Summer Squash Casserole

Summer Squash Casserole
(serves 4-6)

  • 2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch slices (about 3 cups) (green or yellow squash)
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 3/4 tsp. basil
  • 3/4 tsp. oregano
  • 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
  • 2 medium tomatoes, cut into slices
  • 1 large onion, sliced thin
  • 1 cup shredded cheese (your choice)

Heat oven to 400F. Mix seasonings in small bowl or measuring cup. Arrange zucchini in a 2-2/12 quart casserole; sprinkle with 1/3 of seasonings Add tomato slices and more seasonings. Top with onion slices and remaining seasonings. Cover and bake 30 minutes. Uncover, add cheese and bake 10 minutes longer.

To prepare in the microwave, cook on high for 4 minutes, rotate casserole half turn then cook for 4 more minutes. Add cheese and microwave until melted.

(from Brenda Dobson)

Cucumber Dill Dip

Cucumber Dill Dip

(makes 3 cups)

  • 2 cups well-drained shredded peeled cucumber
  • 1/2 cup Miracle Whip Light dressing (or your favorite product)
  • 1/2 cup light sour cream or plain yogurt
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
  • 1/2 tsp. dill weed
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
  • Scant 1/4 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Serve with assorted cut up veggies or your favorite crackers.

(From Brenda Dobson)

Renee’s Salsa

Renee’s Salsa
Whenever I eat supper at my sister’s, she has some of these on the table with tortilla chips… and it always gets devoured!

  • peppers – bell, sweet, hot balanced to your liking (or what you have available)
  • 1 small/medium cucumber
  • tomatoes – cherry, regular or whatever you like
  • garlic – we like to add quite a bit
  • 1 tiny/small onion – we prefer red, but any will do

Optional ingredients:

  • corn
  • zucchini
  • lemon juice – my mom adds this, might help to keep it longer, but we usually eat it so fast I don’t bother
  • anything else you want to toss in there

Chop all. Toss together. Stir in pepper and salt as desired.
I use pampered chef chopper, so it leave the salsa a little chunky. You could use food processor, too.

Zucchini Fritters

Zucchini Fritters

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 pounds zucchini, grated
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup crumbled feta
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill

Directions:

  1. Put the grated zucchini in a colander or strainer over the sink, and add the teaspoon of salt and gently mix. After letting the zucchini sit for 10 minutes, drain the zucchini with a cloth or paper towels.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the zucchini, flour, feta, dill, garlic, and egg. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is warm, scoop a tablespoon of batter for each fritter into the oil. Flatten the scoops a bit with a spatula and cook until the underside is golden-brown – about 2 minutes – and then flip the fritter and let it cook until the other side is golden-brown (about 1-2 minutes).
  4. Serve with sour cream, yogurt, another sauce, or simply plain.

Basil Pesto

Basil pesto

  • 2 cups chopped fresh basil
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup pine nuts or walnuts
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder (optional)

Place the basil in a blender. Pour in about 1 tablespoon of the oil, and blend basil into a paste. Gradually add nuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and remaining oil. Continue to blend until smooth.

Have a picture of this one? Send it to Tony and he’ll post it!

Potato Fritters

Ingredients:
2 lbs potatoes
3 onions
2 shallots
Parsley
4-6 eggs
2 tablespoons flour
Salt
Pepper
Oil for frying

Preparation:Wash, peel and coarsely grate the potatoes. Put them in a cloth and press them. Chop the parsley, shallots, and onions, and mix them in. Add the beaten eggs. Salt and pepper to taste. Prepare with the flour. Heat the oil in a pan until very hot. Form flat cakes out of the potato mixture and fry them in the oil until golden brown on both sides. Special tip: eat them with applesauce!

Carrot Ginger Soup

This carrot ginger soup was tasty, though the texture did not appeal to everyone. The blended carrots had a very fibery texture. We will have to do some experimenting to see if it’s possible to get a smoother texture – maybe it’s because these carrots were frozen? Maybe they were not cooked through enough when I blended them? Either way, I liked the soup and found this to be a great use of carrots from last season… yet there is always room for improvement!

8 tablespoons · Butter
1 · Onion — peeled and chopped
2 · Garlic cloves
2 tablespoon · Chopped ginger
1 teaspoon · Mustard seed
1 teaspoon · Ground cumin
1 teaspoon · Cinnamon
1 teaspoon · black pepper
20-30 · Carrots (I used frozen)
4 cups · Water
2 cups · Yogurt
4 tablespoons · Honey

I melted the butter in a large frying pan and sauted the onions and garlic. Then I add the spices and cooked several minutes while stirring frequently. In between stirs, I sliced the carrots into discs. Then I added the carrots to the pan and cooked a few minutes longer. Then I added 2 cups water, covered tightly and let simmer for 30 minutes.

 

carrots

 

I scooped the mix into the blender (I did three batches), pureed the cooked carrots and mixed in some of the remaining water to make it puree better. Then I poured the mix out of the blender into a crockpot and whisked in the yogurt and honey. I let the soup heat up for another 30 minutes, being careful not to let it boil (since I’d added the yoghurt).

 

carrot soup

Slow-Roasted Carrots With Brown-Butter Vinaigrette

From the NY Times, Slow-Roasted Carrots With Brown-Butter Vinaigrette

I’m planning on doing some modification on this when I have fresh carrots to work with – cardamom pods are not currently in my bag of tricks, so perhaps I can find a nice sub for them?

Either way, thoughts of these carrots have my mouth watering!

roastedcarrots