Summer Veggies!

This time of year in the Northeast, backyard gardens are flourishing.  Tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, and peppers are picked.  Everyone seems to know people trying to find someone that can make good use of their excess.  Here are a couple of recipes that I really like to utilize these fresh garden treats.

Blueberry Zucchini Bread























3 eggs, lightly beaten
 1 cup vegetable oil
 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
 2 1/4 cups white sugar
 2 cups shredded zucchini
 3 cups all-purpose flour
 1 teaspoon salt
 1 teaspoon baking powder
 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
 1 pint fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease 4 mini-loaf pans.
In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar. Fold in the zucchini. Beat in the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Gently fold in the blueberries. Transfer to the prepared mini-loaf pans.
Bake 60 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted in the center of a loaf comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes in pans, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.

Feel free to use frozen blueberrys, but you may need to increase the cooking time. Please note that the baking time can vary based on the size of the loaf.


White Pizza with Roma Tomatoes

I like to make a quick and easy white pizza using a white tortilla as crust, shredded mozzarella and then topped with sliced fresh tomatoes.  Add some additional flavor by sprinkling a bit of oregano and add some fresh basil from your garden. And yes, the edges of mine are burned...That's how I like it!

Stuffed Hot Peppers

I always grow banana and jalapeno peppers and one of my favorite uses is stuffing them with sausage and cheese.  Here's an easy way to do that.

1 pound ground pork maple sausage

 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

 1 pound large fresh jalapeno peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded

Take about 8 or 10 peppers and either half lengthwise or if you prefer, slice lengthwise and gently open the pepper.  Remove the seeds from the peppers (tip: use gloves!).

Cook the sausage and drain.  In a bowl, mix with the Parmesan cheese and the cream cheese. 

Stuff the peppers and bake in a 425 degree oven 20 minutes or finish on the grill.