Summer Harvest Stuffing Recipe

Ingredients:

1 T EVOO

1 small onion, diced

1 clove garlic, diced

1 small zucchini, diced

1 ear of corn, boiled or steamed, kernels removed

1 chicken liver (optional and presumably from the chicken to be served with stuffing)

2 C bread, cubed or torn into small pieces

1 C stock of choice (I made mine by simmering the neck of my chicken in a pot of water alongside my stuffing)

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

If you are using the chicken liver from your chicken, dice and set aside. If you are going to make your own "in the moment" stock, add neck to about 6 cups of water and heat on back burner, covered.

Heat EVOO in medium sauce pan. When ready, add onions. When onions are translucent, add garlic, zucchini and corn. If at any point from here forward the mixture begins to stick to the pan or burn, add some chicken stock (think: risotto!). When zucchini is BRIGHT green add chopped liver, if using. When the liver is completely browned add the bread along with a ladle-full of chicken stock. Continue cooking and stirring until mixture is thoroughly combined. You may not need to use all 2 cups of your stock, but it will be good to have on hand depending on the density or age of the bread you are using. At the point when it is just a little too moist for your liking put the cover on, remove from heat and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Just before serving, open the lid and "fluff with a fork" as our trusty StoveTop box always says and enjoy!

Zucchini Processing

I bought a bushel of zucchini from Cedar Circle Farm in Thetford, VT for $15. I sliced into coins and blanched 6 pints for pasta and risotto dishes. I "planked" two cookie trays worth for broiling and lasagnas. Annie (the rockstar!) shredded zucchinis for over and hour and we bagged it into 26 two cup bags, which is exactly the amount needed for our zucchini bread recipe. We may also use the shredded squash for fritters or in place of pasta.

I still have ~12 zucchini in my crisper which I have been incorporating into our meals. I may put a few of them in the freezer which, I KNOW, is in total violation of the correct processing rules, but I think it will be fine :)

Project Broccoli

Purchased bushel of broccoli from Hurricane Flats farm for $27. In one hour Scott and I trimmed, washed and blanched all 18 pounds. It is currently flash-freezing.

Basil into Pest

Purchased 12 bunches from Hurricane Flats Farm (Royalton, VT) at Norwich Farmers Market.

Cost: $10

Used 1 1/2 cups pine nuts.

Cost: $20

We had everything else and will add the Parmesan or Romano cheese when we defrost and prepare to serve.

Recipe/instructions: http://www.pickyourown.org/pesto.php

Yield: 30 1/2 cup portions flash frozen in muffin tins which will feed the four of us over pasta for one meal.

Zucchini Bread Recipe

1 C. Oil

2 C. Brown Sugar

3 Eggs

2 C. shredded zucchini

1 t. Vanilla

3 C. Whole Wheat Flour

1/2 t. Baking powder

1 t. Baking soda

1 t. Salt

3 t. Cinnamon

1 Generous Handful Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease two standard loaf pans. Combine oil and sugar in mixer. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla, cranberries, applesauce, chocolate chips. Mix in dry ingredients. Bake for one hour or until top puffs up and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

It's in the oven right now. I have no idea if it will be any good! UPDATE: It is delicious! The applesauce helped to lighten it up.

August Lunch Menu

For a visit with family in our new Upper Valley home we had a feast of local vegetables and homemade treats:

Oven Fried Chicken

Corn on the Cob

Broiled Zucchini and Onions with fresh tomatoes and balsamic vinegar

Coleslaw

Our homemade Bread and Butter and New Pickles

Zucchini Bread

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Making Pickles

This summer we have been working on pickles. We started with an experimental 6 pints of dilly beans using a basic dill recipe plus red pepper flakes for kick. Once we got going we made and put by 24 pints of sweet bread and butter pickles using a recipe from simplyrecipes.com.

We put by 19 quarts of dill pickles using this recipe from allrecipes.com.

We also made a few quarts "new pickles" or "half sours" by using the dill recipe, doubling the garlic and leaving out the dill. I did not can these, but put them directly into the refrigerator and started eating them after 8 hours. I have made them in advance for lunch guests.

We bought a bushel and a half of cucumbers and about half a peck of green beans in addition to onions, garlic and dill at our local farm stands and will be looking forward to crunch (I hope!) cukes through the winter!