Harvest Bounty – June 2007

I wish it were my garden’s harvest, but I was actually given harvest from other wonderful sources this week and I and the children have had a wonderful time taking care of the gifts. We received:

*summer squash and much else from Vickie’s garden
*zucchini and summer squash from Leilani (from Marla’s garden)
*pecans from Kristin’s friend’s tree
*peaches from Catherine’s mother in-law Louise’s tree
*corn from the local farmers
*cherries from the local coop

I grated and froze most of the zucchini for bread and muffins, except what I made into bread straightaway from my Grandma’s recipe (Excellent–you try!). The rest of the zucchini and the summer squash I either used in Garlic Zucchini Chicken (so yummy!!!) or sauteed for dinner with butter and basil (Delicious!). The peaches the kids and I picked, then I cut and froze most for future peach cobbler. The rest of the peaches along with the pecans we shelled made the most amazing peach cobbler. I really should have had a picture of it. It was gorgeous and scrumptious. The kids shucked the corn and then I blanched and cooled and froze the cobs for future dinners using the methods listed here. The cherries the kids stemmed and I am in the process of freezing almost all of them, except enough to make a cherry pie, but I am sending my husband to buy a pitter before I finish processing those. The corn and the cherries are amazingly perfect.

So what a wonderful season already!!!! I feel very blessed from other people’s efforts AND my kids and I are having fun taking care of it all. Here are the recipes I have or will use:

Delores’ Fruit Crisp
Filling:
2 T. flour
3/4 c. sugar
6 c. fresh or frozen fruit
(if using peaches, add a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg)

Topping:
1 C. flour
1 C. sugar (1/2 c. if you have very sweet peaches)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 C. chopped walnuts, almonds, or pecans
1 egg, beaten
1 cube of butter, melted

In a 9×13 dish, toss filling ingredients until mixed. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients and nuts. Make a well in the center and blend in egg with a fork until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over fruit. Pour melted butter over all. Bake in preheated oven 375
deg. for 45 minutes.

Delores’ Note: “Add a glob of ice cream while the crisp is still warm, put on your bib and enjoy. You might want to put a cookie sheet on the bottom oven rack to keep the juice from running over into your clean oven.”

Garlic Zucchini Chicken
8 oz. fettucine noodles
3 Tbsp. oil
3-4 carrots in 1/8″ slices
2-3 medium zucchini in 1/8″ slices
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. flour
1 1/2 cups milk
2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. basil leaves, crushed

Assemble all ingredients. Cut chicken into strips. Cook fetuccine; drain and rinse under hot water. Put part of oil in preheated skillet and stir-fry carrots until tender-crisp; remove to plate. Do the same with zucchini. Put remaining oil in skillet and stir-fry chicken just until it is no longer pink inside. Add garlic to skillet and stir-fry just until you smell the aroma, about 5 seconds.

Quickly put vegetables back into skillet with chicken. Sprinkle flour over all, stir in gently, cooking about 30 seconds. Add milk all at once; cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Stir in
cheese, salt and basil. Pour mixture over fetuccine in large bowl and toss to coat. Makes 4-6 servings.

Notes from my friend Anne: “This is how it is written, but I added additional veggies and I think I also threw some oregano and maybe even some coarsely ground black pepper in, just because I love it, too! Sometimes I use a little more flour if the sauce is not as thick as I would like. I
like it to stick to the noodles. Good luck!”

Zucchini Bread
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
1 c. oil
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
3 tsp. cinnamon
2 c. grated packed zucchini
1 c. nuts (opt.)

Mix. Put in two greased floured loaf pans. Bake at 350 for one hour or until toothpick is clean.

My note: This is my Grandma’s recipe from her sister-in-law Dot. The original recipe called for 2 tsp. mapleine. How strange!! I did not add that, and the bread was delicious and we all stuffed ourselves.

Zucchini Muffins
1 1/8 c. Oil
3 c. Sugar
2 t. Vanilla
3 eggs
4 1/8 c. Flour
1/2 T. Salt
2 t. Baking powder
1 t. Baking soda
4 t. Cinnamon
1/2 t. Nutmeg
1/2 t. Cloves
1/2 t. Allspice
4 2/3 c. Shredded zucchini
1 1/4 c. Walnuts (optional)

Bake 350 F for 25 to 30 minutes. Yield: 12-15 very large muffins

My note: My friend Janice searched the world over for the perfect zucchini muffin recipe before finding/developing this one. Yum!