Quick Pattypan Squash ♥ Recipe

Today's vegetable recipe: Slices of pattypan squash simmered in water with a little butter, tossed with lemon juice and fresh basil. Low carb. Weight Watchers 0 points.

Boiled zucchini. (Or in this case, zucchini's cousin, another summer squash called pattypan.) It just sounds bad, doesn't it? And truth is, this is not a recipe that will knock your socks off, not like stuffed zucchini boats, say. It's good, of course, just not a recipe any of us are going to moan over. But it's so quick, so easy, so perfect for the lovely little pattypan squashes (you know, the ones that look like spaceships from Planet Plant) so abundant at the farmers markets right now -- that's more than ample compensation, at least in my book.

I made the pattypan ahead of time to serve at room temperature, but they're so quick and easy, make them at the last minute to serve hot.

QUICK PATTYPAN SQUASH

Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Time to table: 10 minutes
Serves 4

1 tablespoon butter
1 pound pattypan squash, about 4, trimmed but skins left on, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
Water to cover

Juice of a lemon
Fresh basil, chopped
Salt & pepper to taste

In a skillet, heat the butter on MEDIUM HIGH. Add the pattypan and just barely cover with water. Cover. Let cook about 5 minutes or until desired doneness is achieved. (My taste wanted some softness, but some tooth too.) Remove from water with tongs, drain well and gently toss with lemon juice, basil. Season and arrange in a serving plate. Serve hot or at room temperature.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per serving, assumes that only half the butter is absorbed into the zucchini: 25Cal; 1g Protein; 1g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 4g Carb; 1g Fiber; NetCarb3; 11mg Sodium; 1mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 0 points

TODAY'S VEGETABLE RECIPE INSPIRATION
Bon Appetit June 1995

KITCHEN NOTES
The inspiring recipe called for chopped fresh parsley and a handful of capers.

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VEGETABLE RECIPES from the ARCHIVES
~ Shredded Zucchini with Thyme from Kitchen Parade ~
~ Stuffed Pattypan Squash, very cute! ~
~ Cream of Zucchini Soup, Julia Child's recipe ~

~ more summer squash recipes ~
~ more Weight Watchers recipes ~
~ more low-carb recipes ~

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Looking for healthy ways to cook vegetables? A Veggie Venture is home to hundreds of quick, easy and healthful vegetable recipes and the famous Alphabet of Vegetables. Healthy eaters will love the low carb recipes and the Weight Watchers recipes.
© Copyright 2008

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Zucchini Fritters ♥ Recipe

Today's vegetable recipe: A classic zucchini fritter. Grated zucchini with a lemony egg binder. Low carb. Weight Watchers 2 points.

"Waste not, want not." Welcome to "zucchini week" here on A Veggie Venture, an attempt to keep up with baseball-sized summer squash that appear overnight on my kitchen counter. Without real effort, their next stop would be compost, especially because the big and dense zucchini can't be used with just any recipe. In addition, after being obsessed with baking all summer long, all of a sudden, turning on the oven is dead last on a long list of cooking ideas.

This is the first time I've made fritters, per se. At least with vegetables, a fritter implies a grated vegetable, bound together into a thin pancake, then fried til crisp in a skillet, though some times baked too. This is comfort food country-style, cheap eats, supper on a budget. They're substantial enough to make an entire meal or could be paired with grilled meat.

ZUCCHINI FRITTERS

Hands-on time: maybe 30 minutes
Time to table: maybe 45 minutes
Makes 8 good-sized fritters

1 pound zucchini, peeled if skins are tough, halved, seeds scooped out (for large zucchini only), grated

2 eggs
Zest of a lemon
1 small onion, chopped fine (about 1/4 cup)
Fresh basil, chopped fine
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Pepper to taste

Olive oil
1 dried chili pepper

Line a colander with a paper towel, add the grated zucchini; top with another paper towel and press lightly. Let drain for about 30 minutes.

Whisk together eggs, zest, onion, basil, flour, salt and pepper. Gently fold in zucchini.

