100 Ways to Use Zucchini

I can't believe it has been over two months since I posted here. We'll blame it on the Northeast Hop Alliance, Twitter, and Facebook. I only seem to be able to balance about three Web 2.0 tools at a time. We're still eating at least 85-90% local - either from CNY Bounty, our own farm, or the Hamilton farmers market. I have to admit that we have swayed a bit lately by eating out (lobster on Friday at Empire Brewing Company - but it was served with local sweet corn and local salt potatoes). And I have bought a few things like bananas and shrimp which I have had cravings for. But all our beef, pork, chicken and eggs, all our vegetables, all our bread and flour, most of our pastas, nearly all our dairy products, and all our condiments are from local sources.

We planted just a small garden this year and we still have TOO MUCH SQUASH. We have had grilled zucchini, zucchini salad, stewed tomatoes and zucchini, and tonight, zucchini lasagna. On the list for next week, sweet fried zucchini, zucchini cake, and zucchini parmesan. Well, I guess that is only about 7 ways, but it was about all I could think of on my own. So, I went to the Internet and searched for 100 Ways to Use Zucchini . (Yes, there was actually a site with that name and I think they really had 100 ways to use zucchini.) I'm adding zucchini rolls and stuffed zucchini to my list. I also found a vegan site dedicated to zucchini that has some beautiful pictures. Add Mexican zucchini soup and zucchini creole on polenta.

This recipe has to be about the most interesting one I've found and it looks like a great way to use up a lot of zucchini (I think I'll use the yellow zucchini for this so it may even look like orange marmalade.)

Gingered Zucchini Marmalade
Makes 4 8-oz jars

2 oranges
2 lemons
3 tbsp chopped gingerroot
5 cups shredded peeled zucchini
1 tart apple, cored and grated
4 cups granulated sugar

Use vegetable peeler and remove peel from each orange in one long strip. Cut into thin strips and place in a large deep saucepan and set aside. Remove white pith and skin and pith from lemons. Set fruit aside. Place orange and lemon pith and lemon peel and gingerroot into a cheesecloth and tie to make a spice bag. Add to saucepan.

Working over saucepan to catch juice, separate orange and lemon segments from membrane. Place segments in saucepan and squeeze membrane to remove as much juice as possible, collecting it in the saucepan. Discard membrane and seeds.

Add zucchini, apple and sugar to saucepan and mix well. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Boil hard, stirring frequently, until mixture reaches gel stage - about 45 minutes. Skim off foam and remove spice bag.

Meanwhile, prepare canner, jars and lids.

Ladle hot marmalade into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rim, center lid, and screw down band until resistance is met, then increase to finger tight. Place jars in canner, making sure they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove, cool and store.

Give as gifts to non-suspecting friends to see if they can guess the "mystery" ingredient.

SOURCE: Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving.

Feeling GOOOOD.

CREAM OF ASPARAGUS AND LEEK SOUP... YUMMM.
Served with grilled chicken breast and watermelon.

About this time last year, I broke my right leg at the knee in a stupid accident on the farm. Since then, I've hobbled and wobbled and cobbled my way through each day, often in pain, at best with a limp, and definitely not wanting to do much physically. But today, I felt renewed. It's as if that torrential storm last night washed away my pain and cares. I got up at 9:00, sat on the porch with my diet Pepsi, and said "OK, let's get on with it."

I began by decluttering the craft room. I have discovered "Space Bags". Did you know that you can put sixteen 8-oz skeins of yarn in one large Space Bag? Stuff it, depuff it, and stick it on a shelf. Cool. I then Facebooked with my family in Florida, changed the sheets, did four loads of wash and hung them on the line, vacuumed the living room and family room, and swept and mopped the kitchen, dining room, and bathroom, did up all the dishes (and put them away!) and cleaned the kitchen. Checked the fermentation of the plum wine I made on Monday. Made a coffee cake. And have a pot of fresh asparagus and leek soup on the stove. And it's only 11:24. I expect by 11:30, I'll have also done the grocery shopping for the week on Bounty! Feeling GOOOOOD!

ASPARAGUS SOUP - ala Emeril, modified for two.

1 pounds fresh asparagus, rinsed
2 1/2 - 3 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup minced shallots and/or leeks,whites only, well rinsed
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon salt
pinch ground pepper
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan, garnish

Trim the tips from the asparagus, about 1 to 1 1/2 inches in length. Cut the woody stem ends from each spear and reserve. Cut the remaining tender stalks into 1/2-inch pieces.

In a medium pot, bring the stock to a boil. Add the tough woody stems, lower the heat and simmer to infuse with asparagus flavor, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and discard, reserving the stock.

Add the decorative tips to the stock and blanch until tender, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Remove with a strainer and refresh in an ice water bath. Drain on paper towels and reserve for the garnish. Reserve the stock.

In a medium stockpot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and garlic and cook about 3 minutes. Add the chopped asparagus stalks, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the reserved broth and simmer until the asparagus are very tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Puree the soup until smooth in food processor or with immersion blender. If serving right away, return to medium heat and add the cream and reserved asparagus tips. Cook, stirring, until the soup is warmed through, about 3 minutes.

