Squashed

Janet here:

I know it's Labor Day and the semi-official last day of summer grilling, but it's also high squash season, so I'm offering up this fantastic recipe from Faith Durand's new cookbook, Not Your Mother's Casserole from Harvard Common Press. Faith is the managing editor of the fabulous cooking and food blog, The Kitchn, and if you haven't checked it out yet, well click here and remedy that.

Anyway this cookbook is wonderful. It's filled with over 200 casserole recipes; so far I've made two — stay tuned for number two coming soon — and they've both been fantastic. To me, casseroles are the non-slow cooker's response to putting something tasty on the dinner table without making yourself crazy. You throw a few things together, toss them into a pretty dish and voila! 30-45 minutes later you have a meal. What more could anyone want? Maybe some bread, but seriously that's it. Enjoy!

Summer Vegetable and Fresh Mozzarella Gratin
serves 6

ingredients
2 small yellow summer squash
2 small zucchini
4 small tomatoes
1 large red pepper, cored
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon fresh pepper
6 ounces fresh whole-milk mozzerella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs

method
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease the baking dish with olive oil. (I sprayed mine with PAM, my new BFF in cooking.)

Slice the squash and zucchini into half moons and coarsely chop the tomatoes and bell peppers. Stir all the vegetables and garlic together in a large bowl and toss with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread into a casserole dish.

Chop the mozzarella into evenly sized cubes and tuck between the vegetables. Mix the Parmesan and bread crumbs in a small bowl and then sprinkle evenly over the top of the veggies and cheese.

Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until the top is well browned. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Zucchini Anyone?

Janet here: It's August, which means zucchini the size of small blimps are invading many gardens. Yes, you can make zucchini bread — and I have nothing against zucchini bread — but if you want something a little different, something with a little versatility, I heartily endorse this dip/spread. I served it as dip one night to friends and Peter used it as a tasty sandwich spread after that. Two meals in one!

Zucchini Dip/Spread

ingredients
2 medium zucchini
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup bread crumbs or panko
1/3 cup ground walnuts
1 tablespoon minced scallion
2 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon minced garlic
pepper and cayenne pepper to taste

method

Grate the zucchini and then place it on a double thickness of paper towel and squeeze out all the moisture. This is critical.

In a medium frying pan, warm the olive oil and then add the zucchini and saute lightly, stirring regularly. Basically this is to get out additional moisture. Transfer to a cutting board and chop further. Let cool

In a medium bowl, mix together the yogurt, cooled zucchini, bread crumbs, walnuts, shallot, lemon juice, salt, garlic and peppers. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve immediately.

Brunch Schmunch

Janet here:

This recipe (or my variation) was touted in the most recent issue of Food Network Magazine (I swear I am not a paid shill for this magazine; it's just that this month had a ton of inspirational recipes!) as a brunch recipe. I made it (with a few tweaks) for dinner and it was fabulous. So whatever. You decide.

Eggs with Squash
serves 3

ingredients
2 pounds zucchini, grated
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 scallions, diced
red pepper flakes to taste
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon butter
4 eggs
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

method
Grate the zucchini into a colander. Toss with 1 tablespoon of salt and let drain in sink for about 40 minutes. Squeeze to remove as much liquid as possible.

While the zucchini is deliquifying, heat the oven to 375 degrees. Put the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet. Add the scallions and saute. Add the red pepper flakes and salt. Cook until the scallions are soft, about 3 minutes. Add the shredded and dry zucchini. Cook about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the parsley, nutmeg and pepper to taste. Cook until the mixture is slightly dry. Remove from heat and cool


Make sure the zucchini is evenly spread out in the pan. Make four little holes in the mixture. Put a little pat of butter in each hole. Crack an egg one at a time and pour into each hole. Add the grated cheese on top. Put the skillet into the oven and cooked 12-15 minutes until the eggs are cooked the way you like them.

Serve and enjoy

Veggie Cheesecake = Yummmmm

Janet here: When I stopped eating red meat over 30 (!) years ago, the Moosewood Restaurant Cookbook was my bible. Mollie Katzen's hand-scrawled recipes with quirky drawings was my go-to spot for figuring out how to serve a meal to my new live-in boyfriend (now husband) after we left working at a private school and actually had to fend for ourselves. What does one put on a plate that does not have meat as its centerpiece? I couldn't just serve salad — my mainstay at the boarding school. We needed to eat a "meal."

Moosewood came to the rescue big time. I went through just about every recipe in the iconic lilac covered book (except those with major mushrooms because I can't stand mushrooms) and bought the second — and third and fourth books — as soon as they came out. I had only one failure in all those recipes — zucchini pancakes that just turned into glop in the frying pan.

Moosewood took a back seat when we had children because, well, I didn't have children who liked vegetables that much. So we added chicken and fish into our meal plan. It was just easier than fighting.

But now that they're gone, we're back to eating more all-veggie meals. I pulled Moosewood a couple of weeks ago. It was like reconnecting with an old friend: instant ease and lots of good memories. I made a variation on Moosewood's vegetable cheesecake and it was just as good as the first time I pulled it off.

Do you have a go-to cookbook? What makes it so special? We'd love to hear. I'm always looking for another cookbook. :)



Vegetable Cheesecake
serves at least 8

ingredients
1 cup each grated carrots or zucchini or whatever you like. I did carrots and some leftover cauliflower. If you do zucchini, be sure to put in a sieve with a little salt to get rid of excess moisture. Don't do more than 2 cups of veggies altogether.
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup minced onion
2-3 gloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons flour
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon basil and oregano
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup grated mozzarella
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 large eggs
1 1/2 medium tomatoes slices
bread crumbs

method
Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Melt the butter in a sauce pan and saute the onions, garlic with the flour. Add the veggies with spices and cook for a few minutes until just tender.

