Zucchini Bread

•  3 eggs
• 1 ¼ cups sugar
• 2 cups grated zucchini (2 medium sized)
• 3 tsp vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• 1-cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup chopped nuts

Beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add sugar, oil, zucchini and vanilla. Mix lightly.  Combine flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Add to egg-zucchini mixture.  Stir until well blended, add nuts. Pour into two 9-1/2 x 3 inch loaf pans. Bake in preheated oven at 350F for 1 hour. Cool on rack.

These freeze well.

Shared by Viveca Sulich

Zucchini Pancakes

• 3 medium size zucchini trimmed and shredded
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• ¾ tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
• ¼-cup flour
• Oil for frying

Place zucchini in a colander and sprinkle with ½ tsp salt. .Set aside fir 30 minutes. Squeeze as much liquid as possible from the zucchini.  Sauté onion in butter in a skillet over medium heat, about 3 minutes. Transfer zucchini and onion to a large bowl.  Stir in eggs, flour, remaining ¼ tsp salt, pepper. Pour oil into a clean skillet and heat. Drop rounded Tbsp of batter into oil; flatten to 3-inch diameter. Cook, turning once until golden brown.

Makes 14 pancakes.

Shared by Viveca Sulich

Zucchini Squares

•  3 cups zucchini, thinly sliced or chopped
• 1 cup Bisquick
• ½ cup parmesan cheese
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp oregano
• 1 clove garlic finely chopped
• 1 cup milk
• ½ cup finely chopped onion
• 2 Tbsp parsley
• ½ tsp seasoned salt
• Dash pepper
• ½-cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs, slightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 13” x 9” pan. Mix all ingredients, spread in pan. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool slightly before cutting.

Shared by Viveca Sulich

Homemade Pesto

This recipe can be adjusted to suit your taste. Feel free to change, omit or substitute both amounts and ingredients. As you are making it, keep tasting it until you have it the way you like it. I never measure any of the ingredients so it always comes out a little differently each time.

• 8 oz cream cheese (softened)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp walnuts (or pine nuts)
• 1/2 cup parmesan or romano cheese (grated)
• 1 Tbsp butter (soft)
• 2 or more cloves fresh garlic
• 1/2 bunch (small handful) of fresh Italian parsley (flat parsley)
• 3 bunches of leaves (not stems) of fresh basil
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Juice from 1/2 lemon

I throw all of the ingredients into my food processor and blend until it makes a smooth paste (or less time for a chunkier texture). Add the basil leaves slowly and give it time to get blended or it won't all fit in your food processor. I add more butter or olive oil if it is too thick.

Refrigerate in an airtight container with a thin layer of olive oil on top to prevent the pesto from losing its bright green color. I have frozen it this way as well. As soon as the pesto is exposed to air, the color changes to olive green but is still fine to eat.

To use as sauce for pasta, heat on low flame, add olive oil or cream to thin out if too thick. In addition to a sauce for pasta, this tastes good as a layer over the ricotta cheese in lasagna, on homemade pizza and under the sauce on eggplant parmesan.

Shared by Nancy Wise

Cheese, Basil and Tomato Casserole

•  1-1/4 cups packaged onion/garlic croutons
• 3 medium-size ripe tomatoes sliced in 1/4 inch-thick slices
• 6 ounces mozzarella cheese cut in thin slices
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 1 Tbsp snipped fresh chives
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp bottled red wine vinegar and oil dressing

Scatter croutons over bottom of a 9-inch glass pie plate. Overlap alternate slices of tomato and mozzarella cheese on top in a circular pattern to cover. Sprinkle with basil, chives and pepper. Microwave uncovered on high 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 minutes until cheese is melted. (Since microwaves vary in wattage you may need to adjust the time accordingly). Remove from oven; spoon salad dressing on top. Let stand for five minutes for flavors to develop. Makes six servings.

Shared by Nancy Wise

Fresh Salsa

• 3 ripe tomatoes (medium), chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped gr.onion
• One 4-oz can mild green chilies (chopped)
• 2 Tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
• 1 Tbsp vinegar
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 Tbsp garlic salt (or fresh garlic minced)
• 1/2 Tbsp ground cumin
• Add cayenne, tabasco, jalapeno to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and let marinate for several hours, then refrigerate. Makes about 3 cups sauce.

