Zucchini Bake

It is that time of year again, zucchinis are in season and if you have ever grown them you know how prolific they can be.  With the baby it can be a little tricky to know how long she will sleep so I am not sure if I am going to get a chance to do much preserving this year so I have been on the lookout for new ways to use up zucchinis.  I was doing some house sitting and came across a zucchini and cheese bake recipe but for the life of me I could not find a cheese grater anywhere in the house so I decided to try it with out the cheese.  It turned out quite well and I am pretty sure it will become a summer staple for us.  It is really easy to prepare, especially if you use a food processor or mandolin to slice up the vegetables.

Zucchini Bake

2 large zucchini, thinly sliced

2 cups mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 tbsp olive oil

1. In a large baking or casserole dish alternate layering the zucchini, mushrooms and red onion.  
2. Sprinkle the top with the oregano and olive oil.
3. Preheat the oven to 400. Cover the dish with tinfoil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove the tinfoil and bake for another 10 minutes. 

Fava Bean and Asparagus Salad

The summer is a great time to enjoy a nice salad with fresh vegetables from the garden that are not available during the rest of the year.  Fava beans are easy to grow and do so much for the soil so we often grow them.  My in-laws came over with a surplus of vegetables form their garden the other day and they were kind enough to shared some of their bounty.  Fava beans were among the pickings from the day.  I decided to search for ideas to make a fava bean salad.  After looking at a few different recipes I decided to create my own after taking ideas from a few different places.  It tasted wonderful on it's own but the addition of some bacon or cheese would be fine if you wanted a little more.

Fava Bean and Asparagus Salad

2 cups peas (fresh or frozen)

2 cups fava beans

2 bunches asparagus

6 sun-dried tomatoes, sliced

1 can artichoke hearts

1 shallot, thinly sliced

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1. Cook the lava beans in boiling water until just tender, about 4 minutes.  Remove them with a slotted spoon and place into cold water to prevent further cooking.  After they have cooled, remove the outer skins and place into your salad bowl.
2. If you are using frozen peas add them to the bowl as is but if you are using fresh peas cook them in the boiling water until they are just tender, about 3 minutes.  Once they are tender remove them with a slotted spoon and place them in cold water to prevent further cooking. Then once they have cooled add them to the salad bowl.
3. Add the asparagus to the boiling water and cook until just tender, about 4 minutes.  Remove them with tongs and place them in cold water to stop them from continuing to cook.  Once they have cooled you may decide to cut the spears into bite size pieces or add them directly into the salad bowl.
4. Combine the vegetable oil and shallots into a pot over medium heat and cook until the shallots are a golden brown.  Remove the shallots and place them on paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
5. Drain and rinse the artichoke hearts and slice them in to smaller pieces.  Add them to the salad bowl.
6. Add the sliced sun-dried tomatoes to the bowl and add the olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Then toss the ingredients together.
7. Add the shallots as a garnish and serve.

Red Current Compote

I love currents and at the farm we have about 15 red current bushes.  This year we have collected quite the harvest.  This year we decided to pick the sprays off the bushed and because of the heat we would remove the individual currents in the cool of our home.  We had 12 litres of sprays to process so we enlisted the help of my in-laws to help us with the task.  They were awesome and we had a lovely couple of hours talking while working.  Before we started I thought it would be nice to bribe them with some baked brie cheese and a red current compote.  It was such a hit some individuals (not mentioning any names) mopped up their plates and the serving bowl in order to make sure there was not any wasted.
This recipe is simple and very enjoyable.  Depending on how many people you are planning to feed with it, you may want to double the recipe.  It goes well with meats as well as cheese and can be used as a spread for bread.

Red Current Compote

1 1/2 cups red currents

6 tbsp red wine

4 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp butter

2 tsp corn starch

1. Combine the ingredients into a sauce pan over medium heat. Stir it while it comes to a boil.
2. Reduce the heat and continue stirring until it reaches the desired consistancy. 

