Sausage and Butternut Squash Stew

In conjunction with A Way To Garden and Dinner Tonight's continuing food fest, I am posting one of my favorite fall recipes ~ Sausage and Butternut Squash Stew. The topic of the food fest being winter squash and pumpkins of course.

Unfortunately, all my squash were eaten by beasts roaming my garden at night. But there is always a great selection in the store and farmer's markets this time of year. So if you end up with some Butternuts and you want a different way to cook them, try this recipe. It's an easy crock-pot one too! Feel free to add whatever vegetables you like to this stew. I've used sweet potatoes before in place of the squash and it turned out just fine.

Sausage and Butternut Squash Stew
From "giant book of super nutritious recipes" by Carol Heding Munson, Sandra L. Woodruff, and Bob Schwiers

1 1/2 pound Butternut Squash, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1 medium potato, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 slender carrots, sliced diagonally 3/4 inch thick, or 12 baby carrots
1 cup frozen cut green beans
1 can (14 ounces) fat-free beef broth
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 pound low-fat turkey sausage or light kielbasa, cut in half lengthwise and thickly sliced
4 small onions, halved
1/4 cup cold water
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
Snipped fresh parsley, for garnish

Combine the squash, potatoes, carrots, beans, broth, vinegar, pepper, and rosemary in an electric slow cooker.

Brown the sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat; add the onions and cook until the onions are lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer the sausage and onions to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW until the vegetables are tender and the flavors have blended, 6 to 8 hours. In a measuring cup, mix the water and cornstarch, and pour the mixture into the stew. Mix well and heat (should be boiling) until the liquid has thickened. Garnish with parsley.

Corn Fritters ~ A Summertime Treat

It's time for a Thursday Food Fest again, sponsored by A Way To Garden and Dinner Tonight. Today's star is the sweetest of the sweet corn, that yummy summertime treat.

Growing up on the farm, I never had store bought corn, probably until I went to college. We would feast on corn on the cob when it started coming in late July, and since my Dad and Grandfather stagger planted, (several rows every week or two) and planted a couple of varieties, we had it fresh for over a month. The first variety to come in was always the Butter and Sugar corn and the Silver Queen was always the last one, but was the favorite of many. With all this corn, we would spend several days freezing huge batches. We would freeze enough for us to have corn once a week for the entire year. With ten people to feed, that's a lot of corn.

One of the things my Mom would make with leftover corn on the cob was corn fritters. These were always a special treat and we could have eaten just this for dinner. I'll be making these later today, so I will post some pictures then. I hope you enjoy these. Please let me know how you like them.

CORN FRITTERS
1 egg beaten
1/2 cup milk
2 cups fresh cut corn
1 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
Dash of pepper
1 TBS melted bacon fat or melted butter

Mix egg, milk, and corn.
Sift dry ingredients and add to corn mixture.
Add bacon fat (or butter) and beat until well blended.
Coat pan (non-stick or cast iron would work best) with bacon fat or butter.
Drop by tablespoons into pan and cook until golden brown, turning once.
Drain on absorbent paper.

My Mom cooked them in a cast iron skillet and flipped them to cook on both sides.

Green Beans ~ A Couple of Salads

It's Thursday and time for the weekly food fest hosted by A Way To Garden and Dinner Tonight. On the menu today is Green Beans, so if you are looking for a new recipe to use up those green beans or if you have one to share, check it out.

I have two bean salad recipes I'd like to share. The first one I made last week. I had some green beans that had to be used up and this made a great lunch. The second one is based off a recipe from a Southern Living cookbook (I think, that's where the original was from). I've adapted it to how I make it (much simpler). I haven't made it this yet this year though, so I'm sorry, there is no photo.

The great thing about both of these salads is that you can change them to fit your taste or what ingredients you have on hand. Some tasty additions that I can think of right now are corn kernels, using yellow and/or purple beans in addition to the green (which I've done with the second one many times), and changing up the herbs in the dressings to include dill or cilantro. Just use what you have and what you like, it's your lunch!


Marinated Bean Salad

2 cups green beans, cut in 1 inch pieces, steamed tender crisp, then shocked in cold water
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can butter beans, drained and rinsed
1 Large Tomato, chopped
1/2 red onion, diced

Mix these ingredients together in a medium sized bowl.

Dressing

Juice of one lemon
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons parsley, chopped
2 Tablespoons oregano, chopped
Salt & Pepper to taste

Whisk all dressing ingredients together. Pour over bean mixture and let marinate at least 30 minutes.

Green Bean and Tomato Salad

1 pound green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces, steamed until tender crisp, then shocked in cold water
2 cups red and/or yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
2 large red and/or yellow sweet peppers, cut into bite-sized pieces

Mix these ingredients together in a large bowl.

Dressing

3 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1 Tablespoon chopped basil
1 Tablespoon snipped chives
2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
1 teaspoon snipped oregano
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Salt & Pepper

Mix all ingredients together in a jar. Pour over vegetables. Let marinate at least 30 minutes.

