SEPTEMBER; TIME TO HARVEST......Enjoy the Bounty at Your Table

EARLY SEPTEMBER Means PLENTIFUL CORN & ZUCCHINI

 My memories of this time of year, living on a farm, are of a long back porch continuously packed with bushels of corn, tomatoes, peppers, etc. that my father and brothers had picked each day. They sat ready to be canned or frozen and waiting for my mom, sisters, and I to get on it. It was our way of life, and was a good one. It was also the best way for hard-working parents to feed eight children. Our supper table in the months of August and September would always be a rainbow of different vegetable dishes. My mother and grandmothers would certainly get inventive when preparing meals.

 Although the following recipe is not one of my family’s, it’s a good one that I have had for several years.

Enjoy this pasta dish that uses ricotta cheese and buttermilk to make a creamy sauce for the corn, cut off the cobs, and zucchini.  Combining the two vegetables in this dish does work. I think you will like it.

 Linguine with Corn & Zucchini

Ingredients:

4 large ears of corn- cooked for 5 minutes in water, cooled and kernels scraped off cob; set aside

                        2 tablespoons olive oil

                        1 large onion, finely chopped

                        4 medium zucchini, sliced

                        1 tablespoon dried oregano

                       

                        several fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped

                        1 and 1/2 cups ricotta cheese

                        1 and 1/4 cups buttermilk

                        salt and pepper to taste

                        1 box linguine

Heat oil in nonstick fry pan and sauté onion until soft and just beginning to brown; add zucchini and oregano. If using dried basil add now. Stir from time to time, cooking till zucchini softens slightly. Add corn and heat through. Keep on low. Cook linguine according to package instructions, and drain well. While pasta is cooking, beat ricotta with buttermilk in a blender till smooth.

Remove vegetables from heat and spoon into serving bowl. Stir in ricotta mixture. Add hot linguine, salt & pepper to taste and mix well. Add fresh basil at this time. Serve immediately.

“USING UP” EXCESS OF TOMATOES & ZUCCHINI

 

Roast Chicken w/ Zucchini & Tomatoes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Make a rub/paste with the following:

            Using leaves only; 1 bunch fresh parsley,

            1/3 bunch fresh thyme, and half a bunch fresh tarragon, mixing all

            with 3 garlic cloves that have been minced, and a scant 1/4 cup olive

            oil.

Prepare a whole chicken, 3 to 4 pounds, by rinsing and drying well. Season cavity with salt and pepper and stuff with 1 lemon, cut in half.

Coat chicken all over with the olive oil/herb rub; season with salt and pepper.

Put chicken on a rack in a large roasting pan.

Scatter the following around the chicken:

            4-5 tomatoes cut in large wedges

            3 medium zucchini, cut into half-inch rounds

            1/2 lemon, thinly sliced

            1 large red onion, thinly sliced

Drizzle 1/4 cup olive oil over vegetables and season with salt and pepper to your taste.

Roast uncovered for 1 to one and 1/4 hour or until reaches 160 on meat thermometer; Let sit for 15 minutes before carving.

            ******

Zucchini Appetizer

Ingredients:

3 cups thinly sliced unpared zucchini

1 cup baking mix ( such as Bisquick brand)

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons snipped parsley

3/4 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs, slightly beaten

 Line a strainer with paper towels. Put the zucchini in the strainer to drain out excess water. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13x9x2 baking pan. Mix together all the ingredients, adding the zucchini last. Spread gently in the pan. Bake until golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. For appetizer servings, cut into small 2 by 1 inch pieces. Serve warm.

This can double as a main-dish casserole.

 Note: If you like this recipe, use your summer zucchini up by slicing it in 3-cup batches, and put in freezer bags to use during the winter.  (when ready to use, thaw in paper-towel lined strainer)                                                              

ZUCCHINI CUPCAKES WITH CARAMEL FROSTING

These are irresistible spice cupcakes with a delicious frosting.

Ingredients:  3 eggs

                        1 and 1/3 cups sugar

                        1/2 cup vegetable oil

                        1/2 cup orange juice

                        1 teaspoon almond extract

                        2 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour

                        2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

                        2 teaspoons baking powder

                        1 teaspoon baking soda

                        1 teaspoon salt

                        1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

                        1 and 1/2 cups shredded zucchini

            Caramel Frosting...

                        1 cup packed brown sugar

                        1/2 cup butter or margarine

                        1/4 cup whole milk

                        1 teaspoon vanilla extract

                        1 and 1/2 to 2 cups confectioners sugar

 In a mixing bowl beat eggs, sugar, oil, orange juice and extract. Combine dry ingred., add to egg mixture and mix well. Add zucchini and mix well. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until cupcakes test done. Cool for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

For frosting, combine brown sugar, butter and milk in a saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Cool to lukewarm. Gradually beat in confectioners sugar until frosting reaches spreading consistency. Frost cupcakes. Makes 18 to 24 cupcakes.