Zucchini Frittata

ZUCCHINI FRITTATA

Everyone has a surfeit of zucchini in July, it seems. What to do with
all of them is the challenge, since it seems a shame to let fresh produce go to
waste. Especially troublesome are the squashes that bolt, and are not quite
ideal for stir fry dishes. Here is a recipe for just such a dilemma.

1 cup grated zucchini
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 of a small yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped shitake mushroom
1 teaspoon chopped basil - fresh or dried
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 eggs
1 1/2 tablespoon half and half or whole milk

1. Sauté the zucchini, onion, mushrooms, and garlic in 2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil over a medium low temperature.

2. While they are simmering, beat the 4 eggs together with the milk, salt, pepper, and basil.

3. When the onion and garlic pieces look transparent, pour the egg mixture over the sautéed vegetables. Let the frittata cook over a low temperature. When it is firm, turn it over, one-half section at a time.

4. Continue to cook until eggs are as well done as you like them. Serve the frittata with fresh fruit, berries, or buttered toast.

The humble, meek, merciful, just, pious, and devout souls everywhere are of one religion and when death has taken off the mask they will know one another, though the diverse liveries they wear here make them strangers.
William Penn

Tamales

TAMALES

Tamales are as much an activity as they are a food. They are a great holiday dish because they are more easily constructed with a group effort.

Ingredients and Supplies
Corn Husks - These are purchased dry and soaked for 2-3 hours (or overnight) to soften.
Cotton String - This is technically "cheating," because the traditional way to tie the tamales is to use slivers of husk. Either method works. Or you can simply not tie them at all. Vegetable steamer and large kettle - a tamale kettle is nice, but most large soup kettles will work too.

Tamale Dough:
1 cup butter
1 can of cream style corn (approximately 17 ounces)
2 1/2 cups instant masa mix
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt and 1 rounded tablespoon chili powder
1 can diced green chilies

Filling: (Prepare in advance.)
Chopped, cooked, spiced chicken (or turkey or beef)
Cubed Monterey Jack cheese
Diced green chilies or hotter chilies if you like them

1. Mix the dough ingredients. Add a few teaspoons of masa if the dough seems too sticky.
2. Drain and clean the corn husks.
3. Lay a husk flat on the table surface, and place 1 rounded tablespoon dough in the center of the husk. Flatten it just slightly.
4. Add a rounded teaspoon of either cheese or chicken. Then add a teaspoon of green chilies. Place another rounded tablespoon of dough on top of the fillings and seal the edges. Then roll the husk around the tamale and tie the ends.
5. When all the tamales have been assembled, fill the bottom of the kettle with water, place the steamer in the bottom, and layer the tamales in criss-crossed layers on the steamer. Steam about 1 hour.

Note: One advantage to using both string and husk ties is that if you are making two kinds of tamales, you can tie one kind with string and the other kind with husks. It is also possible to roll up the tamales and cook them with no ties at all, especially if you are going to eat them all right away!

A person convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.
Mark Twain

Swiss Chard Lasagna

About 20 stalks of chard – red or green
4 large ripe tomatoes
1 tablespoon coarsely ground dill seed
1 tablespoon coarsely ground coriander
8 – 10 leaves fresh basil - chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
¾ cup crumbled goat cheese
4 cloves diced garlic
1 medium onion - minced
1 box lasagna noodles (wheat or quinoa)
1 cup ricotta cheese
3 eggs
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella
2 ½ cups tomato sauce

1) Wash and chop chard; remove the large center stalks. 

2) Cook noodles.

3) Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil. When onions and garlic are soft, add chard, dill, coriander, tomato, Worcestershire and basil. Let mixture cook slowly until chard is cooked down – about 8-10 minutes. 

4) Sprinkle goat cheese over the chard-tomato mixture. Cover and turn off heat. 

5) Stir eggs and ricotta cheese together. Add a little salt and pepper.

6) Put ¼ cup tomato sauce plus ¼ cup water in bottom of 9” x 13” pan. Put 1 layer of noodles in pan. 

7) Spread chard mixture on noodles. 

8) Place a second layer of noodles over the chard and spread ricotta mixture on the noodles.

9) Layer more noodles and cover with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. 

10) Bake at 350º for 45 minutes covered and for 10 minutes uncovered.

Dairy free option: Omit the goat cheese and the mozzarella, and replace the ricotta cheese/egg layer with
soft tofu/egg or with cooked meat such as ground beef  or shredded chicken. Spice these with salt and pepper and little oregano and basil.

Serve with garlic bread and red wine.

