eat your chips !

What to do with the plethora of zucchini and eggplants which are probably overrunning your summer garden .

With Autumn around the corner and the rather extraordinary summer we have had this year in the mid-west I wanted to find another exciting way to enjoy the constant zucchini harvest .

During one of my Pinterest journeys I came across a recipe that was so simple , I had to re-read it . So simple I thought it cannot be that simple . So simple that when I made it ............ I regretted not making it sooner .

 

 

A few very simple steps, plenty of hands off waiting time and you will enjoy the most delicious "chips" that you will be bugging your children and significant other , along with any picky eaters to indulge .

 

This recipe is so simple , 3 simple steps to chip nirvana.

 

step one : procure zucchini and or eggplant

 

step two: buttermilk or regular milk

 

step three : panko breadcrumbs and grated pecorino cheese

 

 

 

Preheat oven to 420F, place a cake rack  ( lightly sprayed with canola oil) within a sheet pan and place to the side . Wash and dry your vegetables and slice about quarter inch , place in milk and toss to coat well.

 

Put enough panko breadcrumb in a bowl to coat and approximately equal amount of finely grated pecorino ( I happened to have that on hand) or parmesan cheese .

 

Take zucchini slice from bowl of milk, pat into breadcrumb mixture , pressing lightly , place on cake rack .

 

Place in oven for about 20-30 minutes , depending on your oven until they start to brown slightly and the smell will overwhelm your senses !!! You can flip them over if the underside is not browning. You can use the convestion setting , however they will need to be monitored a lot more closely and flipped half-way through the cooking process .

 

Allow to cool slightly , enjoy at room temperature along with some tzatziki dip .

 

 

Now how often do you tell your children to eat their chips !!!!!!

 



.... its a wrap !!!

 

 

Summer is coming to a close , the girls are back in school , and happy to be back in school . A family trip to Southwestern Michigan for a few days was a fitting way to end the summer vacation , rev up the relax button and recharge the batteries.

 

 

In the past couple of weeks , my little gourmet and I ventured into Whole Foods where they had a promotion of healthy lunch ideas for children. If your child tried everything then they could rate the food item , spin the wheel and get a mystery prize . Well, my little gourmet tried everything , spun the wheel , got a mystery prize , the location of which is awol.



 

 

 

 

One of the lunch ideas was collard greens with red pepper hummous and a little cabbage salad. I was salivating just looking at the sample platter and was equally chuffed when my little gourmet gave me the thumbs up . Monday before school started we had to go to the supermarket to restock the fridge , so I tempted them with these wraps, and to my surprise they devoured them.

I would suggest using organic collard greens, and as small a leaf as possible , that way they will be nice and tender . To make the wrap you remove the spine of the leave or else it will be hard to wrap , so essentianlly you end up with to halves of the collard leaf.

I made my own hummous recipe, loosely based on a recipe courtesy of Ina Garten ( I omit the garlic and  tabasco and add a heaping tesaspoon of ground cumin) - this is the the only one the girls will eat and enjoy. I added some red bell pepper and made a slaw with a combination of red cabbage , grated carrot and parsley . I had made some homemade vinaigrette for a salad the day before and I used it to barely moisten the cabbage salad .

It was delicious.

It was refreshing .

It was devoured by both girls .

It was requested for lunch .


I rest my case ............... and consider it a wrap !!!!!

the harvest to come .....

So here is my little garden helper, trying her hardest to reach the top of the monster cucumber plant . This year my husband built me a raised garden bed for Mothers Day , and over the memorial weekend we both worked feverishly to complete the task and plant all these wonderful goodies. So the photos you will now view may shock some readers , because all these plants were planted the Monday of Memorial weekend ..... and by the 4th of July, were and are, completely out of control. We have had a casualty , my most favourite tomato plant in the world, the green zebra tomato ... sad to say had to me removed due to tomato wilt ..... but happy to report that the rest of the crop has escaped unscathed.

Please enjoy the following photos , showcasing my husbands handiwork , the pride of my little garden helper ( she actually ate the little tomato for dinner tonight ) and please allow the Chief Gardener a moment ....... to take it all in .

Happy summer and happy harvesting to all vegetable gardeners !!!!!

my favourite herbs ....... guess who is making some pesto tomorrow

as you can see , this is not a huge plant
and it already has at least 8 eggplants

graffiti eggplant .... and there are so many of them

Cucumbers that go from a baby dill pickle size to a delectable sweet cucumber in a matter of days ... we harvested 7 yesterday  and the second photo will be harvested in a couple of days 

 

 

The first tomato of the season , a sweet one hundred cherry tomato - and my little garden helper actually enjoyed it with her dinner .... without too many long faces .