If serving the soup later, do not add the cream and let cool at room temperature (or in an ice water bath). Cover and refrigerate. Before serving, add the cream and asparagus tips, and warm the soup gently over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

To serve, ladle into shallow bowl and sprinkle with cheese (optional).

Enough Said

Oops - Two weeks in a row that I remembered my BOUNTY order at 12:02 PM on Monday. Thankful the Farmer's Markets are open now. But it sure is nicer to order from Bounty in my recliner than to walk the Farmer's Market in the wind and rain like I did this weekend.

Saturday Supper

With The Imaginary Farmer's fresh elm oyster mushrooms and Drover Hill garlic bologna from my Poolville Winter Farmers Market visit and a few CNY Bounty fridge and pantry finds, I put together a simple Saturday dinner.

Grilled medallions of garlic bologna (Drover Hill)
Warm sauerkraut and carrot slaw (Mac Donald Farm and Stick and Stone Farm)
Cream of elm oyster mushroom soup (The Imaginary Farmer, Queensboro Farm, Gianforte Farm)
Warm glazed apples in maple cornbread crumb crust (Split Rail Apples, Red Jacket Orchard, SVCS FFA, Gianforte Farm)

Super simple Saturday supper - really.

Poolville Bounty

I missed the CNY Bounty order deadline last week so I decided to take a roadtrip over to the Poolville Winter Farmers Market. First, I was surprised to see so many people there. I had to walk a quarter mile from my car to the community center where the market is held. But hey, I need the exercise and the visit was well worth the walk.

My shopping haul:
1/2 pound Elm Oyster Mushrooms from The Imaginary Farmer
1 pound Old Granddad sharp cheddar from Jewitt's Cheese
1 quart Strawberry yogurt from Evan's Creamery

I talked with friends from Maple Avenue Farm, Jewitts, Quarry Brook Farm, and Drover Hill Farm who were all selling their tasty products which are staples of our Bounty diet. Also ran into the folks from Empire Brewing Company who were there shopping for today's slow food brunch. We had a nice chat about the beer that they are making with our hops. (Dave - my vote goes to "EMPIRE GOLD").

In case you are wondering, here is the menu for their slow food brunch posted on Facebook.

Empire Brewing Company ...today's 'Slow Food' sunday brunch specials: FREE RANGE OMELET- w/ Amish eggs, 10 yr aged cheddar, Elm oyster mushroom & spring chive w/ breakfast potato & organic rosemary bread... BELTED GALWAY BURGER - Meadowwood Farms prime beef burger topped w/ sundried tomato & basil cheddar... OYSTER MUSHROOM FAJITA - local... two-tone Elm mushrooms w/ spring thyme, onion, pepper, nys cheddar-jack & a moca heti

I also met the very nice folks from Poolville Country Store and Gianforte Farms flour milling. I hope to produce a new Foothill Farms product with Gianforte grains. More to come.

On a non-food note, I talked at length with Heather from Dream Weaver Creations in Earlville. She is going to process our alpaca fiber this spring for us. I was so excited to find a local fiber mill.

Drover Hill didn't have bologna with them at the market, so since I was in the neighborhood, I stopped by their B&B and spent a few minutes with my friend Stephanie. Picked up two large chunks of bologna - one plain and one garlic. Got a couple warm chocolate chip cookies as a bonus. So much for the calories burned in the walk to and from the car.

Check out Saturday supper and Sunday dinner to see what I made with my purchases.

Mega 'shroom

I just had to post this picture of the Elm Oyster Mushroom I got throught CNY Bounty from The Imaginary Farmer. It was used in three meals!

Fridge Find Fiesta Frittata

Say that three times fast!
Fridge find fiesta frittata. Fridge frind fiesta fittata. Fidge frind fitetta friesta.... Fefifofum.

After spending much of yesterday in the kitchen, I was ready for something quick for dinner tonight. Our standard meal when I don't feel like cooking is eggs. Scrounging in the fridge, I pulled out several containers with a little bit of this and a little bit of that and before I knew it, I had dinner.

The main dish was a frittata made with eggs from our Bantam hens, diced ham and potatoes left from Easter dinner, a bit of Mizrahi Manor (M.M.) chopped onion, and some shaved Jewitt's cheddar. I spiced it up with a hearty sprinkling of Juanita's Soul Classic Rub. Juanita is not a Bounty producer, but she is local, from Frankfort, NY, and produces her BBQ sauce and spice rub at Nelson Farms. For a condiment, a little more spice courtesy of Primo and Mary's Medium Style Black Bean and Corn Salsa.

The side dish was a mix of greens from Fingerlakes Fresh, some MacDonald Farms sauerkraut (Who needs vinegar?), a bit of local garlic, and some more chopped M.M. onion sauteed in Queensboro Farms butter.

For beverage, we finished off the half-gallon of Red Jacket Orchards Apple Cider.

It was quick and easy to prepare and even better, the refrigerator is cleaned out, ready for our next Bounty order to arrive.