Vegetables
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Recipes are every where, and so many of them. I wanted to add this page because many recipes are complicated and require many ingredients, many of which you don't have in the house. All these recipes are tried and loved by many regular eaters.
SUMMER SQUASH CASSEROLE
My sister raved about this casserole and if not for her glowing report I probably wouldn't have made it. Am I ever glad she convinced me to try it! It is wonderful.
1 lb. (6c.) yellow summer squash, sliced
1 can cream of chicken or celery soup
1/4- cup chopped onion
1-cup sour cream
1-cup carrots, shredded
8 oz. herb stuffing mix
1/2-cup butter, melted
Cook squash in boiling salted water for 5 minutes. Drain. Mix soup and sour cream. Stir in shredded carrots. Add squash and onion. Combine stuffing and butter in separate bowl. Spread half of stuffing mix in a 9-inch square pan. Spoon on vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with remaining stuffing. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Be sure it is heated through.
ROASTED TOMATO SAUCE
Wash tomatoes and cut out stems and any bad spots. Pulse in food processor. (If fussy about seeds you can strain them out, I don't.)
Pour into baking sheet (with sides) and sprinkle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt and brown sugar. Bake at 375 for 15 to 25 minutes, reduce to 350 and continue baking until most of the water is evaporated. Watch carefully so the edges don't burn. Open door often to let moisture escape. Bake for an hour or two depending quantity and your oven. It is finished when the tomatoes are deep in color and water is mostly gone but don't burn.
You can add roasted peppers to the food processor for added flavor if you prefer.
Freeze sauce in quart size zipper bags. Lay on their sides stacked on top of each other to save freezer space.
I also let some of the sauce bake a little longer for pizza sauce. I put this into smaller zipper bags and label "pizza sauce". Add herbs when making the pizza.
Oh My! It tastes good as is but to make spaghetti sauce you can add garlic, onions, green pepper, herbs, browned meat or sausage, mushrooms, etc. If too thick add more tomatoes when making into sauce.
DRYING TOMATOES
Select meaty (not juicy) tomatoes. Juliets are perfect for drying.
'Steam blanch' for 3 minutes- leave them whole. (Use a steamer; don't put them directly into boiling water.) (If you can't steam them you can skip this step.)
Slice in half lengthwise and lay out on baking sheet, cut side up. I fill up a whole baking sheet with them.
Although some states are hot enough to dry tomatoes in the sun, Michigan's weather is seldom appropriate. Here in Michigan we don't have the intense sun needed for the process but an oven will give the same results; if you have a convection oven, all the better. A dehydrator works great too.
Bake in oven at 200 degrees.
The baking process will take many hours.
Check on them after several hours; if you haven't seen them in the store, you want them to be dried like a dried apricot. I start pulling off the edge tomatoes after a few hours as they dry quicker.
Store in snack size zip-lock bags in refrigerator for a couple weeks and in the freezer for longer periods.
Here is a collection of SUMMER SQUASH recipes from members that have been a big hit in past years.
SKILLET FRIED SUMMER SQUASH
Our favorite way to eat summer squash is slice thin discs, toss into bag of flour, sauté in coconut oil and olive oil until golden. Don't overwork and turn too much, you want the squash to lightly brown in pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mrs. Dash makes a mix with tomato, basil and garlic that is very nice to sprinkle on before serving.
MAGDA SQUASH
One of the CSA member's favorite summer squashes is Magda. They are light green and pear shaped. Magda squash are known for being great for stuffing. They are also good for anything you would use any other summer squash for; frying, stir-fries, grating for zucchini bread, salads, etc. Several people have asked me to send out a recipe for stuffing them. The following is something I got from a friend who cooks many Middle Eastern foods and stuffing magda squash is common. It is also called Kousa.
STUFFED MAGDA SQUASH
Brown ground meat with chopped onions.
Cook rice just until starting to get tender
Mix cooked meat and rice together along with butter and cinnamon and allspice.
Slice squash lengthwise and scoop out seeds to make a hollow area to hold mixture. Put mixture into cavity, cover and cook in oven until tender.
To Americanize you could add some tomatoes or ketchup to the mix and put some cheese on top. Both those suggestions are not traditional Middle Eastern but we like it.
