Summer is officially underway and the garden is officially producing. Time to use what you grow! This months recipes are fresh and simple for summer plus a few canning ideas to enjoy the harvest all winter.
Potato and Summer Squash Salad
- 3 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp. minced onion
- 2 Tbsp. minced fresh marjoram, divided
- 1 tsp. lemon peel
- 1/4 c. plus 3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 1/2 lb. fingerling new potatoes, scrubbed, unpeeled and sliced lengthwise
- 1 lb. assorted baby summer squash sliced 1/3″ thick
- 1 large red pepper sliced into strips
Whisk lemon juice, lemon peel, shallot and 1 Tbsp. marjoram in a small bowl. Gradually add 1/4 c. olive oil. season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and boil potatoes just until tender, about 4 minutes. Drain. Prepare grill. Place potatoes in a bowl with the squash and pepper slices. Season with 1 Tbsp. marjoram, remaining olive oil and salt and pepper. Toss gently to coat. Grill potato slices for 5 minutes per side, remove to serving bowl. Grill the squash and pepper slices for 10 minutes until tender. Add to bowl with potatoes and toss with lemon vinaigrette. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Grilled Steak Sandwiches With Chimichurri Sauce
Chimichurri sauce:
- 1 c. (packed) fresh picked parsley
- 1 c. (packed) fresh cilantro
- 3 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
- 2/3 c. olive oil
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor; add 2/3 c. oil and blend until almost smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Sandwiches:
- 2 large bell peppers (red and yellow are nice) cut into wide strips
- 2 (12 oz.) ribeye steaks
- 4 small sourdough baguettes (or one large baguette split into four pieces)
- 1/4 c. olive oil
Brush peppers, steak and cut sides of baguettes with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill peppers 5 minutes per side until tender. Remove to a plate. Grill the steaks until desired doneness; remove to plate. Grill bread, cut side down, until lightly toasted and golden. Place a bread bottom on each plate. Thinly slice the steaks and divide among the bottoms. Spoon chimichurri sauce over the steak. Top with peppers and bread tops.
Pasta With Fresh Pesto, Beans and Potatoes
- 6 c. fresh basil leaves, washed
- 1/3 c. parmesan cheese
- 2 Tbsp. pine nuts
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1/4 c. olive oil
- 3 medium red-skinned potatoes cut into 1/4″ thick slices
- 12 oz. fresh fava beans or 6 oz. fresh green beans, trimmed
- 14oz. fettuccine
- 1 Tbsp. butter
Puree first 5 ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook potatoes in salted water just until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large bowl. Add beans to same pot and boil until tender, about 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove, add to same bowl as potatoes. Add fettuccine to same pot and cook just until tender to the bite. Drain, reserving 1/3 c. of the cooking water. Add pasta to beans and potatoes. Add just enough cooking water to the pesto to thin. Add the pesto and butter to the pasta. Toss gently, season with salt and pepper.
Cinnamon Blueberry Jam
Yields 6 (1/2 pt.) jars
- 1 pound fresh or frozen blueberries (about 1 quart)
- 3-1/2 cups sugar
- 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 pouch (3 ounces) liquid fruit pectin
Directions:
Crush blueberries; measure 2-1/2 cups and place in a large saucepan. Add the sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and cloves; bring to a rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Quickly stir in the pectin. Return to a full rolling boil; boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; skim off foam. Carefully ladle hot mixture into hot half-pint jars. Remove air bubbles; wipe rims and adjust lids. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner.
Canning recipes to celebrate the summer harvest!
Zucchini Relish
- 2 c. chopped zucchini
- 1 c. chopped onion
- 1/2 c. chopped sweet green pepper
- 1/2 c. chopped sweet red pepper
- 2 Tbsp. salt
- 1 3/4 c. sugar
- 1 c. cider vinegar
- 2 tsp. celery seed
- 1 tsp. mustard seed
Combine vegetables and sprinkle with salt; cover with cold water. Allow to stand for 2 hours. Drain and rinse well. Combine remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Add the drained vegetables and simmer for 10 minutes. Pack into hot jars, cap and seal. Boil in a water bath canner for 10 minutes. Yields 4 half-pints.
Spicy Dilly Beans
- 2 pounds fresh green beans (I love using pole beans!)
- 1/4 c. canning (Kosher) salt
- 2 1/2 c. vinegar
- 2 1/2 c. water
- 1 tsp. cayenne pepper, divided
- 4 cloves garlic
- 4 heads of dill
Trim the ends of the green beans. Combine the salt, vinegar and water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Pack the beans standing up into hot jars (leaving 1/4″ headspace). For pint jars: add 1/4 tsp. cayenne, 1 clove garlic and i head of dill to each jar. Double the cayenne, garlic and dill for quart size jars. Ladle the hot brine over the beans. Cap, seal and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
Peach Cantaloupe Conserve
- 3 c. chopped fresh peaches
- 3 c. chopped cantaloupe
- 4 1/4 c. sugar
- 3 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1/3 c. slivered blanched almonds
- 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. grated orange peel
In an 8 qt. kettle, mix the peaches and cantaloupe. Bring mixture to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Add the sugar and lemon juice. Return to a full boil and allow to cook for 12 minutes. Add the almonds, nutmeg, salt and grated orange peel. Boil hard for 4-5 minutes until the syrup sheets off of the spoon. Remove from the heat, skim any foam and ladle into hot half-pint jars. Process 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. Yields 7 half-pints.
