More Garden Bounty

Image by bourgeoisbee via Flickr

The garden is in full swing these days. We picked our first squash and zucchini this weekend, the herbs are very plentiful, the chard and kale are continuing to come up (as is the lettuce), the tomatoes and cucumbers are on the vines. Soon we will have a refrigerator full of fresh vegetables.

Since I now have fresh onions, zucchini and yellow squash, I will fire up the grill this week to make my grilled vegetables. My peppers aren't ready yet and I don't have mushrooms, so I'll have to take a trip to the local produce stand to pick those up. Grilled vegetables are probably one of my favorite dishes -- lots of fresh chunks of fresh veggies, simply garnished with olive oil, salt & pepper and a little garlic powder. I always make sure to cut my vegetables up in nice-sized chunks so they don't fall apart on the grill. I use a grill pan so nothing falls into the fire. Here's my recipe:

• Fresh vegetables such as zucchini, yellow squash, onions, green and red peppers, mushrooms, asparagus, fennel
• Olive oil (just enough to coat all the vegetables)
• Salt, pepper and garlic powder

Wash and cut up the vegetables into good-sized chunks. Put the vegetable chunks into a large bowl and add olive oil to coat -- don't add so much that the veggies are dripping with oil. Transfer the vegetables to the grill pan and sprinkle with the salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cook over a hot grill, turning frequently to avoid burning the vegetables. Don't crowd the vegetables on the grill pan - they will come out much better if they are cooked in batches.

This recipe can also be done in the oven; again, make sure the vegetables are not crowded in the pan, and roast in a 425-degree oven. Turn after about 10 minutes and then cook about 10-15 minutes more until done.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Recipes for Health: Kale: The Winter Green (nytimes.com)
• How to grow: summer vegetables (telegraph.co.uk)
• Zucchini Pesto (rawlivingfoods.typepad.com)

The First New Potatoes!

Michael harvested the first potatoes from the garden last night. I thought I would make some for dinner this evening, with lots of herbs from the garden.


Ingredients:

2 lbs fresh new potatoes
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley and dill
2 T butter or margarine
Salt and pepper to taste

Clean and scrub the potatoes, removing all dirt; cut in half or quarters depending on size. Place in a large pot and cover with water. Boil for 10-15 minutes until just tender; drain but leave about 1/4 cup of the cooking water. Put back on a low burner and add the butter to melt. Remove from the burner and add the herbs; season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving platter and serve.

"Fruitful" Coleslaw

Image by shecodes via Flickr

We picked our first head of cabbage in the garden yesterday, so of course coleslaw was on the menu today along with beans and cornbread -- a Poor Man's Supper. After tasting the cabbage and noting how sweet it tasted, I decided to add some fruit to the coleslaw. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

- 1 small head of cabbage, or 1/2 head large cabbage (if you grow your own pick them before they get too big -- they are definitely sweeter), shredded or chopped fine.
- 1 peach, peeled and diced in 1/2" pieces
- 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced in 1/2" pieces
- 1/2 cup light mayonnaise (I like Duke's)
- 2 T apple cider vinegar
- 1 T sugar, or 3 packages of Splenda

Mix the mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar together in the bottom of a large bowl. Taste and adjust the vinegar and sugar to your preference. (The mixture should be smooth but not runny.) Add the cabbage and fruit and toss; season with a few sprinkles of salt. Cover and refrigerate for several hours before serving.

Note: I have been making this type of coleslaw for many years. If fresh fruit is not available, you can add some canned diced peaches or canned diced pineapple, drained well.

Swiss Chard, Potato & Bean Ragout

Image via Wikipedia

I found this recipe on the New York Times website (Recipes for Health) and decided to try it last night; I had picked some swiss chard and spinach in the garden and wanted to put it to good use. I modified this recipe a bit (I used canned beans instead of dried) but it turned out great and we had plenty left over for another meal. This dish reminded me of a dish my mother used to make, Beans & Greens (she used escarole instead of chard). Serve with a garden-fresh salad and a loaf of crusty Italian or French bread. Mangia!

Ingredients:
1 can Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained

A bouquet garni made with 1 bay leaf, a couple of sprigs of fresh thyme, and a Parmesan rind, tied together with kitchen string

Salt

1 generous bunch swiss chard (3/4 to 1 pound), or a combination of swiss chard and spinach

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 to 4 garlic cloves (to taste), sliced

1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Freshly ground pepper

1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving

1. Add the beans to 3 cups of water in a casserole or Dutch oven. Bring to a simmer. Skim off any foam, then add the bouquet garni. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon salt.

2. Meanwhile, stem and clean the greens in 2 changes of water. Rinse the chard stems and dice. Set aside. Cut the leaves in ribbons, or coarsely chop, and set aside.

3. Heat the olive oil in a heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the onion and chard stems. Cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the potatoes and stir together, then transfer to the pot with the beans. Bring back to a simmer, cover and simmer 30 minutes, or until the potatoes and beans are tender. Salt to taste.

4. Add the chard and thyme leaves to the pot, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. The chard should be very tender. Stir in freshly ground pepper to taste and the parsley. Taste, adjust seasonings and serve, passing the Parmesan to sprinkle on the top. Don't forget to remove the bouquet garni!

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

"Herbalicious" Turkey Burgers

With an abundance of herbs growing in the garden these days, I thought I would add some to my turkey burgers. They came out so flavorful, I wish I would have made more to put in the freezer! Here's my recipe:

Ingredients:

1 lb ground white meat turkey, very lean
1/4 c. seasoned bread crumbs
1 egg
1/4 c. chopped fresh herbs (I used parsley, rosemary, dill and basil -- I didn't have any fresh thyme but I would have used it if I had it).
Salt & pepper
1 T. olive oil

Mix all ingredients together and form into four patties. Spray the patties with some cooking spray and place on a very hot charcoal or gas grill. Try not to flip them until the bottom has firmed up and browned. DO NOT OVERCOOK -- take off the grill while they are still juicy.

Note: Since the burgers are very lean, add cooking spray as needed or brush with a little olive oil so that they will not stick and will brown nicely. Since some of my family members aren't turkey burger fans (namely Jeremiah, my stepson), I usually cook up some beef burgers over the fire first, which gets the fire very hot with all the fat dripping off them.