ZUCCHINI CRUSTED PIZZA--A normal pizza on top and a beautiful egg and cheese crust with flecks of green.
We enjoy this version of pizza each summer. Easy to make and yummy too.
3 ½ cups grated zucchini
Salt the zucchini lightly and let it sit for 15 minutes; squeeze out all excess moisture.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (use convection if available to help dry out crust)
Combine the following and then mix with grated zucchini
3 eggs
2/3 cup flour
½ cup grated Mozzarella
½ cup grated parmesan (optional)
Handful of chopped fresh basil leaves or 1 tsp of dried
Salt and pepper
Spread on oiled 9x13 baking pan or pizza stone. (stoneware is great for this)
Bake for 20-25 minutes until surface is dry and firm. Brush top with oil and broil under moderate heat for 5 minutes. (I leave the crust in warm but turned off oven a while to help dry the crust further.
Add pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese and favorite toppings. Bake for 25 minutes more.
Serve with a tossed salad
Most common use for surplus zucchini in baking is ZUCCHINI BREAD. You can find bread recipes in a internet search. Hint: use more spices than most bread recipes call for, your bread will taste better.
ZUCCHINI PANCAKES
We have been eating zucchini pancakes for years and I have finally got the recipe tweaked to what I feel is worthy of sharing. These are not traditional pancakes, they are comprised mostly of grated zucchini; they are green and moist. Don't hurry the cooking time; cook slow to remove extra moisture. We eat them with butter and maple syrup. For a real treat serve with sausage and maple syrup!
The night before grate the zucchini, leave in small colander over a bowl in the fridge so extra water can drain.
2 eggs, whisked
Add:
½ cup flour
½ tps. Sea salt
1 T. sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ to 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Finally add:
2 cups of grated zucchini
Heat pans (two pans work best and if you have cast iron they are best) with coconut oil. Drop by serving spoon size dollops, about 3 to 4 inches across. Turn several times to prevent scorching while cooking. Cook real slow and much longer than typical pancakes.
ONION SOUP
6 T. butter
5 to 7 cups thinly sliced onion
2 to 4 garlic cloves, minced or use garlic press
½ t. dry mustard powder
Thyme, a dash of dry or 1 T. fresh
1 qt. stock (water can be used but stock preferred)
1 to 2 T. tamari sauce
3 T. white cooking wine
Salt and pepper to taste
1t. honey (optional)
Croutons or dry crusty bread
Grated cheese
Heat butter in large pot, add onions and garlic. Cook over medium heat until brown and tender.
Stir in mustard and thyme, then add remaining ingredients except croutons and cheese.
Cover and cook slowly, at least 30 minutes
Top with croutons and cheese, melt cheese if necessary.
Diane's notes
When the ingredients give a choice of amounts, I used the greater amount, those were my changes.
I used beef stock I had frozen, followed recipe from Nourishing Traditions. Organic stock can often be found in grocery stores.
I also added some organic beef base flavoring, like beef bouillon, to get that restaurant quality flavor.
GRILLED MARINATED VEGETABLE SALAD
4 T. olive oil
3 T. honey
2 T. balsamic vinegar
1 t. sea salt
½ t. pepper
6 summer squash of different types (yellow, magda, patty pan, zucchini)
6 bell or sweet peppers
1 lb. Fresh green beans
Stir together 1 T. oil, honey, and next 3 ingredients until blended. Slice squash and cut peppers into 1-inch pieces. Prepare green beans for eating size.
Toss squash and pepper with 2 T. oil. Toss green beans with 1 T. oil. Grill squash, beans and pepper in grill wok. Using medium heat, cover with grill lid and stir occasionally for 5 to 7 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Toss vegetables with honey mixture, cover and chill 8 hours.
PICKLED BEETS
These beets are some of the best tasting pickled beets and so easy.
Fresh beets will need to be boiled until you can pierce with a fork, plunge into ice water to remove the skins, and slice or cube the beets into desired size. Place cut beets into two clean quart jars.
In a sauce pan bring to boil:
1 cup water or beet juice
1 cup sugar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
Optional: cinnamon sticks or cinnamon; add to jars before pouring in hot liquid.