Shared by Nancy Wise 

Corn Fritters

• 3 cups oil for frying
• 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon shortening, melted
• One 12-ounce can whole kernel corn, drained

Heat oil in a heavy pot or deep fryer to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C).

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Beat together egg, milk, and melted shortening; stir into flour mixture. Mix in the corn kernels.

Drop fritter batter by spoonfuls into the hot oil, and fry until golden. Drain on paper towels.

Shared by Michele Lawrence

Stewed Tomatoes

• 24 large tomatoes - peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 tablespoon white sugar

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine tomatoes, celery, onion, bell pepper, basil and sugar. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

Shared by Michele Lawrence

Summer Squash and Tomato with Cheese

• 2 lbs squash and/or zucchini, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, seeds removed, sliced
• 2 smallish tomatoes or one large tomato, peeled and cut into wedges
• 1/2 yellow onion, peeled and sliced
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped
• Olive oil
• 5 or 6 slices of cheese - jack or cheddar
• Basil, either dry or chopped fresh
• Salt and pepper

Put onion, garlic, squash, bell pepper into a large saucepan with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Put on high heat and brown the vegetables slightly to develop flavor. As you are browning, sprinkle either dried basil or chopped fresh basil on the vegetables. When vegetables are slightly browned, remove from heat, add the slices of cheese, and cover the pan.

In a separate stick-free fry pan, put the tomatoes and cook at medium hi heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want to let the juice from the tomatoes evaporate some. After 5 minutes, add the tomatoes to the rest of the vegetables and stir. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serves four.

Shared by Michele Lawrence

Brown Rice and Zucchini Casserole

• 2 cups uncooked brown rice
• 2 medium zucchini (if small use 3)
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 egg
• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• 1/2 tsp fresh or dried dill (if using fresh up to 1 tsp)
• 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

First, soak the rice. In a medium bowl add dry brown rice, 2 cups of warm water and apple cider vinegar. Cover the bowl with a towel and set aside to soak for 12-24 hours.

After the 12-24 hours has passed, drain and rinse the rice in colander. In a medium saucepan, add the rice and 2-1/2 cups water. Bring to boil, cover pot, lower heat to simmer and cook for 25 minutes until fluffy.

In a skillet over medium heat, add butter and onions and sauté until the onions are translucent but not browned.

Trim of the ends of the zucchini and grate using a box grater.

Put the grated zucchini in a clean dish towel and wring and twist the towel over the sink to release some of the moisture in the zucchini.

In a large bowl, add the rice, grated zucchini, sour cream, half of the grated cheese, egg, dill, lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

Butter a casserole dish and add the mixture, smoothing out the top with a spatula. Top with the remaining cheese.

Bake at 350 F for 35 minutes until the top is browned.

Shared by Christine Griffin 

Grilled Romaine Lettuce with Dressing a la Sunny

• 4 small or 2 large heads romaine lettuce
• 1 small clove (or ½ if large)
• ½ cup olive oil plus an extra tablespoon
• 4 anchovy fillets
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
• Juice of one lemon
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• Pinch of fresh ground black pepper

In a food processor or blender, process the garlic until finely minced. Add the ½ cup olive oil, anchovies, mustard, half the parmesan cheese, lemon juice and vinegar and blend. Taste for seasoning, add pepper. Since the cheese and anchovies are salty you should not need to add salt.

Cut lettuce heads lengthwise and if heads are large cut again into quarters. Brush with olive oil and place on a hot grill for a few minutes on each side until lightly charred with grill marks. Remove lettuce to a platter. Drizzle with dressing and top with remaining parmesan.

Shared by Christine Griffin 

Grandma D’s Pesto

• 1 large bunch of pesto, leaves only, washed
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 small handful of pine nuts
• ¾ cup parmesan, freshly grated
• Few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Start chopping the garlic along with half of the basil leaves. Once it’s loosely chopped, add more basil while continuing to chop the mixture until it’s a fine mince. At this point, slowly chop in the pine nuts and parmesan. Transfer the pesto mince to a small bowl and add the extra virgin olive oil.