Heat a heavy skillet such as cast iron on MEDIUM HIGH. Add oil and chili pepper, let warm though. (The oil is hot enough when it sizzles when you flick water off your fingertips into the oil.) Drop heaping spoons of the fritter batter into the skillet, flatten a bit with the back of a skillet, smooth the edges if needed. Let cook until brown and crispy, turn over and repeat.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per fritter (assumes using 4 tablespoons of oil to cook the fritters): 115Cal; 3g Protein; 8g Tot Fat; 1g Sat Fat; 8g Carb; 1g Fiber; 7NetCarb; 168mg Sodium; 52mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 2 points

KITCHEN NOTES
The large garden-huge zucchini I used cast off virtually no liquid during the draining stage so next time, I might gauge whether or not the draining step is required. Smaller zucchini, however, likely would require draining.
I cooked half the mixture one evening, the remainder the next with no ill effect.
No dried chili peppers on hand? Skip entirely or mince a small hot pepper for the fritter batter.
If needed, warm an oven to 300F to keep these warm for serving.

ZUCCHINI RECIPES from the ARCHIVES
~ Shredded Zucchini with Thyme, a low-calorie fritter wannabe ~
~ Feta-Stuffed Zucchini ~
~ Zucchini Pumpkin Bread ~

~ more zucchini recipes ~

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Looking for healthy ways to cook vegetables? A Veggie Venture is home to hundreds of quick, easy and healthful vegetable recipes and the famous Alphabet of Vegetables. Healthy eaters will love the low carb recipes and the Weight Watchers recipes.
© Copyright 2008

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Homemade Blueberry Vinaigrette ♥ Recipe

Today's salad dressing recipe: A simple vinaigrette made with fresh blueberries. Low carb. Weight Watchers 1 point.

How easy is this? Just a big handful of blueberries plus the usual suspects for a vinaigrette, olive oil, garlic and vinegar. It tasted so fruity fresh - chalk another successful entry in the continuing quest to never buy salad dressing again.

Plus, the mix of blueberries and blue cheese and blue peaches -- oh wait, that would be just peaches, perfectly ripe -- was magnificent.

HOMEMADE BLUEBERRY VINAIGRETTE

Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Time to table: 10 minutes
Makes 1/2 cup

1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1 small clove garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon onion
2 tablespoons good vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 - 4 tablespoons good olive oil

In a blender, whiz the berries, garlic, onion, vinegar and sugar until berries are liquified. Drizzle the olive oil through the top while the blender is running until the desired consistency and mouth feel are achieved. Serve drizzled over lettuce greens with fresh blueberries, peach slices and blue cheese crumbles.

KITCHEN NOTES
The inspiring recipe suggests straining the seeds out but I didn't find that necessary.
After resting a few minutes, the dressing becomes quite viscous, almost jelly-like. I started with just two tablespoons of olive oil but in order to pour, was forced to add more oil than was needed for (my) taste. To limit calories and fat grams, next time I'll use fruit juice rather than more oil.
For aesthetics, I'd also recommend drizzling the dressing over top (or better yet, drizzled from a squeeze bottle) since tossing the greens in the dressing creates a muddy look.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Made with 2/3/4 Tablespoons Olive Oil, Per Tablespoon: 39/55/70Cal; 0g Protein; 3/5/7g Tot Fat; 1g Sat Fat; 2g Carb; 0g Fiber; 0mg Sodium; 0mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 1/1/2 points

TODAY'S VEGETABLE RECIPE INSPIRATION
Adapted from Maritime Flavours: Blueberries by Elaine Elliot and Virginia Lee

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FAVORITE HOMEMADE SALAD DRESSING RECIPES
~ Buttermilk Garlic Salad Dressing ~
~ Thousand Island Dressing ~
~ Easy Salsa Dressing ~

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Looking for healthy ways to cook vegetables? A Veggie Venture is home to hundreds of quick, easy and healthful vegetable recipes and the famous Alphabet of Vegetables. Healthy eaters will love the low carb recipes and the Weight Watchers recipes.
© Copyright 2008

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Old Liz's Old-Fashioned Cucumber & Tomato Salad Recipe ♥

Big chunks of cucumber with tomato and onion in a simple balsamic vinegar dressing. Low carb. Weight Watchers 0 points.

This recipe originates from rural Missouri and a 1940s farm wife widowed young with four children, the youngest only 18 months old.