In a large bowl stir together the eggs and cheeses. Add the sauteed veggies and pour the entire bowl into a spring-form pan that has been dusted with bread crumbs.

Cook for 30 minutes at 375. Then add the tomatoes, which you have dredged in bread crumbs, to the top. Lower heat to 350 and bake for another 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and open the oven door. Let sit there for 10 minutes. Then take out and let rest for another 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Zucchini Salad

Hey Rachel

Summer is coming to a close here in the Northeast. The days have lost their humidity, the nights are cooler and the trees are tinged at the edges with reds and oranges. But having just visited you in the Land of Perpetual Fresh Produce, I know this whole seasonal autumnal thing isn't really part of your life. I mean I saw boxes upon boxes of fresh just-picked strawberries for god's sake when I was out there. Meanwhile the freshest fruit you're going to be seeing our way starting very soon and for the coming months is apples, apples, apples.

So as summer wanes, I'm passing on this really wonderful zucchini salad. We still have zucchini galore out here and I know you have them all the time. I have made this twice. The first time was for Susan and Mark after a day together at the Rhode Island shore. Susan called the next morning for the recipe so she could make it for her family that very night. Now that's a recipe worth saving. I tried to load a photo for all to see, but the internet wasn't cooperating...Hope you enjoy it.

XO
Mom

Summer Zucchini Salad
serves 4

ingredients
1 large zucchini, grated
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

method
Grate the zucchini. Toast the pine nuts lightly on top of the stove, stirring so they don't burn. Don't use any oil to do this. Mix with the grated zucchini

In a jar with a lid, mix the lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper. Shake well until the olive oil and lemon juice have emulsified. Pour over the zucchini and mix well. Stir in the Parmesan until just blended. Don't overmix. Serve at room temperature.

Z is For Zucchini

Janet here: When I first started cooking for myself, I was a hippy of sorts (with the exception of Nixon and his cronies, just about everyone was in those days). Anyway, no one was really too surprised when I became a vegetarian at 24, a lifestyle choice I have followed ever since with only occasional lapses into baconland. ("Absolutely you should order bacon with those eggs," I would tell my children. They quickly caught on that sharing was the next step.)

Anyway the Moosewood cookbooks were my bible in those early days, and zucchini bread was one of my first breads that were not of the sandwich variety. (Although I did that too; more on that another day.) I almost feel as if zucchini bread is a rite of baking passage for beginning cooks and bakers. It feels exotic on some level — grated vegetables in a bread? How foreign! — and yet it's so luscious. Ditto with carrot cake, right?

This recipe is a particular favorite. The applesauce guarantees this is moist without a lot of the extra calories something like buttermilk or sour cream might add, while the molasses give it a bit of zip. Enjoy!


Zucchini Bread
makes one loaf

ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking power
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 cup grated zucchini
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

method
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center once you've mixed them up. Add the wet ingredients and stir until well-blended. Pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake 1 hour.

Speedy Suppers

Janet here: It was a busy day at work, I had just finished driving nearly 2 hours to get home and I was beat. Since dinner was not going to miraculously appear on the table from the Cooking Fairy I often fantasize about on these kinds of days, I wanted something fast and easy. Time to rummage.

I found a zucchini, some pesto, pine nuts, grated Parmesan cheese and pasta. Fifteen minutes later we had a tasty nutritious dinner a thousand times better than the fast food I pondered picking up on my drive. What's your go-to rummage meal?

Zucchini Pasta
serves 4

ingredients
1 large zucchini, cut in half and then cut into 1/4 inch slices
2-3 tablespoons pesto (depends on your level of taste)
3/4 pound of your favorite pasta or whatever is in your pantry
pine nuts--I love these so I erred on the side of a lot. It's up to you
freshly grated Parmesan cheese (obviously other cheeses would work too)

method
Cook the pasta to al dente. While it's cooking, stir fry the zucchini in a little olive oil with the pine nuts until just cooked. Take off the heat.

Drain the pasta. Throw in the pesto and toss. Add the zucchini and pine nut mixture. Add the cheese and voila! A little bread if you're lucky to have some on hand, maybe a salad and you're good to go.

Simple Supper: Stir-fry

Rachel here: Stir-fry is such a great easy and healthy dinner. I had a really nice trip to the grocery store the other afternoon with M. She looked around and I told her about the different fruits and vegetables. In the process, I picked up fresh, local and seasonal vegetables to throw in a stir-fry for dinner. I think that that's my favorite thing about a stir-fry. Once I've decided that that's what I'm cooking, I can go to the grocery store completely open to whatever is freshest and from the closest farms and, in doing so, cook both a meal that is healthy for both my family and the planet. The following is what I cooked up for John and myself. We had a little bit of leftovers, so I'd say this meal will serve three.

ingredients
1 large carrot, sliced
1 summer zucchini, halved and sliced
half a medium eggplant, cubed
half a bunch of kale, chopped
2-3 T. fresh ginger, minced
2 T. whole grain mustard
soy sauce
olive oil
kosher salt

method
Heat skillet with olive oil and add eggplant and zucchini. Once they start to soften, add the carrots, ginger, mustard and soy sauce to taste. When the carrots are nearly done add the kale and cook until it wilts. Add salt if needed for flavor and serve with rice or couscous. Yum!

Janet here: The wok I got from my childhood friend, Michele, for my first wedding is with me today, very seasoned and lovely after nearly 30 (!) years of use. I think it's the best way to go for stir fry. Something about the quick cooking is different than with a frying pan, so that's my two cents there. I will also add that I got out of wokking a bit when our children were younger just based on who didn't like what veggies (see post on feeding kids here) but now that we are going to be empty nesters very soon, I anticipate getting to know my wok again much more intimately, and I can't wait.