Zucchini - Mock Crab Cakes

If you are overrun with zucchini and are tired of having it fried, grilled, or made into zucchini bread, this is the recipe for you. I got this recipe from my husband's parents and I am not sure where they got it since it's just copied onto a piece of paper. But this is very tasty and worth a try.

Mock Crab Cakes

2 cups coarsely grated zucchini, unpeeled (about 1 medium)

1 cup Italian breadcrumbs

1 onion finely chopped (you can grate this if you want to)

1 Tablespoon mayonnaise

1 Tablespoon Old Bay seasoning

1 egg, beaten

Drain grated zucchini and onion in a colander to let some of the liquid drain out.

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

The texture can be adjusted. If it's too dry add another egg; if it's too wet, add more breadcrumbs.

Shape mixture into patties, dredge in flour.

Heat vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until hot.

Fry patties in oil until golden brown on both sides.

When I made this I had to add some more breadcrumbs. I used olive oil to fry, not a whole lot, maybe a couple of Tablespoons. I don't measure things like that, I just do what looks right to me. The patties I made where soft but they did hold together. It was messy to make them, but I didn't want them to be too dry. Here are some photos.

While I was frying these up last night, I was thinking of the corn fritters my Mom used to make us with the night before's corn on the cob (cut off, of course). Those were always so good and a special treat. I'll have to get some extra corn from the farmer's market so I can make them and share the recipe with you, after I get if from my Mom :-)

Refrigerator Pickles

One of my favorite things to make in the summer are Refrigerator Pickles. I guess I could make them year round, but somehow they just taste better in the summer.

Since the deer had munched my cucumber down and my new ones are just little plants still, no flowers even, I had to buy pickling cucumbers at the store. Not really a problem since they are unwaxed and pretty easy to find this time of year. You can also use other veggies in addition to or in place of the cukes. Some of our favorites are cauliflower and carrots. The pickling mix also suggests green peppers and cabbage, though I've never used either of those.



This time we used the Hot Pickle Mix (not really hot at all). The brand I use also offers a Bread and Butter Pickle Mix and a Dill Pickle Mix.

We use a gallon size glass jar (previously containing store bought pickles). First, fill the container with your cut up veggies, whatever you want to use. Then, following the package directions, dissolve sugar in vinegar, then add the pickle spice mix. We always make more of vinegar and sugar mix than the package tells us to. I don't know why, but when made as directed, there never seems to be enough liquid. Pour this over the veggies. Some water can be added if more liquid is needed to cover everything. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours. We always mix it up occasionally, and of course you have to try them before 24 hours is up! These will last up to 3 months, however not in our house! As we eat up the veggies, I will add new veggies to the mix. We'll keep doing that until we want to make a different type. I only have so much refrigerator space you see, and I can't keep a whole shelf of pickles.

This really makes a great low-calorie snack and is so flavorful. If you've never made them, you should give them a try.

The Kohlrabi and The Mystery Squash

Many years ago, my sister Michelle gave me this cookbook for my birthday - "Garden Way's Joy of Gardening Cookbook" by Janet Ballantyne. Then one time when I was moving, I lost it. I knew it at the time and I searched and searched for it but I never did find it. So I had to buy another copy, because this is the most awesome cookbook if you are a vegetable gardener. It has a section for every vegetable you can imagine, with so many different types of recipes. If I am inundated with any one thing, I just go here and get some new ideas. I use it so much in the summertime.

Which brings me to the kohlrabi. I always plant a few kohlrabies because my husband really likes them. Several were ready to be picked last week, so I now have them in the house. A lot of times we will just eat them raw with salt, but I was looking for something different. So I pulled out my cookbook and found several saute recipes. Below is the one I chose to make and it was delicious.

Kohlrabi Basil Saute
from Garden Way's Joy of Gardening Cookbook by Janet Ballantyne

2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons minced fresh basil
1 Tablespoon minced shallot
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
1/2 cup diced sweet red pepper
4 cups diced kohlrabies

Heat the oil in a large saute pan and add all the ingredients. Saute for 8-10 minutes, or until the kohlrabies are tender. Serve at once.

We also ate the mystery squash. To me it is a cross between a white pumpkin and a patty pan squash, and it was edible. I peeled it because the skin was tough, but not really thick. Then I sliced, marinated, and grilled it. I left the seeds in because they didn't seem too big or too many, but I think next time I would take them out.

I love fresh from the garden meals, don't you ?

Salad Greens and A Salad Recipe

This is the first year that I have sowed seeds in April and in my raised beds I put in spinach, arugula, bibb lettuce, romaine lettuce, and swiss chard. I have to say, it pays to put your seeds in early. I never had any success with spinach but this year I actually had spinach grow. Now, the whole row did not germinate but I had four of five plants which I had to pick all of since the 90 degree heat last week was sending them to want to bolt ( do you blame them ? )

The lettuces are still looking good. I've had the bibb lettuce a couple of times now. Each time I pick it, I try to thin out the row. I haven't picked any romaine yet, but I probably will this weekend. We had some arugula when I was thinning the rows. Now it has all gone to flower but I will leave it since it brings the bees to the garden.

