Just some garden and knitting stuff!

Hey, everybody. No recipe, just some pictures of our garden and of a little berry baby had I made for my brother and sister-in-law as they expect their first child in a few weeks.

Daniel and I have had a smashing success in our garden this year. Our green beans have been growing so strongly. So have our squashes, zucchini, tomatoes, basil, carrots and cucumbers. I've been trying to make use of all the zucchini, but it's ridiculous how fast they grow! We've given most of them away. It makes me a little sad to work in our garden, knowing that we are so good at making green things grow, but we can't seem to make a little one of us grow. It's been a rough year for me. But the beautiful weather helps, and so does cooking. Thanks to everyone who has been reading my blog. I love writing it, and I hope some of you are getting use out of the recipes.

Eggplant, zucchini, parmesan torte

This recipe comes from epicurious.com. I've made it twice now, and it's been devoured with great vigor by all guests each time! Seriously, this torte is delicious. But it's a very tedious and long process. So you might want to save this recipe for a dinner party with friends, where you know your hard work will be appreciated.

2 large onions (about 1 pound)
1 garlic clove
about 1/2 cup olive oil
a 26- to 32-ounce container chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 large eggplants (about 2 1/2 pounds total)
4 large zucchini (about 1 3/4 pounds total)
4 large red bell peppers
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
3 large eggs
6 ounces freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (about 2 cups)
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Preparation:

Halve onions through root end and thinly slice. Finely chop garlic. In a large heavy skillet cook onions with salt to taste in 2 tablespoons oil, covered, over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 15 minutes. Add garlic and cook mixture, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until any liquid onions give off is evaporated. Add tomatoes with juice, sage, and thyme and simmer, stirring occasionally, until excess liquid is evaporated and mixture is very thick. Season mixture with salt and pepper and cool. Preheat oven to 450°F. Brush at least 2 shallow baking pans with some remaining oil.

Cut eggplants crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick rounds and arrange in one layer in baking pans. Brush eggplant slices with some remaining oil and roast in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of pans halfway through roasting time, until tender and golden, about 20 minutes. Cool eggplant 5 minutes and transfer with a slotted spatula to paper towels to drain.

Cut zucchini lengthwise into 1/3-inch-thick slices and roast in same manner until tender and pale golden, about 25 minutes. Cool zucchini 5 minutes and transfer to paper towels to drain.

Quarter bell peppers lengthwise and discard stems, seeds, and ribs. Arrange peppers, skin sides up, in oiled baking pans and brush with some remaining oil. Roast peppers in same manner until tender and lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Cool peppers 5 minutes and transfer to paper towels to drain.

In a 1 1/2- to 2-quart heavy saucepan melt butter over moderately low heat and whisk in flour. Cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes and whisk in milk and cream. Bring mixture to a boil, whisking, and simmer, whisking occasionally, 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and cool sauce 5 minutes. Whisk in eggs, two thirds Parmigiano-Reggiano, and salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat oven to 400°F. and lightly oil a 14- x 10- x 2 1/2-inch or other 3 1/2-quart shallow baking dish. In baking dish arrange half of eggplant, overlapping slices to form an even layer, and season with salt and pepper. Top eggplant with half of tomato mixture, spreading evenly, and pour about one third Parmigiano-Reggiano custard over it. Nestle half of zucchini in custard and season with salt and pepper. Top zucchini with half of peppers. Repeat layering, reserving half of remaining custard for topping. Pour reserved custard over final layer of peppers and sprinkle with remaining grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Bake torte in middle of oven until custard is puffed and golden brown, about 35 minutes. Let torte stand 10 minutes before serving.

Spinach Ricotta Pie

I pulled this recipe from The Moosewood Cookbook, which was a Christmas gift from my Uncle Chalo many years ago when he was at Tenspeed Press in Berkeley. I LOVE this cookbook. Thank you, Chalo!!

