glacier grist
issue #41 • Thursday, September 10, 2009
DID YOU KNOW?
The list above is conditional upon a few things. We all know we are headed for a frost. We should have all the ingredients listed above, but if it does frost, we might have to make some substitutions.
KEEPING THINGS FRESH
Squashes are native to North America and have been cultivated for thousands of years. They were a staple of early Americans diets. Early explorers of North America took squash back to Europe where it was cultivated.
Can you freeze zucchini? Not really. You can and use it for stews and soups, but because of the high water content, it just turns mushy. Now, because it turns mushy, you can use this to your advantage. I have read that some use it to thicken vegetable soups. And, even though this sounds totally weird, some enthusiastically claim they put frozen zucchini in their fruit smoothies. Because of the mildness of zucchini people say it blends right in with the other stronger tasting fruits. In the interest of science, I’m going to try it. If you have done this, please let me know what you think.
Check out Alison’s blog for more great helpful tips and recipes: www.AlisonsLunch.com
NEW PICK UP SITES
Have you checked out the list of new pick up sites on our website? If your pick up site is still convenient, great! But if not, please let me know and I will change it for you.
recipes
for glacier grist issue #41
zucchini cupcakes
Another fun blog is http://www.vanillagarlic.com. He has some interesting takes on some classics. Most everyone has a zucchini bread recipe that they make; especially if you grow or love zucchini. But I liked the idea of cupcakes. It helps with my portion control issues that crop up now and then. I froze a few as well and although I have not defrosted them yet, I would think they will still be fine. And, get this, children like them too. I read a lot of the comments and that seemed to be a definite plus for those of us who try to sneak in a vegetable for those unsuspecting little ones.
Makes 24 cupcakes / 350 F oven
3 cups of all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups of turbinado sugar (muscovado, raw, and brown could work in a pinch too. white sugar will work I guess, but I think you will get a different texture than I did)
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
4 eggs at room temperature
1 1/4 cup of vegetable oil
3 cups of grated zucchini
3/4 cup of raisins, currants or sultans
1. Combine in a large bowl the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Make a well in the center.
2. Whisk together the oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Pour into the dry ingredients and combine together. Batter will be very thick.
3. Add the zucchini and raisins, currants or what have you. The batter will gain more moisture and will become more workable. Scoop into cupcake papers a little over 1/2 full.
4. Bake for 18-24 minutes, being sure to rotate the pan after the first 15 minutes of baking. If a toothpick comes out clean when testing the cupcakes, they’re done. Place on a wire rack to cool.
cream cheese frosting
1/2 cup of butter (1 stick), room temperature
8 oz of cream cheese (1 package), room temperature
2 cups of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Cream the butter and cream cheese together, about 3 minutes. Scraped down the sides and bottom.
2. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Add the vanilla to taste. Spread or pipe onto cooled cupcakes.
Cook’s notes: I thought the frosting was a little too sweet so added some lemon zest. It did the trick. I had raw sugar around so used that. You can find it at all the stores in town now. I bet it would work with regular sugar as well.
zucchini “carpaccio”
Carpaccio usually refers to thin shavings of raw beef. This recipe, adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook, is quick, simple, and delicious. The trick is to get the zucchini as thin as possible. And the balsamic is optional. I think it benefits from it, but you can use a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice in a pinch.
1 medium zucchini
1/3 cup coarsely chopped parsley
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar (optional)
sea salt –to taste
freshly ground black pepper-to taste
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for shaving
1. Cut zucchini into very thin rounds. A mandolin would work well. Or cut them as paper thin as you can by hand.
2. Arrange slices in one layer, overlapping them slightly on a large platter and sprinkle with parsley.
3. Drizzle oil and vinegar (if using) over zucchini and season with salt and pepper.
4. With a vegetable peeler, shave curls of cheese on top.
zucchini soup (soupe aux courgettes)
This simple soup is a French recipe from The French Farmhouse Cookbook. You can puree the soup or leave it as is. The celadon broth with flecks of bright green is beautiful. It is good both hot and cold. It really benefits from the fresh herbs; otherwise the flavors are really flat.
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
3 cups (approximately) zucchini, grated
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup water (enough to cover vegetables)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup (loosely packed) fresh basil leaves
1. In a large heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until it begins to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and stir to blend it with the onion. Then add the liquids.
2. Increase the heat just enough to bring the soup to a boil. Then decrease it so the soup is simmering. Cook, covered, until the zucchinis tender through, about 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Puree the soup in a food processor, blender, or wand mixer or leave it chunky.
4. Just before serving, cut the basil leaves into fine strips.
5. Serve the soup and sprinkle in the basil leaves at the last minute.
Cook’s notes: If you don’t have basil, I have added a combination of fresh marjoram and parsley.
beet chips
(contributed by Nancy)
I like beets, but I was starting to get a backlog of them and even though they are a sturdy vegetable, I felt I needed to use them up. You want it crispy, but not burned.
1 or more beets, scrubbed well and sliced thinly (you don’t want to overcrowd your baking sheet)
olive oil, 1-2 tablespoons (see cook’s note)
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
1. Slice beets as thinly as you can.
2. Place on a cookie sheet and spoon over the oil. Massage the beet chips with olive oil, lightly sprinkle with salt and spread them in an even layer.
3. Roast at 400 F for 12-20 minutes or until crispy. Stir them about often so they get evenly roasted.
Cook’s note: I burned my first batch. They went from not done to ashes in a matter of minutes. Watch closely.
