Summertime Garden Veggie Recipes to Try!

It is late August, so some of us have full gardens and lots of vegetables to use in various recipes. Here are a few from the Cousins Cookbook, and two new ones from Julie Lochner Riber.

Thanks to all!

Wild Parsley Pasta Salad: From Susan Kinsella

A fast and easy salad for hot summer days.

1 bag large pasta shells

2 cans pitted black olives

2 jars artichoke hearts

A bunch of cherry tomatoes

1 bunch of parsley, torn into small sprigs

Cook pasta shells, pour into large bowl. Add 2 cans pitted olives, drained. Add cherry tomatoes. Pour in artichoke hearts, including liquid. (The artichoke heart liquid will be the salad’s “dressing.”) Add in parsley. Mix well.

 Enjoy!

Amazing Bean Salad: From Christi Farina (Tom Kinsella’s partner)

Christi writes: “I made this salad on a lark one day when there wasn’t much left in the cabinets. A happy circumstance, it turns out.”

Mix together:

sliced grape tomatoes

1 can white shoepeg corn

1 bunch chopped cilantro

6-8 oz. honey

to taste: mustard, lime juice, lemon juice

1 can each:

red kidney beans

black beans

white navy beans

California Black Bean Salad: From Julie Lochner Riber

This is a favorite of mine. It seems like a lot of stuff but it really is not. Also seems to get better on the second day.

1-15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1-12 oz. can whole corn, drained

1 medium tomato, chopped

½ C. chopped red onion

½ C. chopped green or red pepper

½ t. garlic powder with parsley

Combine all of the above

Spicy Mexican Dressing--

¾ C. Italian dressing

2 t. chopped cilantro or parsley (I use parsley--don’t like cilantro)

¾ t. hot pepper sauce

½ t. seasoned pepper

½ t. chili powder ( I use hot red powdered chili)

Combine all of the above.

Mix it all together and enjoy!

Tomato Bisque: From Julie Lochner Riber

Every Saturday from July through October that I'm able, I head into town to the Farmer's Market to help my friend, Ron Nedbal, sell vegetables. The last couple Saturdays there's been a real excess of tomatoes, so home I come with half a car load of tomatoes wondering what on earth I'm gonna do with them this week!  This last time, after spending the remainder of the afternoon sorting, peeling and freezing, I found a recipe that managed to eliminate at least part of the harvest...and it turned out pretty darn good, if I do say so myself.

 Enjoy!

½ c. chopped onions

½ c. butter or margarine

1 t. dill seed

1 ½ t. dill weed

1 ½ t. oregano

1 ½ t. basil

2. T. flour

5-6 c. tomatoes, pureed

4 c. chicken stock

2 t. salt

½ t. pepper

4 t. honey

1 small can tomato paste

1 c. heavy cream or milk

sour cream

In a large pot, sauté onions in butter along with dill seed, dill weed, oregano & basil for 5 minutes until onions are translucent.  Make a roux by whisking flour into the onions and butter.  If you’re using fresh tomatoes, puree them in a blender (if using fresh herbs, I throw them in the blender too).  Combine chicken stock and pureed tomatoes.  Add roux & whisk to blend.  Simmer 15 minutes.  Strain all this through a strainer and return to the pot.  Whisk in the salt, pepper, honey and tomato paste.  Simmer till thickened.  Add heavy cream or milk and heat through.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

Although this one uses canned peaches, I am sure that fresh peaches would taste as scrumptious!

Peach Cobbler: From Debra Maney

Debbie writes: “This is quick, easy, delicious and was my favorite dessert as a child!”

Mix: 1 ½ C. sugar

1 ½ C. milk

1 ½ C. self-rising flour

Melt 1 stick butter (1/2 C.). Pour into bottom of greased cakepan ( 9 x 13)

Pour batter mix into pan.

Do not stir together!

Cover top with 2 cans of sliced peaches.

Bake at 375 degrees for ½ hour to 45 minutes.

