Zucchini Season

Yep, it's that time of year again. Summer squash season!!!! The tomatoes are not quite ripe, but the zucchini are beginning their takeover of the garden. I turn my back and wham, another zucchini pops out. It's crazy. And this is just the beginning:)

So...to prepare you for the onslaught of zucchini and other squash that will be coming your way, I am posting several recipes - a whole meal of recipes, actually (a bread, a salad, a side, a main dish, and a dessert) - all taken from the Mennonite Cookbook, Simply in Season. Hope you find something you enjoy.

Zucchini Yeast Rolls (yields 24 rolls)
2-3 C summer squash (shredded)
1 C water
1/2 C sugar
3 T oil
2 t salt
Combine in a saucepan and heat slowly until warm, stirring to blend. Or warm in microwave.

1 C bread flour
1 C whole wheat bread flour
1/3 C dry milk powder
2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1/2 t ground mace
Combine in a mixing bowl. Add liquid ingredients and beat well until smooth.

1 3/4 - 2 1/2 C bread flour
Stir in enough additional flour to make a soft dough. Knead 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl, turn to grease both sides, cover with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in bulk. Punch down and let rise 10 minutes. Shape rolls and place on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled. Bake in preheated oven at 350F until golden brown, 25-35 minutes. Brush with milk for a soft crust and let stand fro 5-10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

Tip: Shredded uncooked zucchini may be frozen in freezer bags/boxes for this bread. Squash may also be cooked and mashed, then frozen in 1 1/2 portions.
Recipe by Naomi Zimmerman (Irwin, OH)



Squash and Basil Salad (serves 4-6)
3-4 medium summer squash (julienned)
2-3 T fresh basil (chopped)
3-4 T Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
1-2 T garlic scapes (chopped; or add some minced garlic to the dressing below)
Toss together

1/4 C red wine vinegar
1/4 C olive oil
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/4 t sugar
Combine and pour over the salad. Mix, chill 1 hour, and serve. Best eaten the same day. May be served with lettuce and chopped onions.
Recipe by Karen Brandes (State College, PA) and Steve Miniger (Sod, WV)


Summer Squash Skillet (serves 4)
4 C summer squash (sliced, diced, or shredded)
1/2 C onion (sliced or diced)
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
Saute together in 1 T oil until tender. Add one of the options below:

Option 1:
1/2 green pepper or chili pepper (diced)
2 T fresh parsley (chopped)
1 T fresh basil (chopped)
1 bay leaf
1/2 C cheese (shredded; optional)
Add ingredients except cheese with the onion and squash, cover, and steam until tender. Top with cheese just before serving.

Option 2:
1/4 C fresh parsley (chopped)
1/2 t lemon peel (grated)
1/2 t lemon pepper (instead of the 1/4 t pepper above)
Add and simmer 2 minutes longer

Option 3:
Add soy sauce to taste to the sauteed squash before serving.

Option 4:
2 T pesto
Add to the sauteed squash before serving.
Recipe by Dawn Showalter (Harrisonburg, VA), Mary Meyer (Fresno, OH), and Ruth Isaac Wiederkehr (Guelph, Ontario)


Stuffed Zucchini (serves 2-4)
1 extra large zucchini - split lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, and discard. Carefully cut away (and reserve) flesh to form two shells, each 1/2 inch thick.

3/4 lb. ground beef or venison (preferably from cows and deer that have been in my garden!)
1 small onion (chopped)
1 red sweet pepper (chopped)
Cook in frying pan until meat is browned. Drain off fat.

1 C corn
1 C stewed tomatoes
2-3 T mild chili peppers (seeded and chopped)
1 clove garlic (minced)
1 T chili powder
1 1/2 t fresh oregano (chopped)
1/2 t ground cumin
Add, along with chopped zucchini flesh. Turn heat to high and boil, stirring often, until liquid evaporates, about 5 minutes.

1/4 C bread crumbs
1/4 C Monterey Jack cheese (shredded)
2 T fresh cilantro (chopped)
Add to filling and mix well. Place the zucchini shells in a baking dish and fill with the meat mixture. Bake in preheated oven at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

1/4 C Monterey Jack cheese (shredded)
Sprinkle on the filled zucchini halves. Return to the oven and bake until cheese begins to brown, 12-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand 5 minutes. Garnish with 2 T chopped fresh cilantro and serve.
Recipe by Gloria Snider (Richmond, VA)



Zucchini Brownies (serves 18-24, unless they like brownies like I do, then maybe 1 0r 2!)
1 C flour
3/4 C whole wheat flour
1/3 C baking cocoa
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt.
Combine in large bowl.