Add hot liquid to quart jars filled with cut beets; will be pickled in 24 hours.
Keep refrigerated.
To store without refrigeration, water-bath according to USDA recommendations.
TERIYAKI BEETS
4 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon tamari
1 Tablespoon fresh minced or grated ginger (sometimes I leave this out and it is fine)
Boil or steam beets until tender. Rinse in cold water to pop off the skins. Cut into slices or cubes. Combine butter, honey, ginger, and tamari sauce in small saucepan. Heat until butter and honey are melted. Add cooked prepared beets.
TOMATILLOS
One of the member's most favorite recipes for tomatillo and squash is "Tomatillo Squash Bisque";
it sounds strange but if you tried it just once you would be won over too.
You can find 23 other recipes using tomatillos by going to: www.recipesource.com and search for tomatillo.
TOMATILLO SQUASH BISQUE
2 T. Olive oil
2 T. Butter
2 Garlic cloves -- fine chopped
2 Onions, medium or one large- coarsely chopped
6 Summer squash, medium- coarsely grated
1 Anaheim chile- roasted peeled, seeded & chopped
1 Jalapeno chile- seeded and chopped
6 Tomatillos -- chopped
6 cups Chicken broth
5 Corn tortillas
1 1/2 T. Fresh lime juice
1/3 cup chopped cilantro leaves
Salt and pepper
-----OPTIONAL GARNISHES-----
Sour cream
Tortilla chips -- crumbled
Cilantro leaves, chopped tomatoes
In a large saucepan, heat oil and butter. Add garlic and onions; sauté until softened. Add squash, chilies and tomatillos, stirring until coated and heated through.
Add chicken broth; bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until squash is tender. Tear or shred tortillas into pieces and add to soup mixture. Stir in lime juice and cilantro leaves.
In a blender or food processor, blend soup in batches until pureed and smooth. Return to saucepan and heat through. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve hot accompanied with a dollop of sour cream and a few crumbled tortilla chips and cilantro leaves. Can also garnish with chopped tomatoes.
This is a thick soup; if you prefer it thinner, add more chicken broth.
From 1993 "Shepherd's Garden Seeds Catalog"
MEXICAN TOPPING
This made our tortillas fabulous. I am glad I took the extra time to make this instead of just chopping the veggies and using them fresh. You could add this to all kinds of Mexican dishes.
Chopped onions
Chopped green peppers
Chopped hot peppers
Chopped tomatillos
Cumin
Sea Salt
Sauté onions and peppers. Add tomatillos, cumin, salt and heat thoroughly.
TOMATILLO SALSA
When I serve this salsa most people go nuts over it! I have been told that I should sell this salsa; hope you like it too.
1 Tbsp. Oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups fresh tomatillos, chopped well
Hot peppers, at least 2, more if you want more heat
2 tsp. Chicken Soup Base
2 Tbsp. Lime juice
1 tsp. Oregano
1 tsp. Sugar
½ tsp. Ground cumin
salt (to taste)
Heat oil in saucepan, sauté onion and garlic until softened but not brown. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, turn down heat, simmer gently for 20 minutes.
BRAISED CABBAGE, WORLD'S BEST BY MOLLY STEVENS
1 Medium head green cabbage (about 2 pounds)
1 large yellow onion (about 8 ounces)
1 large carrot, cut into 1/4 inch rounds
1/4 cup chicken stock, homemade or store-bought, or water
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
coarse sea salt
1-Heat the oven to 325. Lightly oil a large gratin dish or a baking dish (9 by 13 inch works well).
2-Trimming the cabbage: Peel off and discard any bruised or ragged outer leaves from the cabbage. The cabbage should weigh close to 2 pounds (if you don't have a kitchen scale, consult the grocery store receipt). If the cabbage weighs more than 2 pounds, it won't fit in the baking dish and won't braise as
beautifully. To remedy this, cut away a wedge of the cabbage to trim it down to size. Save the leftover wedge for salad or coleslaw. Then cut the cabbage into 8 wedges. Arrange the wedges in the baking dish, they may overlap some, but do your best to make a single layer.