It's plain. It's thrifty. It's filling. I suspect Old Liz might tsk-tsk me to task for even calling it a recipe. My mind hears her harumph, "It's just cucumbers and tomatoes from the garden. Don't make a fuss." So no more imagining a woman whose spirit I can know only through the legacy of her children -- and her cucumber salad. Maybe she wouldn't mind just a small fuss.

This is a good salad for those baseball-bat sized cucumbers from the garden. It needs a good rest before supper (30 minutes, say) but is even better the next day.

UPDATE: When visiting Karina from Karina's Kitchen near Santa Fe, just look what she made, her very own gluten-free version of Old Liz's Cucumber Salad.

OLD LIZ's OLD-FASHIONED CUCUMBER & TOMATO SALAD RECIPE

Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Time to table: 45 minutes
Serves 8

1 extra large cucumber
2 small pickling cucumbers
1 small tomato, chopped
1 small onion, sliced thin in half rings
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (I used white balsamic vinegar so the cucumber wouldn't stain dark)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

Peel and seed the large cucumber, then cut into chunks. Slice off the stem and blossom ends of the pickling cucumbers; in ribbons, peel off about half the skin (leaving some skin on adds crunch and some color) and then slice cross-wise to form rounds. Combine with remaining ingredients. Let rest for about 30 minutes or overnight.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Serving : 45Cal; 8g Protein; 2g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 6g Carb; 1g Fiber; 5NetCarb ; 5mg Sodium; 0mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 0 points

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OLD-TIME CUCUMBER RECIPES from the ARCHIVES
~ Nana's Cucumbers with Sour Cream, my own grandmother's cucumber salad ~
~ Cucumbers in Vinegar, Danielle's Ima's cucumber salad ~
~ more cucumber recipes ~

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NEVER MISS A RECIPE! For 'home delivery' of new recipes from A Veggie Venture, sign up here. Once you do, new recipes will be delivered, automatically, straight to your e-mail In Box.

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Looking for healthy ways to cook vegetables? A Veggie Venture is home to hundreds of quick, easy and healthful vegetable recipes and the famous Alphabet of Vegetables. Healthy eaters will love the low carb recipes and the Weight Watchers recipes.
© Copyright 2008

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Jerusalem Salad ♥ Recipe

Today's salad recipe: A classic summer salad, tomatoes, cucumber, peppers and romaine lettuce, all tossed in a lemon tahini dressing. Weight Watchers Friendly, WW 2 PointsPlus. Low Cal. Low Carb. Gluten Free. Not just vegan, "Vegan Done Real".

~recipe & photo updated & republished 2013~
~more recently updated recipes~

2008 Original: By the middle of August, there's simply no need to cook. We can if we want, but why? when we can just collect some vegetables, then wash, chop and devour.

This easy salad made for a great light supper. What makes it special is the dressing: nutty with the sesame seeds in the tahini and bright with lemon. The recipe made far more dressing than needed for the salad, a real benefit at it turns out. When the dressing was puréed with a can of chickpeas, voila, a terrific hummus, one of my favorites in a long while. I slathered this onto flatbread (you must-must check my recipe for Quick Crisp Flatbread, it's the summer's obsession!) and it was just perfect alongside.
Keep Reading ->>>

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Homemade Zucchini Relish Recipe ♥

Today's recipe: A thick relish with a bite of pepper made from 'huge' zucchini, onion, carrot and peppers.

Free food: think 'monster' zucchini and 'prolific' peppers. This time of year, free food makes its way into our kitchens where we become its steward, charged with 'no waste' and looking for recipes to use up large zucchini and piles of peppers. With this recipe for zucchini relish, I made good use of two extra-large zucchinis, each one weighing 2+ pounds and still only Size XL beside a four-pound Size XXXL.

The zucchini relish recipe is 'tried and true' -- it came from my friend Linda who got it from her friend Kathie who got it from her mother-in-law who got it from, well, you know. Grating and chopping takes a good hour, then the vegetables rest for three hours before getting cooked and processed in canning jars.

The relish is sweet, almost enough to be called a 'zucchini jam' but still, leans to the savory side. It's got some bite too, thanks to a good measure of black pepper which shouldn't be skipped. It's thick and good for spreading (as photographed, on bread atop feta cheese, say). The color is beautiful! The carrots and red peppers stay bright and colorful, the zucchini takes on the amber color of turmeric. Yes, I really like this stuff!