Cherry Peach Jam
- 1 lb. tart red cherries
- 1 1/4 lb. peaches
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 box powdered fruit pectin
- 4 c. sugar
Wash, stem and pit the cherries. Measure out 1 1/2 cups. Peel, pit and coarsely chop the peaches, measure out 2 c. In a large kettle, combine the fruits and the lemon juice. Add the pectin slowly; stirring all the while to combine. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil and add the sugar. Return to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil hard one minute. remove from the heat, skim any foam and ladle into hot jars. process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Yields 5 half-pints.
Lemon Thyme Curd (Yields 2 1/2 c.)
Ingredients:
3 large organic eggs plus 3 egg yolks
1/2 c. fresh lemon thyme leaves; washed, patted dry and stripped from the stems
3 large lemons; zested and juiced (save both)
1 stick plus 5 1/2 Tbsp. real butter
1 c. granulated sugar
Lightly beat the eggs and yolks in a small bowl.
Put the eggs through a wire strainer and into the saucepot. (It prevents lumps.) Add the sugar.
Turn the burner to its lowest heat setting and whisk until the sugar is dissolved.
When the sugar is dissolved, add the lemon juice. lemon thyme and lemon zest to the pot.
Continue to whisk and begin to add the chilled butter, 2 Tbsp. at a time, incorporating completely before adding more. When all of the butter has been added, stir for one additional minute. Remove from heat. The curd will set a bit after cooling.
Lemon thyme curd should be kept in the refrigerator or mix up a few batches and keep them in the freezer! it’s not only good on scones and muffins…try some tossed with chicken, broccoli and pasta or on a pizza topped with red peppers and artichokes. YUM!
Stuffed Tomatoes
- 8 fresh medium tomatoes
- 1 bunch scallions
- 3 Tbsp. flour
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1/2 lb. mushrooms
- 3 Tbsp. butter
- 1 (14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
- 8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
- 3 oz. crumbled bleu cheese
Slice the top from the tomatoes and scoop out the pulp. Turn the tomatoes upside down on a towel to dry for two hours. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Using 1 Tbsp. of flour, sprinkle the inside of each tomato. Chop the scallions, pepper and mushrooms. Saute in butter until just tender. Add the chopped artichokes and combine thoroughly. Add the remaining flour to the vegetable mix and blend to thicken. Remove from the heat and cool for 10 minutes. Add the mozzarella cheese to the filling mixture, mix well. Fill the tomato shells with the mixture, sprinkling the top of each with bleu cheese. Bake in a shallow dish just until the tomatoes are soft, about 15-20 minutes.
Marinade Of Fresh Herbs And Wine
- 2 c. sauterne
- 1/4 c. vinegar
- 2 small onions, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 carrot, sliced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tsp. fresh minced parsley
- 1 tsp. fresh minced basil
- 1 small sprig fresh thyme
- 1 tsp. fresh tarragon
- 1 tsp.salt
- 1 tsp. red pepper
- 1/4-1/2 c. olive oil
Combine all ingredients except the oil. Place the meat into the marinade. Slowly pour the oil over the marinade. (It will float on top and prevent the discoloration of the meat.) Marinate at least 2 hours and up to three days. Grill or roast as desired. Note that white wine can be used for chicken and fish, red wine used for beef and game.
This recipe is so simple and so delicious!
Peaches in Port
- 6 fresh peaches, peeled and sliced
- 4 tbsp. sugar
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1/2 c. port wine (or red wine)
- 1/2 c. fresh heavy cream
- 1 Tbsp. powdered sugar
Sprinkle peaches with sugar and toss lightly. Add the lemon juice and wine. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 1-3 hours. Whip the cream with the powdered sugar. Spoon the peaches into small serving dishes and top with a dollop of whipped cream. We’ve also made these using cranberry-raspberry juice (100% real juice) and it’s delicious!!
Blackberry Breakfast Bars
- 16 oz. fresh blackberries (may use frozen, canned)
- 2 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 c. organic all-purpose flour
- 1 c. organic whole wheat flour
- 2 c. organic quick oats
- 1 c. packed brown sugar (may use brown rice syrup and reduce juice in recipe by 3 Tbsp.)
- 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. allspice
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 c. fresh butter
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. warm the berries in a saucepan until the juices begin to run. measure the juice and add enough water to make one full cup. Combine the juice, cornstarch and lemon juice in a small pot and stir over medium heat until thickened. Gently stir in the berries. Set aside. Combine flour, oats, sugar, baking powder and spices; cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. press 2/3 of the mixture into a 13×9″ pan and bake 15 minutes until lightly browned. Cool for 5 minutes, spread with blackberry mixture and sprinkle with remaining crumb mix. Press lightly. Bake 20-25 minutes until lightly browned, cool.
Blackberry Basil Red Wine Vinegar
- 2 c. good quality red wine vinegar
- 2 c. fresh whole blackberries
- 6 sprigs of basil with stems
Heat the berries and red wine vinegar in a small non-reactive pot over medium heat just to boiling. Simmer gently 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Strain through cheesecloth (or muslin, unbleached coffee filter etc.) into a bowl, pressing to extract all of the juice. Place the basil sprigs into a clean jar and very gently pour the vinegar over the top. Cap and store in the refrigerator.