3-The Braise: Scatter in the onion and carrot. Drizzle over the oil and stock or water. Season with salt, pepper, and the pepper flakes. Cover tightly with foil, and slide into the middle of the oven to braise until the vegetables are completely tender, about 2 hours. Turn the cabbage wedges with tongs after
an hour. Don't worry if the wedges want to fall apart as you turn them: just do your best to keep them intact. If the dish is drying out at all, add a few tablespoons of water.
4-The finish: Once the cabbage is completely tender, remove the foil, increase the oven heat to 400, and roast until the vegetables begin to brown, another 15 minutes or so. Serve warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with fleur de sel or other coarse salt.
Variation: Braised green cabbage with Balsamic vinegar
I sometimes add a splash of balsamic vinegar to the cabbage to enhance its sweetness. In step 4, after you remove the foil, sprinkle on 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic and turn the cabbage with tongs to distribute the vinegar, then roast for another 15 minutes, uncovered as directed.
HOT AND SOUR GREENS
1 bunch greens (Asian greens, chard, kale, turnip, bok choy, or other greens)
2 tsp. coconut oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
dash of red pepper flakes
¼ tsp. dry mustard
2 Tbs. rice vinegar
1 tsp. tamari sauce
1 tsp. brown sugar
Rinse and slice greens in ½ inch shreds.
Heat oil; stir-fry garlic and pepper flakes 1 minute.
Add greens and mustard powder. Stir to coat greens with garlic and oil.
Combine rice vinegar, tamari sauce, and sugar. Add to skillet.
Cook, covered, over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
GARLIC SCAPES OR WHISTLES
Garlic scapes or whistles are the flower stalk and flower bud of garlic. They are one of our most seasonal products, available only once in early summer. Use in stir-fries or treat garlic buds like asparagus, steaming whole in salted water until tender (pierce with a knife to test doneness). Then eat the
entire stalk, dressed with a touch of butter, tamari, or salt if you wish. Another great idea is garlic mashed potatoes: mince the stalks of garlic buds and boil with 2 lbs of butterball potatoes (cut in large chunks). When potatoes are cooked, mash everything together, adding the usual complement of milk,
butter, salt, and pepper. Garlic scapes are much more mild-flavored than garlic bulbs, imparting a hint of garlic to your meal
MARJIE'S KOHLRABI PANCAKES (Similar to potato pancakes)
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3 cups shredded kohlrabi |
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1 small onion shredded |
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1 clove garlic |
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2 eggs |
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1 - 2 tbsp gluten free flour (tapioca, potato, bean, or arrowroot) |
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Sea salt to taste |
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Oil for pan frying (ghee, butter, palm oil, coconut oil, or olive oil)* |
*Because of the low heat tolerance of olive oil, it is recommended to blend this with one of the other recommended oils when olive oil is used to protect it from heat damage. Use a 50/50 ratio.
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Blend kohlrabi, onion, garlic, and eggs in a glass bowl.
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Add enough flour to soak up the egg.
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Add sea salt to taste. A touch of turmeric, curry, or cumin may be added for flavor, but is optional.
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Add enough oil to pan to cover the bottom of pan. (Additional oil may be added)
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Spoon ¼ cup of mixture to pan for each pancake. Using a spoon or spatula flatten out and shape to about a 4 inch diameter circle.
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Cook pancakes about 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
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Place on a paper towel and keep warm while cooking remaining pancakes.
NAPA CABBAGE SALAD
1 head of Napa Cabbage
2 packages of Ramen noodles-oriental flavor (you might be able to find an organic alternative)
¼ cup sesame seeds
¾ cup slivered almonds
½ stick butter
Tear and chop one head of Nappa cabbage in large bowl.
Melt butter in skillet using medium hear, toss in sesame seeds, almonds, and crushed Ramen Noodles only, lightly toast. Save the oriental flavor packet for dressing.
Dressing
Place in quart jar, shake well and refrigerate
1-cup organic sugar
¾ cup apple cider vinegar
¾ cup olive oil
1 T. tamari sauce (can replace with soy sauce if necessary)
½ t. sea salt
¼ t. pepper
1 Ramen noodle seasoning packet; use just one packet
Toss in cooled nut mixture and add dressing to taste.