 

The pepper plant on the left is a cubanelo pepper , and we enjoyed the first one it was crisp and delicious and sweet . The one on the right is a red bell pepper , which I am patiently checking on daily hoping it will turn red soon .... I see a tinge .



My four tomato plants , please meet ms san marzano pomodoro, ms sweet 100, my black russian and my german friend ..... I can only imagine what a caprese salad will taste when I harvest from these beauties....

My beloved herbs ....... basil, oregano ( buried next to the basil) rosemary, sage , parsley and mint .... and their cousin thyme sitting underneath a tomato plant above.

Here is my zucchini plant , ..... imagine these lightly steamed with a squeeze of fresh lemon and a splash of olive oil !!!!

 

 

and finally my pride and joy ..... meet the broccoli family, patient and stoic , surviving the two heatwaves we just experienced , and I am about to harvest my first head of broccoli ..... can you see it just near the center of the photo ..... I was not expecting anything until late summer early fall . 

 

 



Good-bye Summer ...... it is time to go

Dear Summer ,


You have hung around long enough. As we woke up this morning to a shivering below freezing temperature , I think you finally realised it was time to move on . Yesterday you tempted us with temperatures that defy the month of November , temperatures that made us think it was still ok to wear stylish flip flops and squeeze in one more pedicure , and question whether it is really Thanksgiving on thursday.


As I nostalgically looked through my photos I came across photos of my purple bell pepper harvest , and the most delicious tasting basil pesto I have ever made ...... Can you taste food through a photo ??

I realise am not the greatest photograher , I really have to get to know my camera a lot better , however I just stared at this basil pesto for days ..... it was that good . When we finally enjoyed it a few days later in a simple dish of fettucine and pesto - I died and went to heaven .


Tomorrow is Wednesday , the day before Thanksgiving and the day my girls have dedicated to baking . I do not cook for Thanksgiving , I am only just coming to terms with pumpkin pie ( will it be as good as last years attempt ? ) I will let you know . The recipes have been resourced, the ingredients cross checked - there is always a last minute run to the store ..... and the energy is palpable .


Happy Thanksgiving everyone ..... and hello Old Man Winter ..... we are more than ready for you !!!


regards
GG

**** For some great ideas go to my November 2009 archive for something a little different.****  

The heat is on .....

Summer has arrived with a vengenance this year . We are recording 90+ degree days like sand through the hour glass. My vegetable garden is growing in abundance, the basil is out of control - considering last year it refused to grow , turned a sad colour of yellow then curled up and died. My cucumber plants are seeking gold medals by outgrowing their cages and my tomato plants are growing in leaps and bounds.

A few weeks ago my eldest daughter had a few of her bff's over for a summer party - they all enjoyed these delicious fruit slushies . I cannot tell you how refreshing they were and perfect for an afternoon of summer fun .

Watermelons and strawberries starred in these delicious drinks , a little simple syrup and plenty of icecubes. Of course you can tailor these to your specific favourite fruits. I like to keep things seasonal - because nothing tastes better than watermelon and strawberries in the peak of summer.

Of course these can be made more enticing for adults by adding your favourite vodka or tequila ..... we have now elevated them to happy hour drinks - because it is always 5 o'clock somewhere .

Enjoy these drinks in the spirit of summer fun the perfect cooling beverage for the whole family .


Fruit Slushies
inspired my many a recipe


watermelon , cubed
strawberries - hulled and halved
simple syrup **
cold water
ice cubes

decorative drink umbrellas and fruit of choice

My preference is for seeded watermelon as they have more flavour , take the time to take out all the seeds , cube to about the same size as your icecubes . Wash and hull the strawberries them cut them in half . Place the fruit in the freezer for about an hour - to make them very cold - that way they will not melt the icecubes.

Place 2 handfuls of icecubes in your blender along with some water , the partially frozen fruit and blend. Add a little simple syrup and cold water to adjust the thickness of the drink - you want to be able to drink it through a straw - basically they need to be margarita consistency. You can adjust the ratios of fruit to your personal taste . If the fruit is sweet enough you can omit the simple syrup .

Place in a cold glass and decorate with whatever you have on hand.

** Simple syrup recipe.

In a saucepan place equal parts sugar and water , bring to boil then simmer for 5 minutes. allow to cool them store in a glass jar in the fridge until you use it all up .