Summer Bounty Recipes

[Indiana Rose Lee]

I don't know about you all, but I have a garden full of veggies, and am addicted to the Farmer's Market! Just so it isn't complained about this is relevant because it is a cheap and easy way to use the bounty, and to feed a hungry family in the summer months!

Beets
Beet quick bread http://www.thatsmyhome.com/hannahs/quick/beet-bread.htm

Beet Chips
http://www.grouprecipes.com/46030/sweet-n-salty-beet-chips.html

Tomatoes: Our latest is to slice, pile on basil, a bit of mozzarella, olive oil and broil for just a tiny bit.

So, what are you all fixing?

 

[tommya60]

I use the tomatoes to make the base for Ckn Tortilla Soup. I make it in batches and freeze it flat in ziploc bags.

3 ripe tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 large onion
sprigs of cilantro--hmm maybe about 4 or so
1 chipolte pepper (comes in adobo sauce in a can--look near the salsa)
1 teaspoon of the adobo sauce from the can of peppers
1/2 jalepeno pepper--seeds removed

Whirl it all up in the food processor. Pour into ziplock bag, seal and freeze.

To make the soup:
Spray the soup pot (I use a dutch oven) with olive oil. Add the tomato mix (if still frozen, add a little water). Cook until it changes color (time depends on how frozen it is). Add 8 cups chicken stock and shredded chicken. Cook about a half hour or so. Serve with tortilla chips, guacamole and sour cream.

Just FYI: If I have the time, I poach chicken thighs to make the stock and use that for the shredded chicken and to make chicken quesadilas. If not, I pick up a cooked chicken at the market--which is not budget friendly, but saves time. This is my daughter's favorite soup, and it uses up a lot of tomatoes.

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

i love tortilla soup. Your recipe looks yummy.

 

[secretpantssam]

Yum! Those beet chips sound great! I should have grown beets

 

[sb4k]

Those beet recipes sound fascinating. Just curious about the beet recipe is it sweet like banana bread? Too bad I'm gluten free that sounds yummy - google beet bread and something popped up about beet bread, pastrami, harvati cheese and a panini press. Although the recipe here does say something about canned beets and not fresh. Wonder how you could make the glaze without the reserved beet juice?

 

[threecrazykids]

I use the tomatoes to make the base for Ckn Tortilla Soup. I make it in batches and freeze it flat in ziploc bags.

3 ripe tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 large onion
sprigs of cilantro--hmm maybe about 4 or so
1 chipolte pepper (comes in adobo sauce in a can--look near the salsa)
1 teaspoon of the adobo sauce from the can of peppers
1/2 jalepeno pepper--seeds removed

Whirl it all up in the food processor. Pour into ziplock bag, seal and freeze.

To make the soup:
Spray the soup pot (I use a dutch oven) with olive oil. Add the tomato mix (if still frozen, add a little water). Cook until it changes color (time depends on how frozen it is). Add 8 cups chicken stock and shredded chicken. Cook about a half hour or so. Serve with tortilla chips, guacamole and sour cream.

Just FYI: If I have the time, I poach chicken thighs to make the stock and use that for the shredded chicken and to make chicken quesadilas. If not, I pick up a cooked chicken at the market--which is not budget friendly, but saves time. This is my daughter's favorite soup, and it uses up a lot of tomatoes.

Ok, because I'm a crockpotaholic (good lord that sounds like a drug addict ) I'm wondering if it would be possible to put the frozen tomato base, frozen chicken breasts, and chicken stock all in the crock at once in the morning and let it cook on low all day? Then when you come home all you'd have to do is get out the chips, guac, and sour cream and you're ready to eat! I'm gonna have to try this one!

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

I have been craving beets. I keep wondering if I am iron deficient! (No reason to think so, though.

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

I love my crockpot. I would certainly do that.

 

[tommya60]

I've never made the soup in the crock pot, but I imagine it would work. I might cook the tomato mix a bit in frying pan and then toss everything in the crock pot, but except for chicken, I brown any meat I put in the crockpot....

My D makes the tortilla strips--heat oven to about 400, spray cookie sheet with olive oil, cut tortilla's in strips (sissors or pizza cutter), spray with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Brown for about 8 minutes. I do not make these, I burn them every time. If she's not around, I use store bought chips--works for me.

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

I have tons of sweet corn, and I grew enough to freeze. But this crew of mine keeps eating it. We are quite content to have tomatoes and corn on the cob for dinner over and over again!

 

[lovemygoofy]

I do make my chicken tortilla soup in the crockpot. My receipe is simliar to the one posted above just different spices. I do soften my onions in a tomato base before throwing it in the crockpot with the chicken stock and other things.

