The abundance of summer veggies has me racing for creative uses before they go bad. These muffins were inspired by the mountain of zucchini and yellow squash in the CSA basket today.
Fruit/veggie mix:
In a medium bowl, shred one medium zucchini and one medium yellow squash. Add a handful of shredded carrots. Toss in 1/3 can crushed pineapple, one peach, some golden raisins, and dried cranberries.
Wet ingredients:
In a large bowl combine a stick of butter, 1/4 cup veg oil, 3 eggs, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and 1/4 cup brown sugar. Beat well.
Dry ingredients:
In a medium bowl, combine 3 cups flour, 3/4 T baking powder, 3/4 T baking soda, 1 t salt.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients a little at a time.
Fold in fruit/veggie mix.
Pour into greased or lined muffin tins and/or loaf pans. I made 12 muffins and 1 loaf from this.
I talked to my neice, Laura, on the way home from work today. She's about 32 weeks pregnant and was telling me about her food cravings. She said up until now, they were the typical ... REALLY want a steak, or REALLY want cherry pie filling ...
Now, however, she said she REALLY wants steak WITH cherry pie filling.
I did a little research and here's what I'm making for dinner. Wish you could be here, Laura!
Filet Mignon with Cherry Vanilla Sauce
Fire up the grill and crank some freshly ground pepper over filets.
For the sauce:
In a saucepan, combine just over a cup of Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon (I used the Noir) with:
A couple tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Half of a vanilla bean (that your co-worker brought you directly from Madagascar - or some other vanilla bean you can scrape up)
A couple whole cloves
A couple whole peppercorns
A bay leaf
About 20 cherries
A squirt of honey
Salt and pepper
Gorgonzola butter:
Mash together about 2 tablespoons of gorgonzola with a tablespoon of butter. Set aside.
Simmer until the liquid is reduced to a light syrupy consistency. Grill steaks, top with blue cheese butter, and let rest for 5 minutes.
Strain sauce through a seive. Put gorgonzola butter on the steak and drizzle over the steaks.
I also sauteed spinach and garlic in some EVOO, fried up some potato slices and made a radish, onion, cucumber salad (not shown).
Don't go to the grocery store hungry! Do go to the local farm hungry!
I stopped by Spicknall's on the way home and loaded up my canvas bags with a bounty of brightly colored fruits and veggies. Here's what I did with a few of them ... (note that while it is contrary to my typical style, I will try to be more exact with ingredients as I have a sense that it matters in this dish).
(Mini Eggplant)
Roast 3 small eggplants with EVOO and S&P at 375 until soft. Scoop out innards and set aside.
Boil one small potato and set aside. I used a potato left over from another meal.
Heat about 2 TBL ghee in a saucepan.
Add about 6 peppercorns and about 6 corriander seeds.
After about four minutes, crush them with a heavy spoon or pestle.
(Galangal)
(Cowhorn Pepper)
Add a medium piece of galangal and about an inch of cowhorn pepper.
Add one small onion and three small cloves of garlic - both diced.
Add three good shakes of fenugreek, five shakes of garam masala, and one shake of turmeric.
Cook until onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook for another minute,
Dice half of a green tomato and add to the saucepan. Cook for another 3-5 minutes.
Run a knife through the eggplant and add to the saucepan.
Dice potato and add to saucepan.
Remove cowhorn pepper and galanga.
Add a little water if it looks dry.
Add a few shakes of salt - I used a very fine grey sea salt.
Heat through and enjoy alone or with rice or naan.
As always, I started with an existing recipe and then made it my own. Thanks to Giada for the start on this Bean and Garlic Soup.
Add a turn of olive oil and a couple pats of butter to a heavy bottomed pot.
Dice two shallots and add to pot. Saute until soft.
Add 2 sage leaves and 2 large cans of Cannelloni beans - drained and rinsed - stir.
Add 6 cups chicken stock and 4 cloves of garlic.
This is where it starts to vary - Giada uses only four cups but simmers for only ten more minutes. I like to let it simmer for an hour or so.
I also saute about 10 sage leaves in butter until crisp. Remove to paper towels and crumble for topping on soup.
When you are about 10 minutes from serving, turn heat down to low, break out the immersion blender and blend the soup.
Add about a cup of half and half, some ground black pepper, stir, and let sit for a couple minutes.
Ladle soup into shallow bowls and top with crumbled sage leaves.
I'm glad I went with the CSA medium share. It looks like just enough for two people. This box included: baby lettuce mix, broccoli, spinach, new red potoatoes, green onions, and strawberries.
The newsletter included this recipe and after reading it, wasn't sure if it would be wonderful or horrible. Decided to take the risk, and wonderful won. Whew. The recipe below reflects my changes, not the exact recipe I received.
Spinach Colcannon
1 bunch chopped spinach
1 cup chopped green onions
5 cloves garlic
4 bison hot Italian sausages - casing removed
8 cups potatoes - diced with skin on
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbls butter
Salt and Pepper
Mixed grated cheeses
Pre-heat oven to 350
Cook potatoes in water and salt until tender.
Drain and mash with milk, butter, salt and pepper
After mashed, mix in some of the green onion tops
Brown sausage in a pan -- do not overcook bison - stop before you think it's done because it will bake also
Add green onions and garlic - continue to cook a minute or so
Add all the spinach and cover the pan
Turn off burner and let spinach wilt
Butter a 9x13 pan
Add drained sausage and spinach from pan
Spread mashed potatoes over the sausage mix
Top with a mix of shredded cheese (I used a 4 cheese Italian mix and a Mexican mix)
Bake until cheese is melted - about 30 minutes
I like to move it to the top rack and broil on high until the cheese starts getting brown and bubbly.
