Easy Recipes so your Summer Harvest doesn't go to waste!

 EASY SUMMER RECIPES

(*no seriously….quick & easy recipes to utilize your summer veggie harvest)

Refrigerator pickles

Bring the brine solution to a boil while you are filling jars. Pour hot brine into jars over the cucumbers. Let cool and place in refrigerator. Let sit for 1 week and enjoy up to 4 weeks. 

Brine - 4 cups water, 2 cups white vinegar (you can also use apple cider vinegar) 

In each 12-16 oz jar place: 

1-2 pickling cucumbers (sliced to your liking) - not recommended whole

1 small bunch of dill (more or less if you like you really can’t mess that up)

1 clove of garlic skin removed, cloves smashed (or chopped) 

3-5 peppercorn kernels

Baked Zucchini Crispers 

1-2 med-large zucchini or yellow squash

2 farm fresh eggs (preferably from Chubb E. Acres Farm) 

1-2 cups of almond meal (I use the Trader Joe’s version) 

1 cup of parmesan flakes 

Preheat oven to 425. Slice zucchini into 1/2” rounds. Whip both eggs in a small dish (large enough for zucchini discs). Coat both sides of the zucchini well with egg then transfer to large flat pan with almond meal/parmesan and coat throughly/ Place on a baking sheet (I find that using wax paper and spraying in with oil olive helps so that they don’t stick to the tray). Cook for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and turn over zucchini then bake for another 5 minutes. 

Veggie Pizza Casserole 

1-2 zucchini 

1-2 yellow squash 

2 green/red peppers 

1 onion

1-2 cloves of garlic 

pizza quick sauce or spaghetti sauce

1 lb ground hamburger/turkey 

Pizza quick sauce 

Spices - anything you’d like (I use garlic, salt & red pepper) 

Instructions: Dice and sautéed all veggies (in butter or oil) - drain liquid. Cook and drain meat. Combine all ingredients into a 9x13 pan. Top with mozzarella (or cheese of your choice). Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes (until cheese is melted). Enjoy. 

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam 

*Makes ~ 4 cups of jam - you can make it with 5 cups of rhubarb & 2 cups strawberries) 

5 cups strawberries (halved & hulled) - approx. 2 pints)

2 cups rhubarb (about 3-4 small stalks cut into 1/2” cubes)

2 1/4 cups of sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (requires about 1/2 a large lemon)

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in a medium to large saucepan over medium heat. Once mixture starts to bubble, reduce heat to low-simmer. You'll want the heat set to the point where it continues to bubble but not violently when stirred (you'll understand once you start cooking if jam bubbles start to pop out of the center of the pot). Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the jam has thickened. Approx. 1 hour and temperature of the mixture is over 205 degrees F. However since it’s on simmer you can multi-task while it cooks down. 

While the jam is cooking, sterilize four 1-cup jelly glass jars plus their rings and lids. I do this by boiling them in water for 10 minutes or I boil the lids and run the rings and glass jars through the dishwasher.

Have a very large covered pot of boiling water ready. There needs to be enough water in the pot so that when the filled jars are submerged, they're covered by at least 1" of water. Fill each jar with hot jam, leaving at least 1⁄4" of space at the top. Place lids on jars, and secure ring bands. Secure just tight enough so that they are hand tightened but you can easily unscrew.

Transfer filled jars to pot of gently boiling water and let boil for 10 minutes. Transfer jars, set at least 1" apart, to a dish towel and let cool, undisturbed, for 24 hours. You should hear the seals on the lids pop pretty soon after removing from the water. If any jar is not fully sealed, or you chose to skip the canning process, jam should be refrigerated and used within 2 weeks. Sealed jars will keep, in a cool, dark place, for up to a year.

I would love to hear what your favorite summer harvest recipes are! Particularly those that use up tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini (see previous blog for zucchini bread recipe), and/or yellow squash. 

- Enjoy - 

Melissa