Recipes

--- A collection of recipes from SRPCG Gardeners

Tomato Chutney

Recipe By Carol Eaton
Makes about 3 half-pint jars

3 1/2 to 4 lbs tomatoes, peeled and seeded
2 small onions, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspon garam masala (or mix of spices)
1 1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup golden raisins (optional)
1/2 cup slivered almonds (optional)

Combine all ingredients and simmer until very thick. This might take 4 hours or more, even up to all day, depending on how watery the tomatoes are.
Store in refrigerator.
If canning, leave 1/2 inch head space and process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes.

Gazpacho Siglo Wells

Recipe By Joan Wells
Serving Size 24+
Preparation Time 1 hour

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
1 large cucumber -- peeled
2 large green bell peppers -- peeled and seeded
1 large red bell pepper -- peeled and seeded
4 large celery ribs -- chopped
1 medium carrot -- peeled and chopped
6 large tomatoes -- peeled and cored
4 medium scallions -- cleaned
1 large avocado -- peeled and chopped
2 ounces pimentos -- chopped
30 ounces v-8® vegetable juice
olive oil
wine vinegar
salt and pepper -- to taste
Tabasco sauce -- to taste

Peel cucumber, split lengthwise in about six slices, then cut out seeds and discard. Chop cucumber slices into bite size pieces. Place in a bowl and pour over them a mixture of 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Let marinate at least 1/2 hour before using.

Peel and take out seed from avocado. Cut into bite-sized chunks, place in a bowl and marinate with the same type of mixture as used to marinate the cucumbers, above.
Remove stem and seeds from peppers and chop into pieces that a food processor can handle, about bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

Chop the celery ribs to the same size pieces as peppers; set aside.

Peel and chop the carrot as the peppers and celery; set aside.

Core tomatoes and dunk in boiling water for 60 seconds. Peel, then chop into bite sized pieces. Set aside tomatoes and their juice into a bowl.

Chop scallions, tops and all, into very small pieces. Open can of V-8.

Put the marinated cucumbers in a food processor; cover with V-8 juice and give a quick chop to cut into small pieces--one second is generally enough. Don't puree the vegetables; ideally the vegetable pieces should be no smaller than the size of small peas. Dump the chopped cucumber mix into a large container that will fit in the refrigerator.

Next, process the peppers in the same manner as the cucumbers, using more V-8. Add to the bowl with the processed cucumbers.

Next, process the celery in the same manner as above, and add to the bowl.

Next, put the carrots and the green onions in the food processor with more V-8 juice and chop this finer, so that the pieces are no larger than small rice grains, about 5 seconds. Add this to the bowl, and now you are through with the food processor.

To this bowl add the chopped tomatoes and their juices, the chopped pimentos, and the avocado pieces with their marinade, as well as the remainder of the V-8 juice, if any. Stir, taste, and if salt is required, use celery salt. One small squirt of Tabasco sauce can be added if desired.

Cover and put the completed mix in the refrigerator to chill. If left overnight in the refrigerator, not only will it be well-chilled, but the various ingredients will, as Henry Charpentieri would say "marry" and the taste will enough improved. Serve cold.

John Buckley's Simple Swiss Chard

½ pound Swiss chard, washed and dried. (You can remove the greens from the stems, or cut both green leaf and stems together, as you prefer.)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Layer Swiss chard leaves about six high and roll in a tight shape. Slice into half-inch slices to make shreds of chard. Heat olive oil in a 12-inch sauté pan until hot, then add shredded chard and garlic and sauté briefly until chard is limp but still bright green. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serves two as a vegetable side dish.

John also combines this chard mixture with ground turkey from the Fitler Square farmers market, adding chopped onions, salt, ground pepper and Soyaki from Trader Joes to make patties for grilling. With lettuce and sliced tomatoes on the buns, this makes a delicious and healthy meal with a side salad of spinach leaves in a dressing of lemon, olive oil, honey, salt & pepper.

Nadina's Zucchini with Linguini

Suggested by Jill Hamilton,who got this recipe from an Italian friend

4 large zucchini, peeled and cut into ½ inch squares
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tablespoons olive oil (or more if needed or to taste)
½ pound linguini, cooked

Sauté the zucchini and garlic in olive oil for a few minutes until the zucchini is softened but not brown. Pour mixture over warm linguini. Serve at once. Pass grated parmesan to sprinkle if desired. Serves 2.

Zucchini Moussaka

Maja Bucan and Scott Poethig tell the story of how this recipe came into being. "Last weekend, Scott came back from the garden with three huge zucchini (yes, huge, about 15 inches long). Originally, I was blown away by Scotts gardening skills because while visiting our garden the night before, I observed only three small zucchini about 7 inches long with blossoms still attached. The mystery was soon resolvedScott received the huge zucchini as a present from a generous gardener. This great present provided the basis for a great Moussaka meal."

Moussaka is a classic Greek and Serbian dish made by layering deep-fried sliced vegetables, usually eggplant, with a spiced meat filling then topping it off with a creamy sauce that is baked to golden perfection. As you will see, our version does not include deep frying and therefore, it is lighter and faster to prepare.

10 zucchini, each about 8-10 inches long
Salt
1 cup flour
1 1/2 pounds. ground beef (or ground pork or, lamb or a mixture)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon ground thyme
1 Tablespoon dried basil
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon paprika, hot and sweet variety
All-purpose flour for coating zucchini
½ cup sour cream
1 cup plain breadcrumbs
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Slice the zucchini longitudinally into 1/2 inch thick slices. Place the zucchini slices in a colander and salt them liberally. Cover them with an inverted plate that is weighted down by a heavy can or jar. Place the colander in the sink so that excess moisture can be drawn out. Let the zucchini slices drain for one to two hours.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large sauté pan, brown the ground meat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt, pepper, paprika, ground thyme, basil and oregano. Add chopped parsley.

To assemble the Moussaka, rinse the zucchini slices and dry with paper towels. Dredge the zucchini slices in flour, coating both sides. Place half of the zucchini slices on the bottom of an oiled casserole dish about 13" x 10 x 2. Add meat sauce on top of the zucchini and sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the grated Parmesan cheese. Top with remaining half of zucchini slices.

Mix together ½ cup sour cream, ½ cup parmesan cheese, beaten eggs and bread crumbs. Pour the sauce over the zucchini, allowing it to fill the sides and corners of the pan. Smooth the sauce on top with a spatula and sprinkle with remaining ½ cup grated parmesan cheese. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes or until the top golden brown. Allow to cool for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Cut into squares to serve. Delicious served with mashed potatoes and a lettuce salad. Serves 8 to 10.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

A recipe from The Queen Victoria Bed & Breakfast Inn Cookbook by Joan Wells

5 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cocoa powder
5 teaspoons baking powder
3 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 cups butter
4 cups sugar
6 eggs
4 teaspoons vanilla
4 cups grated zucchini
1 cup milk
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Stir together dry ingredients and set aside. In the bowl of a large mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Mix in dry ingredients just until blended. In another bowl, mix together eggs, vanilla, zucchini, milk and nuts. Combine the two mixtures just until blended. Spread batter in 4 greased loaf pans. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven one hour or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes then remove from pans, if desired, and cool completely. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then foil and freeze if desired for longer storage.

Makes 4 loaves; recipe can be halved or quartered, but won't use up so much zucchini! Make the full recipe and bake the bread in small pans for gifts. If using small pans (the kind you get at the dollar store), bake for about 40 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.