Here to answer the age old question of what to do with garden zucchini, a post from my sister Amanda Schaefer. The photos are mine after I tried the recipe. I recommend it!
Introducing Amanda Schaefer:
As usual, our garden has a large supply of zucchini this year. I am always looking for new ways to use it, and last year tried this recipe that I found on Pinterest. I have made it several times this year, and there never seems to be enough! Here is the recipe if you would like to try it:
Makes one 9×5″ loaf
◾2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
◾2 teaspoons baking powder
◾1/2 teaspoon salt
◾2 eggs
◾1/2 cup canola oil
◾2/3 cup sugar
◾1/2 cup buttermilk
◾Juice of 1 lemon (or 2 Tablespoons lemon juice)
◾Zest of 1 lemon
◾1 cup grated zucchini (you don’t need to peel the zucchini before grating it)
Preheat oven to 35o degrees. Grease and flour a 9×5″ loaf pan; set aside.
In large bowl, blend flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
In medium bowl, beat 2 eggs well, then add canola oil and sugar, and blend well. Then add the buttermilk, lemon juice, and lemon zest and blend everything well. Fold in zucchini and stir until evenly distributed in mixture.
Add this mixture to the dry ingredients in the large bowl and blend everything together, but don’t overmix.
Pour batter into prepared 9×5″ loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (if your oven tends to run hot, check the loaf after 40 minutes; also, if you make this in an 8×4″ loaf pan, your baking time may be a little longer…about 5 to 10 minutes more). Cool in pan 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack and cool completely. While loaf is cooling, you can make the glaze…
LEMON GLAZE
◾1 cup powdered sugar
◾Juice of 1 lemon (or 2 Tablespoons lemon juice)
In small bowl, mix powdered sugar and lemon juice until well blended. Spoon glaze over cooled loaf. Let glaze set, then serve.
I usually double this, and make it in a long loaf pan, or bundt pan.
This is the second batch of fermented salsa. It is really lovely that everything came from the homegrown garden....Everything, except the whey. The whey came from a batch of homemade saurkraut.
I don't have exact measures for this, as I used things as they came out of the garden. If you have too much for whatever jar you choose, just eat it fresh....It is salsa, right?
Tomatoes
roasted onions
cilantro
roasted peppers
garlic
lime juice
jalapeno
whey ( 1/4 c. per quart of salsa)
Set out at room temperature for 2 days. Put in frig for another day to mellow. Serve!
I've been wanting to make some fermented food for awhile now. It is pretty popular right now it seems, I get that idea from reading posts on Facebook and from various sites. When I saw this recipe, I knew it was time to try:
The first batch went quickly, as in it was gone no time and was very nice indeed! I have my second batch working it's magic, we are hooked! Here is the recipe I came up with:
1 head cabbage, core it and shred
1 kohlrabi, shredded, or sliced paper thin
2 carrots, shred
1/4 c. whey (drain the whey off of some yogurt)
1/2 tbsp. sea salt
Put all this in a big bowl and beat it up with a masher. I also squeeze it and punch it with clean hands. Cover and let the juices develop for 30 minutes. Come back and squeeze it a couple of times to help it along. Press very tightly into a quart jar with the right kind of lid. You can get special fermenting lock lids for canning jars, or use a jar like shown below. Pour the juices over it and press more to get the veg under the juices. Put on the shelf for 3 to 7 days. Everyday I visit the kraut and push under the juices and smell of it, it should smell sour, and not rotten. You will see it bubble, when the bubbles stopped, I put it in the frig. The kraut will still ferment in the frig, but it will be slowly at this point. The flavours will continue to develop. Taste it from time to time to see if it is there. Enjoy with the recipe above, over brats, or on reuben.
I also made some kimchee, not as popular as the kraut but good with Korean style ribs.
Now this stuff was brill! It is called cordito, it is absolutely delicious as a posole topping.
The next picture isn't fermented, but pickled. It is a relish I make from my garden cukes.
Sorry, no exact measures this time. I make as I need it, dictated by cucumber harvest. Small chopped cucumber and onion in a bowl. Equal amounts vinegar and sugar, turmeric, celery seed, cumin, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Boil until the sugar is dissolved. Pour hot over the cucumber and onion mixture. Pack the veg into a jar and pour enough picking liquid to just cover. You reserve the liquid for another batch if you have some left over. Keep the relish in the refrigerator.
Produce, glorious produce!
These courgettes came from the same plant, round and different colours.
I made a moist cornbread muffin from them.
I used a basic cornbread recipe and added fresh corn kernels and shredded courgette to the mixture. Try it, they are good!
Here are some flowers, enjoy!
The happy sunflower reaching for the sky, complete with a bee. Classic!
In my garden, this shall be known as the year of the aubergine.
I am getting too many to fit in the picture, about a dozen every three days, or so.
Lots of, from this....
....To this.
Opening up, bees welcome!
Survivors of the "Great Shiso Disaster"
The okra is still going.....
More fermenting, thought I would try to ferment salsa this time.