Summer Veggie Pasta Salad From Pat Kinsella Herdeg

What I like about this recipe is you can throw in any garden veggies you have—Glenn has LOTS of green beans? Dice them up small and throw them in!

Yield: 8-12 servings

Ingredients

• 1 lb. pasta
• 1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 yellow squash, cut in half lengthwise then sliced
• 1 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise then sliced
• 1 large head broccoli, cut into florets
• ½ medium red onion, diced or sliced
• ⅔ c. diced red bell peppers or diced roasted red peppers
• ⅔ c. Italian dressing
• ¼ c. grated parmesan
• 2 tbsp. freshly minced parsley
• ½ tsp. garlic powder
• ¼ tsp. paprika
• ¼ tsp. kosher sea salt
• ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Place a large pot of water over high heat, bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package's directions. Drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, prep the veggies, then in a medium bowl, whisk together the dressing, parmesan, parsley, garlic powder, paprika, salt and black pepper.
3. In the large pot, combine the pasta, veggies, and dressing. Stir until combined. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

And two new veggie recipes from Julie:

One reason I love making this recipe is because it does use so many items most of us grow in our vegetable gardens.  If you have an herb garden, as I do, you can take advantage of just about everything in it too.  I can practically clean out my refrigerator with this one.  And I cook it in my crockpot so the smells permeate the whole house with mouth-watering goodness.

CHICKEN CACCIATORE

2 broiler-fryer chickens, cut into serving pieces

½ c. flour

1 teaspoon salt

¼ c. butter

¼ c. olive oil

2 medium onions, sliced

1 green pepper, sliced

1 red pepper, sliced

1 pound mushrooms, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 qt. tomatoes, drained (reserve liquid)

2 chicken bouillon cubes

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 ½ t. salt

¼ t. pepper

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

1 ½ t. chopped fresh marjoram

1 ½ t. chopped fresh thyme

½ c. dry white wine

1 # cooked spaghetti noodles

Dredge chicken pieces in salt and flour. Brown chicken in mixture of oil and butter.  Remove to crockpot.  Sauté onion, garlic, gr & red pepper and mushrooms.  Stir in tomatoes, bouillon cubes, parsley, seasonings, white wine and ½ c. reserved tomato juice.  Cook a few minutes to blend.  Pour over chicken in crockpot.  Cover and cook on low for 6 – 8 hours.  Remove chicken and vegetables to a warm platter or bowl.  Turn crockpot to high (or boil liquid in a saucepan) and boil till liquid is reduced and thickened.  Pour over chicken and veggies.  Cook spaghetti noodles.  Add a little of the broth and veges to noodles and toss.  Serve chicken and spaghetti in separate bowls family style.

One of the most vivid memories as a child was sitting under the grape arbor at Uncle Harold’s and taking in that luscious smell of fresh grapes.  While the play house was a lot of fun too, the grape arbor just always seemed to be that special place of peace.  I still love anything grape and this pie absolutely does justice to the senses.

STREUSEL CONCORD GRAPE PIE

2 LB. Concord grapes (about 4 ½ cups)

1 ¼  c. sugar

¼ c. flour

2 tsp. lemon juice

1/8 t. salt.

Unbaked 9” pie shell

Wash and pick over grapes.  Slip skins from grapes by pinching end opposite stem end.  Reserve skins. 

Place pulp in 2-qt. saucepan.  Cook over high heat until it comes to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes, or until pulp is soft.  Put hot pulp through a strainer or food mill to remove seeds.

Combine strained pulp, reserved skins, sugar, flour, lemon juice and salt in bowl; mix well.  Pour grape mixture into unbaked pie shell.

Prepare Oat Struesel and sprinkle over grape mixture

Bake in 425 degree oven 45 minutes, or until filling is bubble.  Cover loosely with foil after 20 minutes if top becomes too brown

Oat Streusel:  Combine ½ c. quick-cooking oats, ½ c. brown sugar (packed) and 1/3 c. flour in bowl.  Cut in ¼ c. butter or regular margarine until crumbly, using a pastry blender.

YUM! Cannot wait to try these recipes.