Crust:
6 tbs butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cups flour
4 tbs cold milk

The Filling:
1 tbs of butter
1 cup minced onion
1 lb spinach, stemmed and chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh chopped basil
1 lb ricotta cheese
3 beaten eggs
3 tbs flour
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar
a dash of nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

To make crust:
Use a pastry cutter or two forks to cut together the butter and flour until the mixture is uniformly blended and resembles coarse cornmeal. Add the milk to hold the dough together. Roll out the dough and form a crust in a 9 or 10-inch pie pan. Set aside. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

To make filling:
Melt butter in skillet, add onion and saute for 5 minutes. Add spinach, salt, pepper, basil, and stir over medium-high heat until the spinach is wilted. Remove from heat. Combine all filling ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Spread into the unbaked pie shell. Bake 45 minutes. Serve hot or warm. Daniel and I like to splash a little Tapatio or Tabasco over it. Scrumptious!

Tortellini, kielbasa and white bean soup

In serious need of some comfort food? You have come to the right court reporter. Try this soup, and you will get a good night's sleep, dreaming of nothing but sweet, sweet flavors of kale, tortellini and kielbasa.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 ounces fully cooked smoked kielbasa sausage, thinly sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 cup chopped fresh fennel bulb
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
10 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
4 cups chopped kale (1/2 bunch)
1 15-ounce can cannellini (white kidney beans), rinsed, drained
1 9-ounce package cheese tortellini


1 cup grated Asiago cheese or Parmesan cheese
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Preparation:
Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add next 6 ingredients and sauté until vegetables are soft and kielbasa is brown, about 12 minutes. Add broth and bring to boil. Stir in kale and cannellini. Reduce heat to low and simmer until kale is wilted, about 4 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly; cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before continuing.) Add tortellini to soup. Simmer until pasta is just tender but still firm to bite, about 5 minutes.

Ladle soup into bowls. Serve, passing cheese separately.

Zucchini Fritters with Black Bean and Corn Salad

I got this recipe off Martha Stewart's website...normally I wouldn't use Martha as an authority for anything because I really can't stand her smugness, but I have to admit, this recipe came out quite good! So thank you, Martha.

Ingredients:

1 pound (about 2 medium) zucchini
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest (1 lemon) plus
1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges (optional)
10 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley, stems removed and leaves finely chopped, plus more sprigs for garnish (optional)
1 medium clove garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1.Using the large holes of a box grater, grate zucchini into a medium bowl. Add the salt, lemon zest, chopped parsley, garlic, pepper, and eggs. Mix well to combine. Slowly add flour, stirring so no lumps form.
2.Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat until the oil sizzles when you drop a small amount of zucchini mixture into the pan. Carefully drop about 2 tablespoons zucchini mixture into pan; repeat, spacing fritters a few inches apart.
3.Cook fritters until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Lower heat to medium. Turn fritters, and continue cooking until golden, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer fritters to a plate; set aside in a warm place. Cook remaining zucchini mixture, adding more oil to pan if necessary. Garnish with parsley sprigs and lemon wedges, if desired; serve.

BLACK BEAN AND CORN SALAD

Ingredients
1/3 cup fresh lime juice 1/2 cup olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced 1 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained 1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels 1 avocado - peeled, pitted and diced 1 red bell pepper, chopped 2 tomatoes, chopped 6 green onions, thinly sliced 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
Directions
Place lime juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and cayenne pepper in a small jar. Cover with lid, and shake until ingredients are well mixed.
In a salad bowl, combine beans, corn, avocado, bell pepper, tomatoes, green onions, and cilantro. Shake lime dressing, and pour it over the salad. Stir salad to coat vegetables and beans with dressing, and serve.

Zucchini Cheddar Bread

This recipe is from the Joy of Cooking. I was trying to get rid of some huge zucchinis that Daniel picked from the garden, so I made this delicious bread, and we used it for toast at dinner for a week. Enjoy!

Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 9 x 5-inch (8-cup) loaf pan. Whisk together thoroughly in a large bowl:

3 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Add and toss to separate and coat with flour:

1 cup coarsely shredded zucchini
1 1/4 cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1 shallot, thinly sliced and tossed a bit to separate concentric rings
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon snipped fresh dill, or 2 teaspoons dried

Whisk together in another bowl:

2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) warm melted unsalted butter or vegetable oil

Add to the flour mixture and mix with a few light strokes just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Do not overmix; the batter should not be smooth. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a rack for 5 to 10 minutes before unmolding to cool completely on the rack.