Vegetable Tian

Our CSA has been going what my husband would call "buck wild" with squash this season.  It's been great, except for the obvious problem of my husband's HUGE dislike of any and all gourds.  I was really scared when I received this recipe in the "Farmstand Favorites" recipe swap.  I made it anyway, on a night he was not supposed to be home for dinner.

I made a few, slight, modifications based on what was left from our CSA basket.  I used red onions and red potatoes, and am still using up 8-ball squash.

 I was really sad that the nice Parmesan crust didn't form on mine like it did on the photos that accompany the original recipe, but it was really tasty anyway.  I believe this is meant as a side dish, but I made it as the main.

My boys really weren't into it so much.  I really enjoyed it, but it isn't hefty enough to be a complete meal.  Definitely a great side dish, though!

Thanks, Lauren, for a great recipe, and thank you Jen for hosting a great swap!

Vegetable Tian Source:  Ina Garten via For the Love of Cooking

• 2 tbsp olive oil (divided)
• 1 large red onion cut in half and sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1-2 red potatoes, scrubbed unpeeled
• 1 zucchini
• 1 yellow squash
• 3 large Roma tomatoes
• Sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• Dried thyme, to taste
• 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Coat a baking dish with olive oil cooking spray. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the onions and saute until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 60 seconds. Spread the onion mixture on the bottom of the greased baking dish.
2.  Slice the potatoes, zucchini, squash and tomatoes in 1/4 inch thick slices. Layer them alternately in the dish on top of the onions, fitting them tightly into a spiral, making only one layer. Season with sea salt, black pepper and dried thyme, to taste. Drizzle the last tablespoon of olive oil over the top.
3.  Cover the dish with tin foil and bake for 35 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Uncover and sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top and bake for another 25-30 minutes or until browned.

Summer Spaghetti

Our CSA has been overloading us with squash--summer squash, zucchini, 8 ball squash, Patty Pan squash (on which I cannot comment, being that my husband passed this to his father)--and my dad passed us what I think is a Rolet squash, which means we are swimming in squash around here!  Add this to the fact that my husband does not eat anything anywhere near the squash family, and this is a big problem.

So when I was assigned The Boys Made me Do It in this week's recipe swap, I was thrilled to see this recipe, which uses a few types of squash as well as other ingredients my husband does eat.  Even better, it's fast and keeps the kitchen sort of cool and we have a winner!

I did not use broccoli as Cara suggested and really wish I had.  It would have added more heft to my husband's squash-less plate.  The trick is that you can use any fresh veg you have on hand!  Hoping to add a little more flavor, I added a splash of Pinot Grigio (ok, maybe a glug) when adding the pasta water.  I think this was a great addition and brought even more sweetness to this dish.  I used a summer squash and an 8 ball squash here.

Summer Spaghetti  Source: Better Homes and Garden Magazine, June 2012 via The Boys Made me Do It
    8 oz. spaghetti noodles
    Dry white wine
    1/4 cup olive oil
    3 cloves garlic, pressed
    Pinch of crushed red pepper
    1 1/2 cups grilled zucchini and/or other summer veggies
    1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved at the equator
    Small handful fresh basil, torn
    Salt and pepper, to taste
    1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Prepare spaghetti to al dente in a large pot of boiling water (about 9-10 minutes boiling time). Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.

In a large saute' pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook until just fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the zucchini, tomatoes, and torn basil. Season with salt and pepper.

Reduce heat to low. Add as much wine as you'd like with reserved pasta water to make 1/2c of liquid; add liquid and spaghetti to skillet. 

Heat thoroughly, about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan.


 Transfer to large serving bowl and garnish with chopped basil.

Sausage and Clams with Kale

Our CSA this week included a bunch of kale.  In addition, my son, father, and I had gone clamming last weekend, and came home with about 2 dozen clams.  Intending to find ways to use up the CSA basket and clams this week, I chose this recipe to do both.