Here is a picture of the cleaned lettuce and spinach. To prepare it I picked it early in the morning so it would be refreshed from the cooler overnight. I let it soak in a sink of cool water, swished it around and made sure all the dirt and creepy crawlies were out of it, and then I spun it in my wonderful salad spinner. I stored it in the refrigerator, loosely packed in a large plastic bag with paper towels.




Now, with all these wonderful greens I didn't just make a regular salad. I made something new from Pillsbury Potlucks (one of those recipe magazines you find at the grocery checkout). I made the Layered Tortellini Pesto Chicken Salad with some modifications. Instead of the pesto dressing which they make I made Green Goddess Dressing with a mix I had from Penzeys Spice. This turned out very good. And it even was good the next day, although the lettuce was getting kind of wilty by the third day. But by then there was just the tiniest bit left so I ate it anyway. Here's my version.



Layered Tortellini Pesto Chicken Salad
Prep time: 40 minutes; Start to Finish: 2 hours 40 minutes; 8 Servings


1 package (9 oz) refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini
1 cup Frozen Sweet Peas (I used the whole package)
5 cups torn romaine lettuce
1 1/2 cups julienne carrots (I used 3 carrots)
2 cups chopped or strips of grilled chicken (I used 3 chicken breasts I had grilled, chopped up)
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into strips
1/2 cup reduced fat mayonnaise or salad dressing
1/2 cup basil pesto
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or basil leaves
(In place of the mayo, pesto, and buttermilk, I used 3 Tablespoons of Green Goddess Dressing, the dry mixture, soaked in 6 Tablespoons of Water before mixing with 1 1/2 cups of reduced fat mayo.)


1. Cook tortellini as directed on package, adding peas during last 2 minutes of cook time. Drain; rinse immediately with cold water. Pat with paper towels to remove moisture (I didn't do this because mine wasn't overly wet, but I put it in so you know the original recipe.)


2. In large clear bowl, layer the lettuce, the carrots, chicken, peas and tortellini, and the bell pepper.


3. In small bowl, mix mayo, pesto, and buttermilk. (Or in my case, make Green Goddess Dressing). Spread over peppers; sprinkle with parsley. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. Stir just before serving.

Voila, the finished salad!

Asparagus

Asparagus - A Haiku
Tender stalks of green
bring a delicate flavor
to Springtime dishes

I haven't written any poetry lately so I thought I would try my hand at it again. I hope you enjoy the results. I like Haiku because of the simplicity.

Our asparagus crop did very well this year. If I remember correctly, we started our patch three years ago. We have about nine plants in the garden and another large clump in a field above our house. This clump was there when we moved in and my husband has to make sure he doesn't mow it down. It is a rather large clump which we should probably try to move down with the rest but it's one of those low priority projects that just hasn't happened yet.

Here is a recipe for an Asparagus Frittata that was very good. I adapted it from a recipe by the California Asparagus Commission.

Asparagus Frittata with Red Bell Peppers

1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
8 eggs or 1 carton egg beaters
salt and pepper
1 cup cheese of your choice (feta, cheddar, parmesan)

Saute bell pepper in olive oil until soft, but not browned.
Add onion and asparagus and saute about 2 minutes more.
Whisk salt and pepper into beaten eggs.
Stir in cheese and sauteed vegetables.

Coat the inside of a heavy, non-stick 12-inch frying pan with olive oil. Pour the egg mixture into the pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven, covered, until eggs are just firm, about 35 minutes. Remove cover, bake until top is lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

Loosen the frittata, then cover pan with a large, warmed serving platter. Flip frying pan over onto platter. Cut into wedges and serve.

This is how mine turned out. I used egg beaters from a carton. I used my cast iron skillet to saute the vegetables and to cook the frittata. We served it right from the pan, I didn't flip it to a serving platter.

Lemon Tree Oh So Pretty...

This is our biggest Lemon crop yet. Four lemons from our Ponderosa Lemon Tree ! Yes it is possible to grow citrus in Pittsburgh. You just need to bring them in during the winter and give them a sunny location, don't overwater, and once it starts to warm up outside they can go back out. We bring them in when nights are below 50 degrees F, especially if they have flowers or new fruit set on them. I used these lemons as a marinade for Coconut-Crusted Chicken. Here is the recipe. It was very tasty.

Coconut Cashew Crusted Chicken

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 cup shredded coconut (sweetened is ok)

1/2 cup cashews (raw is better)

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 limes or 1 large lemon

2 tablespoons of your favorite marinade (i.e. tequila lime, ginger soy)

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup flour

1. Slice chicken breast into thin flat strips - 3 or 4 per breast

2. Grate the zest from you citrus and set aside. Juice your citrus and add to your marinade mixture. Let the chicken marinate in the for at least 30 minutes.

3. Chop the cashews into small pieces. Combine with the coconut, cilantro and zest in a shallow bowl.

4. Put the flour in a shallow bowl. Mix the egg with 1 tablespoon of water and put this in another shallow bowl.

5. Coat the marinated chicken pieces in flour, then egg, then the coconut mixture.

6. Place in a baking pan. When all pieces are coated, bake at 375 degrees until chicken is cooked.

This is very good served with honey mustard and was also good cold.