A couple of our favorite veggie things in the summer:

black bean/veggie chili mac

diced up squash green or yello or both
diced up tomato(I use both big one and little ones)
diced onion and jalepeno and bell pepper
corn either cut off the cob or however you have it
small can of tomato sauce
chili seasoning(either homemade or pkt)
elbow macaroni

I saute up all the veggies while boiling the noodles. Once noodles are drained, I add in tomato sauce, chili seasoning, and veggies. I cook for an additional 30 mins on low. I serve with shredded cheese, sour cream and corn bread muffins


Taco pasta salad

any summer veggies diced up(squash, tomatoes, onions, etc..)
cooked pasta spirals
1/2 cup sour cream
tac o seasoning(either homemade or pkt)

I mix noodles and veggies with the sour cream taco seasoning mix and serve as a side at grill outs.


Stuffed tomatoes with tuna salad and baked sweet potato fries

Sliced portobella mushrooms grilled up with onions and peppers served as "cheese steak"

Portobella mushrooms stuffed with tuna and baked with cheese as a melt.

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

My sweet potatoe fries never turn crispy. Do yours?

And your mushrooms sound awesome!

 

[GoofyGolferGirl]

I am taking chopped squash okra tomatoes zuchinni and onion cooking it for a few minutes and then canning it for soup starter this winter. I have not tried it but thought it sounded great! you can also add corn any thing you have that can be used in vegetable soup.

 

[lovemygoofy]

My sweet potatoe fries never turn crispy. Do yours?

And your mushrooms sound awesome!

I drizzle olive oil, chili pepper and touch of brown sugar over my fries and then bake at 400 and last 5 mins or so turn on the boiler.

Also, in my house I have this rule about if it has a sauce it has veggie cut up in it. So when I make spaghetti sauce, sloppy joes, veggie lasagna, stuffed peppers or anything like this it has small diced veggie in it. Helps stretch the meat and adds veggie at the same time.

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

Great rule. You should have put it in a cookbood before Mrs. Seinfeld (whatever her name is!) wrote the cookbook with the camoed veggies!

 

[smacky1]

Tonight I made a recipe for "mock crab cakes" using zucchini from my friends garden. I got the basic recipe from allrecipes and tweeked it a bit. After reading the reviews I salted the shredded zucchini and let it sit in a strainer for an hour, then squeezed all the juice out. I used whole wheat bread crumbs and 3 tsp. of old bay seasoning. I also shredded the onion right along with the zucchini. Here is the recipe as listed on the site:

Connie's Zucchini 'Crab' Cakes
Ingredients

2 1/2 cups grated zucchini
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup minced onion
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning TM
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil for frying
Directions

In a large bowl, combine zucchini, egg, and butter or margarine. Stir in seasoned crumbs, minced onion, and seasoning. Mix well.
Shape mixture into patties. Dredge in flour.
In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium high heat until hot. Fry patties in oil until golden brown on both sides.

They were actually really good. They looked like crab cakes and had a very similar texture, but they didnt really taste like a crab cake.....still, I liked them and would make them again.

 

[Colleen27]

My sweet potatoe fries never turn crispy. Do yours?

And your mushrooms sound awesome!

The best thing for crispy sweet potato fries is a shake-and-bake type bag with a little olive oil in it. They have to get coated pretty evenly to get crisp in the oven, and I've found that a sprayer just doesn't get it done.

 

[Chim Chiminy]

I do huge pans of roasted veggies in the oven, then freeze them in containers to eat over the winter.

Basically just chop or slice up the veggies I have--tomato, zuke, onions, green beans, okra, eggplant, carrots and drizzle them with olive oil. Sprinkle on some sea salt and roast in the oven.
I do different combos of the veggies so we get some flavor variety.

One of our favorite dishes last winter was using the roasted veggies, I thawed them and then pureed in the blender.
I used the puree over some fish I cooked in the oven. It was really tasty.
I can also use them for soup base, to add to pasta, etc.

 

[Colleen27]

I've been roofing with my husband the last few days, so hot food is the last thing I've wanted for dinner. Veggie dinners from the garden are just heavenly when you're hot and dehydrated from being in the sun all day!

Last night, we had yellow & red cherry tomatoes with basil and green onions, all out of the backyard garden, mixed with mozzarella cheese and a little Italian dressing. Tomight it was chilled pasta with zucchini, summer squash, red onion, tomatoes, black olives, feta cheese and mild yellow peppers. Everything except the pasta, onion, olives, and feta came from my garden. I'm no good at sharing recipes, though, because I don't really use them for most of my dinners - I just throw a bunch of stuff that sounds like it'll blend well together, and it usually comes out pretty good.

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

Roofing is wretched! Good luck!

I appreciate the fry advice. My favorite restaurant that served them closed!