POPPYSEED CHICKEN NAPA SALAD
Cleaned and chopped Chinese or Napa Cabbage. Be sure to use crunchy stalks along with leaves
4 medium carrots, shredded
1 8oz.can pineapple tidbits, drained
Chicken, cooked and chopped-optional
Organic raw cheese* (garden blend or use favorite flavor)-sliced or cubed into pieces
Poppyseed dressing (healthy recipe below or buy ready-made)
Cashews*
Combine all ingredients except cashews, toss
Top with cashews when served
POPPYSEED DRESSING for salad above
½ cup organic mayonnaise
2 Tbs. Organic vinegar
1/3 cup raw honey, slightly melted to assist incorporating
¼ cup raw milk
2 Tbs. poppy seeds
Mix thoroughly in glass jar, store in refrigerator
This recipe can be made without chicken
Be sure to consult Asparagus to Zucchini cookbook for more vegetable recipes
EASY EGGPLANT PARMESAN
Eggplant cut into ½ inch slices
Sea salt
Italian seasoning (or basil and oregano)
Spaghetti sauce
Monterey Jack cheese, grated or sliced
Grated Parmesan
Preheat over to 350 degrees. Place eggplant slices in baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and seasonings or herbs. Top with sauce. Place MJ cheese on eggplant and sprinkle with Parmesan. Cover and bake for 10 minutes. Uncover and bake until eggplant is tender and cheese is bubbly, about 20 minutes.
EGGPLANT/ZUCCHINI PARMESAN
Preheat oven at 350 degrees
3 to 4 eggplant (depending on how much you want to make) sliced about 1/4 to 1/2"
3 to 4 Zucchini (sliced lengthwise about 1/4 to 1/2"
2 eggs
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese
Marinara Sauce
Mozzarella Cheese
If your eggplant is long and thin I recommend that you slice the eggplant on the diagonal to make larger pieces. Lightly sauté the eggplant on both sides. Same with the zucchini.
In a bowl beat 2 eggs and then add the parmesan cheese to the egg mixture.
Cover bottom of 9X13" pan with marinara sauce. Place one single layer of eggplant. Brush the tops of eggplant with egg mixture. Another thin layer of sauce and light dusting of mozzarella cheese.
Next layer the zucchini and brush the tops with the egg mixture. Another thin layer of sauce and light dusting of mozzarella cheese.
Repeat using eggplant as above and then zucchini making as many layers as you would like. Two of each is probably sufficient but again that is a personal choice. The very last layer should be sauce with a little mozzarella cheese.
Bake covered for about 35/40 minutes and uncovered for about 10 minutes.
Again..........the time depends on how many layers you make.
P.S. you do not want to overcook the zucchini - it should be al dente when you serve it.
EGGPLANT AND POLENTA
2 or more eggplants (depending on how much you want to make)
1 tube of organic polenta Sliced about 1/2" to 3/4" thick.
1 Jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce or homemade roasted tomato sauce
1 or 2 Roasted Red Peppers
Sliced Provolone Cheese
Slice eggplant about 1/2" thick season with salt, pepper and garlic powder and grill on both sides. Very lightly oil a skillet or grill pan with oil and heat. Grill eggplant slices. Wipe a 9X13 pan with olive oil (very lightly as eggplant absorbs quickly). First put a light layer of spaghetti sauce, then a layer of eggplant, then a layer of sliced polenta, another light layer of spaghetti sauce, a layer of roasted red peppers, and top with provolone cheese. Finish with a light layer of spaghetti sauce.
Use several layers of eggplant and roasted red peppers and only one layer of polenta and I guess depending on how much cheese you like one or more layers of provolone.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes (lightly covered) until heated through and uncover for about 10 minutes to brown cheese on top.
CHICKEN WITH SUMMER SQUASH AND 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
4 chicken breast halves (4 ounces each) boneless, skinless
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 cups ½-inch cubed yellow squash
1 ½ cups ½-inch cubed zucchini
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
½ teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
4 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons honey mustard
In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken breast halves with salt and
pepper. Add the chicken to the skillet. Cook 4 minutes on each side; remove from the skillet and keep warm.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the cubed squash and zucchini to the skillet and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Return the chicken to the pan.