When I first mentioned "sausage and clams" together, my husband actually shriveled his nose and said that they did not sound like things that would go well together.  Awesome.

I went ahead and made the recipe anyway.  My boys LOVED the clams and the sausage.  Both were asking for more and more and more.  THIRDS on the clams, and still asking for more.  The little one also went to town on the spaghetti I served this over, while his brother really wouldn't touch it.  Neither would eat the kale.

My husband, on the other hand, also enjoyed the clams and sausage, but thought the pasta had no flavor and did not enjoy the kale.

I enjoyed it well enough, and wish I'd added some crushed red pepper to the mix (alas, the almost 5 year old would NEVER have gone for that!)

Give it a try; maybe your family will love it more than mine!

Sausage and Clams with Kale Source:  Cooking Light

Ingredients

• Cooking spray 
• 12 ounces sweet turkey Italian sausage 
• 1/2 cup chopped onion 
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons Madeira wine or dry sherry
• 8 cups chopped kale (about 10 ounces)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt 
• 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 
• 16 littleneck clams

Preparation

1. Heat a Dutch oven over high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Remove casings from sausage. Add sausage to pan; cook 4 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in chopped onion and garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Add Madeira; cook 1 minute or until liquid evaporates. Add kale, salt, and chicken broth; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in clams; cook, covered, 10 minutes or until shells open. Discard any unopened shells.

Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison, Cooking Light
OCTOBER 2008

Corn and 8 Ball Squash Quesadillas

This weird squash looking thing appeared in my CSA basket a few weeks ago.  Not knowing what it was, I turned to knower-of-all-things, Mom, and asked her.  She agreed that it was probably a squash, but had no idea other than that.  So, the next time they appeared in the basket, I asked.

The folks at the farm said it's delicious on the grill or stuffed with meat.  Feeling lazy, I grilled it up and added it to quesadillas (the original plan was to serve this on the side; instead it went right in).

I've made this recipe before, but never with fresh grilled corn, or grilled zucchini.  I thought it was a delicious addition (though I haven't had the original in more than a year); the grilling brought out a sweetness and richness to the squash and the corn (as well as to the tomatoes) and made it outstanding. 

Here's the recipe with my modifications; the original recipe is from Robin Miller's Robin Rescues Dinner:

CORN AND ZUCCHINI QUESADILLAS WITH CHARRED TOMATO-BASIL SALSA Source:  Robin Miller's Robin Rescues Dinner

• 1 8-ball squash, cut into 1/8-inch thick rounds 
• Vinaigrette (I used the leftovers from this)
• 1 ear fresh corn, shucked
• 2 beefsteak tomatoes, cut in half at the equator
• 2 tablespoons minced red onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Cooking spray
• 4 fajita size whole grain tortillas
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese
• 4-ounce can minced green chilies, drained

1. Spray outdoor grill with cooking spray, and heat grill to medium.  Meanwhile, toss sliced squash with vinaigrette and let hang out.  Place corn on the grate (you may brush with olive oil or spray with cooking spray if you wish), turning frequently, until tender, which should take about 15 minutes. Grill the tomatoes, skin side down first, until skin blisters, about 3 minutes a side.  Grill the squash until soft, about 2 minutes a side.  Set all aside and let cool before moving on.  Dice the tomatoes; dice the squash; remove the corn from the cob.
2. To make the salsa, in a medium bowl, combine charred tomatoes, onion, basil, lemon juice, and cumin. Mix well and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. Coat a stop-top griddle or large skillet with cooking spray and preheat to medium-high.
4. Arrange tortillas on a flat surface. Top half (one side) of tortillas with both shredded cheeses, squash, reserved corn, and green chilies. Fold over un-topped side, making a half moon. Place quesadillas on hot pan and cook 2 to 3 minutes per side, until tortillas are golden brown and cheese melts. Serve quesadillas with salsa on the side.

Serves 4
"Mommy, can I take a picture of MY food?"