2-3 C zucchini (shredded)
Stir in.

1 egg
3/4 C sugar
3/4 C brown sugar
1/2 C plain yogurt
1/2 C oil
1 t vanilla
Combine in separate bowl and beat with a fork. Stir into zucchini mixture. Spread evenly into greased 9 x 13-inch pan.

1/2-1 C semisweet or mint chocolate chips
1/2 C nuts (chopped; optional)
Sprinkle on top of batter. Bake in preheated oven at 350 until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes.
Recipe by Julie Swartzentruber (Pittsburgh, PA) - anyone know her??? and Mary Keith (Sefner, FL)

Gittin 'er Done

With so much that needs immediate attention in the gardens, it's easy for me to lose track of long-term goals for the farm. Fortunately, I have friends who periodically help me re-focus and move towards my larger mission.

Building a barn (with an apartment/office upstairs for me) is one of my more expensive, but absolutely necessary goals for the future. Much of what I'd like to do with the farm (from raising various animals to growing more produce) will be easier with some sort of barn in place. Plus, while the RV is nice and all, I'd really like to have a place to live where more than one person at a time can actually visit and even dine with me!

I'm hoping to get started on building the barn sometime next year, but in the meantime, I've decided to restore the one section of the old barn which still remains. We refer to the remaining section as the milk house because apparently at some point in its lifetime that's what it was - go figure. I don't recall it being used for that at all, however. The uses I do remember include an extension of the cow barn - usually used for calving or separating cows who were to be sold, a pig pen, a horse stall, and, most recently, a dog house and place to store hay. In short, it's a musty old building that has undergone many incarnations in its lifetime and is about to undergo one more. It's about to become the place where I will wash and refrigerate the produce! Clearly, much work needs to be done on it before that happens:)

While the milk house already has plumbing in it, the wiring in it grew defunct long ago. My friend, Ramsey (Evan), has taken the leadership in getting the electric in and working again. Thinking towards the future (when the barn will be rebuilt), he has wired it to handle all anticipated electrical needs. I am so excited that I'll have electrical power up there soon! Right now all electrical needs in "the barn" are met by the use of hundreds of feet of extension cord stretched from the house. Not a very safe or convenient way to do things!

After finishing the wiring, an overhead path had to be made from the barn to the electric pole for the service line. That required some pretty precarious tree limb cutting- mostly from a ladder. While I'm always eager to use my new easy-start and light-weight Stihl chain saw (I should really be a spokesperson for them, I love it so much), I did not relish the idea of using it on a ladder - I just don't trust my arm strength or my balance! To my relief, Ramsey agreed to cut the trees for me. What a guy! He seemed to enjoy it and I enjoyed watching and learning from him. Unlike me, he really seemed to know what he was doing.

So...slowly, but surely (with enormous help from friends) I'm actually getting things done here, and inching my way towards my goals. I have to say....that's pretty darn exciting to me.

Berry (or squash) Muffins

Berry Muffins
1 1/2 C whole wheat flour
1 C rolled oats
1 T baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 t ground cinnamon
Combine in a bowl.

1 egg
1 C milk
1/4 C oil
1/4 C honey
In another bowl, combine and mix well. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just moistened.

1 1/2 C berries.
Fold in berries. Fill well-greased muffin tins 2/3 full. Sprinkle top with cinnamon sugar. Bake in preheated oven at 400F for 15-20 minutes.

What germ or flax seed variation: Replace rolled oats with 1/2 C additinoal whole wheat flour and 1/2 C raw wheat germ. Or use 3/4 C additional whole wheat flour and 1/4 C flax seed meal.

Summer squash variation: Replace berries with an equal amount of shredded summer squash.

Recipe by Diane Jonson (Carstairs, Alberta), Judy Hildebrand (Crystal City, Manitoba), Tamara Brubaker (Mount Joy, PA)

Raspberry Cheesecake Trifle

My niece first made this cake for our farm picnic a few years ago. It has quickly become a family favorite and a staple of our 4th of July gatherings. I think she got the recipe online, but I'm not sure of the origin. Anyway...here it is. Enjoy!

Raspberry Cheesecake Trifle

1 pkg (8 oz) white cake mix

1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1/4 C powdered sugar

1 1/2 C whipping cream, whipped

3 C fresh raspberries

2 squares (1 oz each) semisweet chocolate, shaved

Prepare and bake cake as directed. Cool; cut into 1 inch cubes.

In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Fold in whipped cream.

In a trifle bowl, layer half of the cake cubes, 1 C raspberries, half of the cream cheese mixture, and half of the chocolate. Repeat layers. Top with remaining raspberries.

Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Servies 12-14.