In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, chives, lemon rind, lemon juice, cornstarch and honey mustard. Pour the broth mixture over the chicken and vegetables in the skillet. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook 3 minutes until the sauce is thickened and clear.
Serve over rice or couscous.
FIESTA BEEF & VEGGIE BARBECUE
This meal is good enough to serve company. I like to make it for special occasions, like summer holidays.
Beef (tender selection and cubed)
Assorted vegetables (peppers, mushrooms, onions, summer squash, zucchini, cherry tomatoes) Cut up vegetables into chunks. Leave cherry tomatoes whole.
*Marinating sauce:
Envelope of French onion soup mix
2 tablespoons sweetener such as agave, honey, etc.
½ cup ketchup
1-teaspoon vinegar
¼ cup oil
1-tablespoon mustard
Mix together
Marinate the cubed beef for several hours. Add onions and any vegetables that need a longer cooking time to the mixture. Grill or Broil this mixture. Near the end of cooking add the remaining vegetables. We prefer our tomatoes to be firm so I don't add them until serving time but if you like them cooked add them near the end of cooking.
Serve with favorite flavorful rice
*Marinating sauce has a wonderful flavor. It can be used for other recipes when you want a special sauce.
GREEN BEANS, SAUSAGE AND POTATOES (all in one pot)
Every summer when the beans start to come in my family gets excited for this dinner.
Smoked Sausage
A bunch of green beans with ends snapped off and cut into shorter pieces
Potatoes (washed and scrubbed and cut into chunks, I leave the skins on but you don't have to)
Garlic
Season Salt
Tamari sauce
Slice sausage approximately into ½ inch slices or less. Put sausage and beans into a large pot with water just covering contents. Add garlic, season salt, Tamari sauce. After the water has started to boil add chunks of potatoes and simmer all together, stirring occasionally.
Depending on the type of green beans you use, the timing of cooking both the potatoes and beans together could be different. You want both the beans and potatoes to be tender but not mushy. I grow a firm Spanish type green bean that needs a few more minutes of cooking than the potatoes; not all types will need this.
Spoon out of pot with a large slotted spoon. Serve with bread or rolls or some fresh sliced tomatoes. Summer produce-YUM!
ROASTED WINTER SQUASH WITH MAPLE SYRUP AND TAMARI
Winter squash -1 large or 2 small- halved and seeded
3 Tbl Maple syrup
2 Tbl Tamari sauce
1/4 tsp. minced or grated fresh ginger (optional)
ground black pepper
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Place the squash, cut-side down, on a baking pan. Roast until a fork inserted into the squash meets no resistance, 40-50 minutes.
Mix maple syrup, soy sauce, butter and ginger together in a saucepan, melt, stir.
Remove the squash from the oven and turn cut sides up. Either brush with maple-tamari mixture and return to the oven or Instead of serving halves, you can peel and cube squash into pieces after initial roasting. Roast to caramelize, about 5 minutes. Remove, season with pepper if desired and serve immediately.
KOHLRABI DILL STICKS were first introduced to me by a CSA member, Eric, and I was so surprised how wonderful they tasted that I quickly made my own. I normally only use white vinegar for cleaning but liked Eric's sticks so much I didn't want to change the ingredients. White vinegar gives the sticks a crisp clear flavor, apple cider vinegar gives a more cloudy musky taste.
Peel kohlrabi and cut into sticks. Stack tightly into jars lengthwise. I prefer wide mouth quart jars; it is easier to pack tightly with the jar turned on its side. Add garlic cloves (up to 4 cloves per quart). Add dill (at least one head per jar along with ferns and stems, cram them in, more makes it more dilly.)
Brine (fills about 4 quart jars)
¾ cup sugar, honey, or other sweetener
½ cup sea salt or canning salt
1 qt white vinegar
1 qt water
Combine above brine ingredients and simmer 10 minutes. Ladle hot liquid into jars covering the sticks. Leave on counter overnight to cool. The next day you can refrigerate. If you want to 'water bath' to seal jars follow directions for canning dill pickles in Ball Blue Book. Watering Bathing does change the sticks, they won't be so white and they will loose a little crispness. Most prefer that the sticks just be refrigerated, not waterbathed.
