A couple more meals come straight from the garden
As the summer has progressed, the leaves of the zucchini plant
in my yard have expanded to shade much of the area on one fence in
the yard. One of the issues with the big leaves on the plant is
that they can sometimes make it easy to miss some of the vegetables
until they become a bit overgrown. Sometimes the zucchini will get
to be twice as long and wide as is typical. The smaller zucchini
tend to be a little more tender so we try to keep an eye out for
them so they don’t become too big. But once in a while, one will
get missed on the back side of the plant. Recently, we missed one
zucchini until it had grown to almost three feet in length.
A couple more meals come straight from the garden
As the summer has progressed, the leaves of the zucchini plant in my yard have expanded to shade much of the area on one fence in the yard. One of the issues with the big leaves on the plant is that they can sometimes make it easy to miss some of the vegetables until they become a bit overgrown. Sometimes the zucchini will get to be twice as long and wide as is typical. The smaller zucchini tend to be a little more tender so we try to keep an eye out for them so they don’t become too big. But once in a while, one will get missed on the back side of the plant. Recently, we missed one zucchini until it had grown to almost three feet in length.
My dad was so impressed with the size of the vegetable that he had to take pictures of it to share with other people. While impressive in size, it did pose a concern about how to use it. It was too big to use as a side dish for one meal, but if we cut up part of it, the rest wouldn’t last very long. In the end, my parents cut it in half, using part of it for stuffed zucchini, which includes a meatloaf-like mixture baked inside the vegetable. For the other half, we decided it would be perfect for skillet eggs with squash. Since the zucchini was going to be shredded up, it didn’t matter if it wasn’t very tender. Though the meal was recommended for a weekend meal, the longest part of the preparation was tossing the shredded zucchini with salt, and then allowing it to drain out the liquid for a while. The recipe cooked up easily and had a lot of flavor from the peppers and scallions.
Along with the zucchini, we’ve continued to get a lot of tomatoes out of our garden. I found a recipe below for bacon and tomato pasta that seemed like it would be quick and tasty. I substituted the Roma tomatoes for an heirloom, some early girls and a bunch of cherry tomatoes. The key is to add the tomatoes at the end of the cook time so they maintain some of their shape. It was a tasty dish with fresh basil and tomatoes from the garden.
Skillet eggs with squash
Recipe courtesy of Food Network Magazine
3 (6 medium) summer squash and/or zucchini
Kosher salt
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
Freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
6 large eggs
1/2 c. grated pepper jack or sharp white cheddar cheese
Grate the squash into a colander using the large holes of a box grater (or use a food processor fitted with the shredding attachment). Toss with 1 tablespoon salt, then let drain in the sink, 30 to 40 minutes. Squeeze the squash to remove as much liquid as possible.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Set aside 3 tablespoons scallion greens. Add the remaining scallions (white and green parts), the jalapeno, and salt to taste and cook until the scallions are soft, about 3 minutes. Add the shredded squash and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 7 minutes. Stir in the parsley, nutmeg, and pepper to taste. Cook until the mixture is slightly dry, about 1 more minute. Remove from the heat and let cool, 5 minutes.
Spread the squash evenly in the skillet. Make six 2 1/2-inch-wide indentations in the mixture with the back of a spoon; put 1/2 teaspoon butter in each one. One at a time, crack each egg into a small bowl and pour into an indentation. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with the cheese.
Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the egg whites are set and the yolks are cooked to desired doneness, 10 to 12 minutes. Scatter the reserved scallion greens on top.
Bacon and tomato pasta
Recipe courtesy of Guy Fieri
2 tbsp. kosher salt
16 oz. spaghetti pasta
1 lb. thick-cut bacon or pancetta, chopped
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 c. red onion, diced
1 tsp. red chili flakes
3 tbsp. garlic, minced
2 c. Roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 c. red wine
4 tbsp. basil, chiffonade
1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a large stock pot, boil 3 quarts of water, when boiling add 2 tablespoons kosher salt and the pasta and cook until the pasta is al dente.
In a large saute pan over medium heat, add bacon and saute until bacon is crispy. Remove bacon to drain on a paper towel-lined plate and remove 3/4 of the bacon fat from the pan. Add extra-virgin olive oil, onions, and red chili flakes. Cook until onions are translucent, add garlic, cook for 2 minutes then add tomatoes. Saute for 5 minutes, then deglaze with wine.
Drain pasta and add to the tomato mixture pan. Add basil and bacon. Toss with Parmesan, and add salt and pepper, to taste.
