sliced pared tart apples (about 5 medium)

1 T. butter

9-inch

Pastry for 9" two-crust pie

3/4 c. sugar

1/4 c. flour

1/2 t. ground nutmeg

1/2 t. ground cinnamon

dash of salt

6 c. thinly sliced pared tart apples (about 6 medium)

2 T. butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Prepare pastry.  Mix sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt.  Stir in apples.  Turn into pastry-lined pie plate; dot with butter.  Cover with top crust that has slits cut in it; seal and flute.  Cover edge with 3" strip of aluminum foil; remove foil during last 15 minutes of baking.  Bake until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust, 40-50 minutes.

Libby's Famous Pumpkin Pie

There's nothing like this classic pumpkin pie recipe from the back of the Libby's pumpkin can.  And, when you substitute organic grass-fed cream for the evaporated milk, and use lard in your pie crust, this is about as good as it gets!!

Source:  Libby's Pumpkin can

1 9" unbaked deep dish pie crust

3/4 c. white sugar

1 t. ground cinnamon

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. ground ginger

1/4 t. ground cloves

2 eggs

1 15 oz. can pumpkin

1 12 oz. can evaporated milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in a small bowl.  Beat eggs lightly in large bowl.  Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture.  Gradually stir in evaporated milk.  Pour into pie shell.

Bake for 15 min.  Reduce temperature to 350 degrees; bake for 40-50 min., or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.  Cool on wire rack for 2 hours.  Serve immediately or refrigerate.  (Do not freeze as this will cause the crust to separate from the filling.