Summer Tomato Salad

There are so many wonderful things about summer and one of the things I enjoy is the ability to eat fresh locally grown produce.  My husband and I keep a vegetable garden but this year with the baby we haven't really planted anything except for tomatoes and some herbs.  Our tomatoes are not ready yet but this salad is one that taste amazing, especially when you can use tomatoes fresh off the vine.  It is even better if you can pick the herbs from the garden as well.

Summer Tomato Salad

2 - 3 fresh, sliced tomatoes

~ 1/2 cup green onions

~ 1/2 cup parsley

~1/4 cup fresh basil

1/4 - 1/2 cup feta cheese

1/3 cup olive oil

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp dijon mustard

1. Slice the tomatoes and lay out the slices on a large platter or an attractive plate.
2. Sprinkle each slice with chopped green onion, fresh basil and parsley.
3. Top with crumbled feta cheese.
4. Blend together the olive oil, vinegar and dijon.  Sprinkle it onto the salad just before serving.

Lemon Sorbetto

I love lemons! I find them so refreshing.  The only thing I would rather have than a glass of lemonade on a hot summers day is the lemon sorbetto.  It really hits the spot.  I have tried making this a couple of time with different varieties of lemons but I think my favourite type to use is the regular variety you get at the grocery store.

Lemon Sorbetto

1 cup fresh lemon juice, strained and chilled

2 cups water

2 cups sugar

1 tbsp finely chopped grated lemon zest

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the water and sugar.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking often to help the sugar dissolve.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 4 minutes.  Continue whisking until the sugar has dissolved.  Remove from the heat and let cool, then transfer to a bowl, cover the bowl and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
2. Combine the simple syrup, lemon juice and rind in the container of the ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Mango Sorbetto

I am so excited for the warm weather to be back, not only because I love spending time outside in the sunshine but because my husband makes wonderful frozen treats.  A couple of years ago I got him an ice cream maker for Christmas and I think it is one of the best things I could have got him because I love the results.  Our freezer is always stocked with some of his various creations.  This mango sorbetto has to be one of my favourites, I prefer it to mango ice cream because nothing else competes for the mango flavour.
I was so happy when I went to the grocer and found a great deal on some mangos I couldn't resist the urge to by some for some fresh mango sorbetto.  This recipe really lets the naturally amazing flavour of the mango shine!

Mango Sorbetto

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

4 large mangos, peeled and cut into chunks (about 4 cups)

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the water and sugar.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking often to help the sugar dissolve.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 4 minutes.  Continue whisking until the sugar has dissolved.  Remove from the heat and let cool, then transfer to a bowl, cover the bowl and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
2. In a blender, combine the simple syrup and mangos and blend until smooth.
3. Pour the mixture into the ice cream maker's container and churn according to directions.  Freeze in an airtight container for at least two hours before serving.

Whole Wheat Bread

I love having the smell of fresh baked bread in my house and there are few things as satisfying as eating  a fresh piece of bread with melted butter all over it.  I must admit I am not a huge fan of the kneading involved in making bread from scratch but I found a recipe that looked simple enough that I decided to try using the bread hook on my stand mixer instead of doing it by hand.  It worked well and raised very nicely.

Whole Wheat Bread

2 1/2 cups very warm water

1 tbsp lemon juice

3 tbsp honey

2 tbsp oil

1 tsp salt

1tbsp instant yeast

2 cups white flour

3 cups whole wheat flour

1. Stir together the water, lemon juice, honey and oil in a bowl.
2. In a large bowl stir together the flours, salt and yeast.
3. Pour the wet mixture into the dry and stir until combined.
4. Either knead for 10 minutes or use a bread hook on a stand mixer for about 5 minutes.
5. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and allow to double in size (about 45 minutes to 1 hour).
6. Punch the dough down and form into loaves (makes 3 regular sized loaves).  Place the loaves in well greased pans and allow to rise for 30-45 minutes.
7. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.