All These Garden Veges, What Now?!

[Janie, Jackson and Jilly]

I had started a discussion on all the beautiful produce we've been getting from our gardens, which led to another discussion, what to do with it all! So maybe we can help each other use all the zucchini and all those tomatoes by posting some of our favorite recipes! Here's my last post in the "How Does Your Garden Grow?" discussion leading into garden recipes. So how do you use all those green beans, squash, cucumbers and herbs, do tell!!!

The latest pickings:

and dinner!

What I call Summer Pasta, made from all the zucchini and tomatoes coming from the garden now, plus cucumber salad with dill. Still have zucchini coming in, does anyone have a good zucchini bread recipe?! 

 

So I'll start with the recipe for Summer Pasta. I started making this a couple of years ago and made it up because of all the zucchini we had from the garden. Start a pot of water for the pasta. I cut Italian sausage into pieces and brown it in a deep saute pan. (You can use shrimp instead of sausage or omit this and just use the veges.) Once it is browned, I take out the sausage and put it on a plate. Keep just a little of the drippings and add a sliced onion. Let it start to caramelize, then add a couple of sliced garlic cloves, a few diced zucchinis and what would equal about 4 - 5 large tomatoes. If you have a lot of cherry tomatoes, use those and cut them in half. Cover it and let it all cook down, it'll start getting juicy, stir. Next I add a can of crushed tomatoes to give it more of a sauce texture. Add some oregano, red pepper if you like. Add the browned sausage back into the pan and put it on a low simmer, stir, heat thoroughly. Add your cooked pasta to the pan, mix it all together. I like to shred some mozzarella on top and mix it all in. I cut up some of the fresh basil from the garden to top it off. Get your glass of wine and a chunk of bread and enjoy!!!

[Carolyn Shusterman]

Janie, Your photo was so realistic it made me go check the zuccini in our garden.  Love your photo composition!   One of our favorite ways with this wonderful versatile veggie is to Bar-B-Que it = Slice it long ways, brush with olive oill, garlic, salt and pepper and cook it to taste.  I LOVE chocolate zuccini cake with choc chips and walnuts.

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20509747,00.html?xid=foodan...

[Janie, Jackson and Jilly]

Thanks so much Carolyn! You know, I've put the zucchini on the grill before and forgot all about doing this! Thanks for the reminder! It's so good that way and I will be doing this next!

What a great link with all those zucchini recipes! I just picked two more today, to add to what I already have so I'll be making my way through the pages on the link!

Thanks again and hope your zucchini plants are also producing!!

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

From my garden:

To my dinner plate:

I made sort of an improvised vegetable moussaka, although in retrospect I should have used feta instead of mozzarella. Oh well, was so yummy nonetheless. I'm so proud of my little vegetable garden experiment. It has really turned out well.

[F, Calla & Luca]

You should be proud indeed. What beautiful veggies!

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

Thanks F!

[Janie, Jackson and Jilly]

Love your before and after photos! Your veges are beautiful and dinner looks great! Love it!

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

Thanks Janie! I'm about to heat up the leftovers for lunch! yum yum!

[Janie, Jackson and Jilly]

and why don't we live closer?? lol

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

wait till you see tonight's pasta concoction. I'll post pics later.

[F, Calla & Luca]

y. SeyReall

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

umm...??

[F, Calla & Luca]

I don't have the foggiest what that was : ) Must have sent it from my tablet. But I basically was asking for a dinner invitation.