There are thousands of ways to use this versatile mixture – spread it on a chicken sandwich, toss it with roasted vegetables or even just combine it with pasta for a quick meal. The possibilities are endless. And yummy.

Shared by Nora Wagner

Pickled Eggplant

• 1 large or 2 small eggplants
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1 Tbsp paprika
• 1 large pinch cayenne
• 1 rounded tsp cumin powder
• 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

Cut eggplant into long thin strips leaving peel attached. Steam for 12 minutes. Pat dry. Heat oil over high flame, add garlic, when soft mash with fork, then discard. Put eggplant strips in oil, add paprika, cayenne and cumin. Cook uncovered turning often until lightly browned and very soft.(about 5-6 minutes) Add vinegar and cook 1 minute. Serve warm or cold. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Shared by Nancy Wise 

Pork-stuffed Eggplant

• 2 small eggplants(about 1 pound each)
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped(about 1/2 cup)
• 1 small onion, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
• 3 tsp oil
• 2 cups cut-up cooked pork( or any other leftover cooked meat)
• 1-1/2 cups cooked rice
• 1 can(16 ounces) whole tomatoes (or homemade cooked  fresh tomatoes)
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 Tbsp freshly snipped basil leaves
• 4 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Cut eggplants in half. Cut enough eggplant from shell to measure 3 cups; reserve shells. Cook and stir eggplant, green pepper and onion in oil over medium heat, 5 minutes.

Heat oven to 350F. Add pork, rice, tomatoes with liquid, garlic, basil, salt and pepper to eggplant mixture; break up tomatoes with fork. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Place eggplant shells in ungreased shallow baking pan; spoon pork mixture into shells. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp cheese over each shell. Bake uncovered until eggplant is tender, 30-40 minutes. 4 servings.

Rotelle Pasta With Garden Vegetables

• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 3 cups chopped leeks
• 1-1/2 cups EACH chopped onions, red peppers strips and sliced carrots
• 1 pound slivered cooked chicken
• 1/2 cup chopped  fresh parsley
• 4 tsp fresh basil leaves
• 4 large tomatoes peeled, seeded and diced
• 4 cups diced zucchini
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 package(16 ounces) Rotelle or other favorite type of pasta
• 1/4 cup of butter, melted
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Romano cheese

Heat 1/4 cup of butter and oil in large skillet. Add leeks, onions, peppers, carrots, chicken, parsley and basil. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, zucchini, broth, garlic, salt and pepper. Cover and cook 15-20 minutes until vegetables are tender. Cook and drain pasta. Toss with melted butter and cheeses. Add vegetable mixture and toss again. Makes 8 servings.

Zucchini Bars

• 3/4 cup butter(softened)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1-3/4 cups flour
• 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 cups shredded, unpeeled zucchini(about 3 medium)
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 3/4 cup finely chopped nuts
• Cinnamon Frosting

Heat oven to 350F. Cream butter in medium bowl until light. Beat in sugar gradually; add eggs one at a time. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder and then stir into mixture. Stir in zucchini, coconut and nuts. Spread evenly in well greased 15x 0 inch pan. Bake 40 minutes until done. Spread icing while still warm. Makes 3 dozen bars.

Cinnamon Frosting

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2-1/2 Tbsp milk
• 1-1/2 Tbsp melted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Beat together until smooth

Squash Bean Soup

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large ribs celery, with tops, chopped
• 1/2 cup julienne-cut pepperoni, salami, ham or any leftover meat
• 1 small can chopped mild green chilies
• 2 Tbsp oil
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 lbs. winter squash (any variety, even pumpkin tastes good), peeled and cubes (3 cups)
• 1 or 2 cans drained red kidney beans (black beans taste great, too)
• 1/2 cup snipped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• salt and pepper to taste

In Dutch oven (or large pot) over medium heat, cook onion, garlic, celery, and meat in oil for about 10 minutes until onion/celery is tender, stirring to keep from sticking. Add broth; cover and bring to a boil. Add squash, cilantro, green chilies, beans and cumin. Cover and lower heat to a simmer and cook until squash is tender, 20-30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Tastes even better the next day. This soup freezes well, too. This recipe is fun to experiment with and will taste differently each time you make it depending on the ingredients used.

Shared by Nancy Wise