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 !!!!!!

 



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 . 

 

 



Not your mommas fried green tomatoes

As promised here is my first recipe post .

Many years ago I started a serious collection of cookbooks , as a stay at home mum , I was about to fulfil my dream of being with my children as they grew up and indulge in my love of cooking . I came across a cookbook author Sara Foster , I was smitten by her southern charm , her amazing recipes and in particular her spin on "fried green tomatoes".

Forward to the summer of 2006, when I spent 7 weeks holidaying in Greece . Enjoying some time in Athens then travelling south to visit with my parents at their house up in the mountains. A bountious garden greeted us , beans, corn, tomatoes ( ....no heirloom zebra ,alas ) peppers and I think a rather brave canteloupe plant clinging to dear life on the side of the driveway .

The days were passing and it would soon be time to return to Chicago, but up until that time , we did not have the opportunity to enjoy that many vine-ripened tomatoes. Plenty of green ones ....... oh.... so many green tomatoes - just starting to blush , teasing us with the fact that we would not be here to enjoy them .

Not too sure how the following recipe came to be, but I thought of Sara Foster's recipe and the fact that people do eat green tomatoes - I had to put my spin on this dish and give it a mediterranean makeover .

This dish is a great appetiser , to be enjoyed atop a slice of sourdough bread, as a side dish for steak , grilled fish and plain rice .

The secret is not to salt the tomatoes while they are marinating , as this draws out too much moisture and makes them mushy. I used thyme and rosemary , that is what I had in my kitchen , if you are not a friend of rosemary just use thyme ( or vica-versa)  if you are not a friend of garlic - please omit - the dish will survive without it . The herbs have to be fresh - the dry stuff just does not cut it .

So, as the tomatoes in your gardens start to look a little sad and the chances of then ripening are getting slimmer , consider this dish ............... I know you will fall in love with it . 

Not your mommas Fried Green Tomatoes

a GG original recipe  

2 large green tomatoes - just starting to blanch a little , but still quite green

some fresh thyme and rosemary - roughly chopped

freshly ground pepper

good olive oil to coat

balsamic vinegar - a couple of drizzles

Kefalograviera Cheese , substitute Parmiggiano or Pecorino

sea salt - recommended brand , Maldon Salt

Cut the tomatoes across the width of the tomato then into long slices . Place in a ceramic dish and add the rest of the ingredients except the cheese and sea salt .

Toss to combine and allow to marinate for about 1-2 hours.

Heat a cast iron saute pan or any type of non stick pan until it is quite hot. Place the slices of tomatoes in the pan , making sure they do not touch ( as this causes them to steam ) for about 1 minute - or until they take on a bit of colour.

Continue cooking all the tomatoe slices place on a serving dish . Sprinkle some sea salt on the  tomatoes, drizzle with a little more balsamic vinegar and another drizzle of oil . Add a few shavings of your preferred cheese and some freshly grated pepper ......... enjoy !