Shortbread

SHORTBREAD

This shortbread recipe is from Scotland, where it is a traditional Hogmanay or New Year’s Eve treat. It's great for a party or for a gift. Most people find it irresistible.


Preheat oven to 350º.

1 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix ingredients together and form a ball. Then flatten the ball into a 1/2 inch thick round shape. Use a fork to make marks for dividing the pieces after it is baked. Any shape pieces are OK.

Bake for 40 minutes. Cut into pieces before the shortbread is completely cool or it will be too crumble to cut easily.


Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, and the lesson after. Vernon Law

Scalloped Potatoes

SCALLOPED POTATOES

5 medium potatoes, peeled or well scrubbed
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch of pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon minced onion (fresh or dried)
1 ½ cups whole milk
1/4 pound chopped ham (option # 1)
1/2 cup peas (option # 2)
Paprika

Preheat oven to 350º.

Peel potatoes, cut in half the long way and slice into 1/8 inch slices. Spread the sliced potatoes (and ham or peas) into a small glass casserole dish - 9” x 9” or
9” x 7”.

Mix together all other ingredients, except butter, and pour over potatoes. Put small pieces of butter on the top of the potatoes. Sprinkle lightly with paprika. Cover with aluminum foil or casserole cover and bake about 1 hour. To see that potatoes are thoroughly cooked, test with a fork in several places.

If you are serving a large group the recipe can be doubled using a 9x13 casserole.

A good listener is not only popular everywhere, but after awhile, he knows something. Wilson Mizner

Russian Tea Cakes

RUSSIAN TEA CAKES


These are a favorite holiday treat. They have many names and a similar cookie is found in several different cultures. These cookies make a popular Christmas gift and/or party dessert.

1 cup soft butter*

6 tablespoons powdered (confectioner's) sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups flour

1 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat the oven to 325º.

Mix the butter and sugar together.

Add the vanilla, flour and chopped nuts. Mix well.

Pinch off a walnut size lump of dough. Roll into a round ball and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake about 12 minutes.

As soon as cookies are cool enough to handle, roll the warm cookies in warm confectioner’s sugar.

To store these, put wax paper between the layers.

*Use coconut oil for a vegan option. The coconut flavor is quite good.

The man who doesn’t read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t.
Mark Twain

Roast Turkey and Dressing

ROAST TURKEY and DRESSING

This is an obvious Thanksgiving and Christmas recipe, but very often it works well to roast a small turkey (about 10-12 pounds) to keep in the refrigerator and use for sandwiches, salads, casseroles, tacos, enchiladas, etc. Fresh, roasted turkey is tasty and can be used in such a variety of recipes that it will be used up in no time.

Since turkeys are hollow and very bony, they look large. To buy turkey by the pound, estimate 1 ½ pounds per person.

If the turkey is frozen, let it thaw in a cool spot such as the bottom shelf of a refrigerator for 1 or two days. A twenty-pound turkey will take two days to thaw in the refrigerator. Remove all of the giblets and neck parts that have been stuffed inside the turkey. Some people boil these in a couple of quarts of water to make stock. Then rinse the turkey inside and out. A large turkey has a cavity at both ends. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper into both of these cavities.

Stuff the turkey with your favorite kind of dressing, put about 1/2 inch of water in the bottom of the roaster, and put in the oven.

Here is one recipe for stuffing: Sautee 1/2 cup chopped onions, 1 cup chopped mushrooms and 2 tablespoons chopped garlic in olive oil. Add this mixture to 4 cups of seasoned breadcrumbs, 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, two beaten eggs, and 1/2 cup melted butter. If the mixture seems too soggy, add a few more breadcrumbs. The mixture should have a sort of fluffy consistency. Some other ingredients that can be used in turkey dressing are: cooked rice, raisins, bits of chopped apple, and celery.

Fill the turkey cavities with the stuffing, although it should be noted that this is no longer recommended because of a general nervousness about salmonella. Proceed at your own riskJ Extra dressing can be baked in a separate glass dish or you may want to bake all of it in a casserole dish. This recipe would work for a turkey 16 -18 lbs. Decrease the amounts slightly for a smaller turkey and increase them slightly for a larger turkey.

Turkeys should be cooked covered in a slow oven - 325º. For every 3 – 3 ½ pounds of turkey, allow 1 hour of baking time. Turkeys can be basted while they are roasting to enhance the flavor and tenderness. To do this spoon some of the juice in the bottom of the pan onto the top of the turkey and let it run down. Do this over all of the turkey. There is a utensil called a turkey baster that you can purchase to help with this process. Directions for gravy are found on the Pot Roast page.
The beginning is always today. Mary Wollstonecraft