You can also pickle kohlrabi using the Bread and Butter brine to make them sweet.
EASY BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES
These are easy and great tasting pickles. They can even be frozen. But best of all is their taste. Try them, you won't be disappointed.
2 quarts of thin sliced cucumbers
onion - sliced (recipe calls for one but I use two)
2 tablespoons salt
Mix and let stand for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Rinse well and drain.
Add to drained cucumbers:
1 ½ cups sugar (stir to dissolve)
½ cup vinegar (stir to mix)
Allow to sit overnight in brine
Refrigerate or freeze
CRISP PICKLE SLICES
(Bread & Butter type)
4 Qts Sliced un-pared medium cucumbers
6 Medium white onions, sliced (6 cups)
2 Green peppers, sliced (1 2/3 cups)
3 Cloves garlic
1/3 Cup granulated pickling salt
5 Cups Organic Cane Sugar
3 Cups Apple Cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp Turmeric
1 1/2 tsp Celery seed
2 Tbsp Mustard seed
Combine cucumber, onion, green pepper, and whole garlic cloves. Add salt;
cover with cracked ice; mix thoroughly. Let stand 3 hours; drain well.
Remove garlic. Combine remaining ingredients; pour over cucumber mixture.
Bring to boil.
DILL PICKLES
3 large stalks of dill, use heads and cut the stalks into pieces; .divide into thirds. If stalks are small use more.
Enough cucumbers to fill gallon jar or cut recipe down to size for quarts.
3 to 6 garlic cloves per gallon jar.
In a gallon jar place 1/3 of dill at bottom of jar. Add cucumber slices or small cukes. About half way add 1/3 of dill. Fill remainder of jar with cucumbers and finally add remaining dill and 3 to 6 garlic cloves.
Mix together:
6 cups water
2 1/2 cups white vinegar
2/3 cups sea salt or kosher salt
Pour into jar making sure it is all covered in brine. The next day pickles will be ready to eat. Store in refrigerator.
ZUCCHINI SALSA
Submitted from CSA member Lisa I. who said it is great salsa.
10 cups zucchini -- coarsely shredded
4 onions -- chopped
2 green peppers -- chopped
4 large jalapeno pepper -- seeded and chopped fine
2 red peppers -- chopped
1/4 cup pickling salt
1 tablespoon pickling salt
2 tablespoons dry mustard
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon cumin
2 cups white vinegar
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon pepper
5 cups chopped ripe tomatoes -- peeled
2 tablespoons cornstarch
12 ounces tomato paste 2-12 ounce cans
In a large bowl combine; Zucchini, onions, green pepper, red pepper and the salt
Mix together cover and let stand over night.
Next day rinse, drain well and put into a large pot then add mustard, garlic,
cumin, vinegar, brown sugar, pepper flakes, cornstarch, nutmeg, pepper, tomatoes
and tomato paste.
Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
Pour into sterilized jars and seal. I put in hot water bath for 15 minutes
HOMEMADE TEAS
Mint mints will brew into fabulous teas. I like to brew Chocolate Mint with Stevia and also Lemon Balm with Stevia. Both are wonderful and I am not even a big tea drinker, but I do enjoy these two teas. You don't need Stevia to make mint teas, you can use the mints by themselves for a great tea.
Hot Tea:
For an individual cup of hot tea just take a few sprigs of mint and steep with boiling water in your cup; if you have Stevia add it along with the mint at the same time. Strain.
Iced Tea:
For a larger container of iced tea take a handful of mint, (add a little smaller amount of Stevia if you have it and like your tea sweet), add to boiling water and steep for hours until dark in color. Strain into container you keep in the refrigerator.
FRESH CRANBERRY RELISH
Cranberries
Apples
Oranges or orange juice
Sugar
Wash and sort cranberries. Chop in a food processor until small pieces. Quarter the apples and remove the core, don't remove skin. Chop in the processor also. You can either chop oranges or use orange juice to add a citrus flavor. Mix all together with sugar (to your taste).
I used half and half cranberries and apples and I didn't have fresh oranges in the house only orange juice but it is common to use them in cranberry relish. It was so good that that a big bowl was gone in a few days.