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.

The Vagaries of Nature

It's been a wet year so far, and this weekend has been one for the record books, I'm sure. According to Accuweather.com, we received 2.23 inches of rain on Thursday night. Our average monthly rainfall for June is 4.12 inches. So...in one night....one endless evening of wind, pouring rain, hail, and lightning, as one storm cell after another rode roughshod over Clinton, PA, we received more than half of our average monthly amount of rain. Since then, we have received another 1.07 inches of rain. And it's still raining.

Most of the vegetables seem to have survived so far, although I have had to basically replant many of the beans and potatoes, squishing the muddy soil up around their stems to hold them upright again. The sweet corn got flooded and is not looking too good, but I think that may have more to do with a few bad calves and deer than with the weather!

All I know is....I'm lookin' forward to some sunshine:)

Georgia Collards

Although young collards can certainly be eaten raw (and may be better suited for that), collards are generally known as cooking greens. They tend to be interchangeable in recipes with other greens, so can be used in place of spinach, Swiss chard, or kale in your favorite recipe. Some other cooking tips include:

• Be careful not to overcook collards - it makes them mushy and they lose much of their nutritional value.


• Baby greens are excellent for sautéing, and larger greens are best for stir-frying. Cooking for 2-5 minutes is usually adequate for both.


• A few suggestions for serving greens: Toss with red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss with sesame oil, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. Toss with a lemon vinaigrette. Sauté in garlic butter and onion. Top with a pat of butter.

I had a pasta dish at Rachel's Roadhouse the other night (still eating the leftovers, actually) that was garnished with cooked greens. I don't have the recipe for it, but I think it can be reproduced pretty easily based on the following menu description: Garlic, onions, diced tomatoes and white wine are sautéed in a light cream sauce and tossed with Penne Pasta. Garnished with fried greens, Parmesan cheese and Hungarian peppers.

Some other recipes you might like to try:

Fresh Greens Pasta Pie
6 ounces vermicelli
2 T butter
1/3 C grated Parmesan cheese
5 eggs
2 t cooking oil
1 small onion
2 C chopped fresh greens
1 C shredded mozzarella cheese
2 T butter
1/3 C milk
½ t salt
¼ t freshly ground pepper
1/8 t ground nutmeg
hot pepper sauce to taste (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a large pie plate. Cook vermicelli according to package directions; drain. Stir butter and Parmesan cheese into hot vermicelli. Beat 2 of the eggs and stir well into pasta. Spoon mixture into pie plate, and use a spoon to shape vermicelli into a pie shell. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 10 minutes. Set aside. Heat oil in small skillet, add onion and saute until tender. Beat the remaining 3 eggs and combine with greens, mozzarella, milk, seasonings, and sautéed onions. Spoon greens mixture into pasta shell. Cook pie with aluminum foil. Bake 35 minutes; uncover and bake an additional 5 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Makes 6 servings.
Recipe by Crystal Lake Gardens (MACSAC)

Asian-Style Sauté
2 T sesame oil
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
½ pound mixed greens, coarsely chopped
1 T vinegar
2 T tamari
freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in wok or large skillet on moderate heat. Add garlic and sauté 2 minutes. Remove garlic and set aside. Sauté the greens until just wilted. Remove from heat, and stir in vinegar, tamari, pepper, and garlic. Serve immediately. Great as a side dish or with rice. Makes 2-4 servings.
Recipe by Harmony Valley Farm (MASCAC)

Spanish Greens
2 T olive oil
3 cloves garlic, flattened or smashed with the flat of a knife
1 pound greens, stemmed and well washed
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ C golden raisins
3 T toasted pine nuts

Heat oil over high flame in a large skillet. Add garlic cloves and stir-fry until golden, about 30 seconds. Discard garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cover; wilt greens 2-3 minutes. Add raisins and pine nuts. Check for seasoning and serve. Makes 2-4 servings.
Recipe by MASCAC

Turnips

Nutritional Facts:

• Good source of vitamin C, potassium, and calcium
• Greens are an excellent source of vitamins A, C, B complex, and the minerals potassium, magnesium, and calcium.
• Believed to prevent cancer

Cooking Tips:

• Scrub turnips with a stiff-bristled vegetable brush. No need to peel – simply trim away damaged areas.
• Turnips can be eaten raw – like carrots. Slice or create turnip sticks and add to a veggie tray.
• Grate raw into salads or slaw
• Boil ½-1 inch thick turnip slices or cubes 9-10 minutes; boil small whole turnips 15-10 minutes
• Bake turnips alone for 35-45 minutes at 350 degrees, basted with butter or oil, or bake along with other seasonal roots.
• Can be used like potatoes (alongside a roast, mashed, in stews or soups, etc.)
• Greens can be prepared like any other greens.

My friend, Jen Montgomery, of Blackberry Meadows Farm posted this recipe in her last newsletter. It looked so good, I had to steal it. So...here it is. Enjoy!

White Baby Turnips with Maple Sauce
1 bunch white salad turnips
butter for sautéing
salt (to taste)
real Maple Syrup

Remove the greens from the turnips. Wash and cut turnips into bite-size pieces and add to a pot of boiling water. Cook until almost tender. Remove turnips from boiling water, drain and toss directly into a well oiled hot skillet. Saute for a few minutes (until tender), remove from the pan and drizzle with maple syrup and lightly salt. Serve warm.
Recipe by Jen Montgomery, Blackberry Meadows Farm