KATHIE'S NOTES "I had an 80-year old neighbor who put it on all her sandwiches (said it stimulated her appetite) and always wanted me to sell the relish. For Christmas, my siblings ask for relish, nothing else. I think the turmeric makes it special."

FUNNY PAGES My friend Stephanie from the St. Louis food blog Iron Stef has the funniest picture ever of one of those big honkin' zucchinis that emerge from gardens this time of year. Be sure to check out her Zucchini Baby.

HOMEMADE ZUCCHINI RELISH

Hands-on time: 60 minutes up front, an hour or so to can
Time to table: 6 hours
Makes 8 or so pints but can be canned in half pints if preferred

VEGETABLES
15 cups grated zucchini, from about 4 + pounds of fresh zucchini
1 pound carrots, grated
6 cups chopped onion, from about 5 onions
8 sweet peppers, a mix of red and green, chopped (I used 2 red, 6 green)
1/3 cup table salt (Linda's sister suggests using pickling salt)

Mix these together in a very large bowl. Let stand at least three hours. (This batch stood overnight.) Drain in a colander or wrap in cheesecloth so the excess liquid can be squeezed out.

LIQUID & SPICES
3 cups vinegar (cider is preferred because it's gentler and more fruity but I used plain white vinegar and it was fine)
6 cups sugar
3 teaspoon celery seed
1-1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons turmeric
1-1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
3 tablespoons cornstarch stirred into a little cold water to make a paste

Mix ingredients in a very large kettle, stir until sugar is dissolved. Add drained vegetables and bring to a boil. Let cook just a few minutes, until liquid is mostly gone. Transfer relish into sterilized jars and seal. Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.

KITCHEN NOTES
Large zucchini can be seedy and spongy in the centers -- cut this out before grating. If large pieces of skin get through the grater, pull these out, they'll likely be tough. The small slivers cook fine, however.
Grate the zucchini and carrots in the food processor. Onion and peppers get mushy in the food processor so should be chopped by hand.
Even though I've done a lot of canning, I always review my own practical home canning tips before getting started on a new batch. There's always something to forget, otherwise!

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RECIPES from the ARCHIVES
~ more recipes for canning & preserving vegetables ~
~ more zucchini recipes ~

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NEVER MISS A RECIPE! For 'home delivery' of new recipes from A Veggie Venture, sign up here. Once you do, new recipes will be delivered, automatically, straight to your e-mail In Box.

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Looking for healthy ways to cook vegetables? A Veggie Venture is home to hundreds of quick, easy and healthful vegetable recipes and the famous Alphabet of Vegetables. Healthy eaters will love the low carb recipes and the Weight Watchers recipes.
© Copyright 2008

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Raw Corn Chowder ♥ Recipe

Today's summer soup recipe: A cold soup made from fresh corn and 'creamed' with olive oil. Most refreshing.

Soup recipes go on the backburner most of the summer. Except on rare 'chilly' days when the temperature drops to, I don't know, 70F?, summer just isn't the season for belly-warming foods. But cold soup -- now that's another story! When Lisa from the St. Louis food blog Show Me Vegan made a blender soup of Corn and Cashew Chowder, it moved to the top of my weekend cooking list. Sure enough, by Saturday it was hot-hot-hot outside and cold-cold-cold soup tasted wonderful. Better yet, since the soup is raw, no cooking required!

Lisa's soup was inspired by a recipe from Food & Wine which called for six tablespoons of olive oil. Naturally, I wondered if the oil could be eliminated entirely. IT CAN'T -- in fact, without the oil, the soup is as blah as dusty corn husks. But still, I wanted to meter the oil, adding only what was needed for the soup to taste good. I added olive oil -- the good stuff -- a tablespoon at a time. Even the first tablespoon made a difference, each one increasingly more. I stopped at four, where, to my taste, the soup was completely delicious and needed no more richness.

This soup has creative potential -- though please don't think that these ideas mean the soup, as is, needs improvement.

• The grainy texture is rustic and lovely but another time I might press the liquid through a chinois to create something luscious and smooth.
  
• Once smooth, cooking it into a soft custard might be gorgeous, perhaps going so far as slipping in a real luxury, like crab or lobster.
  
• On the simpler side, I can imagine drizzling the top with honey or adding lime juice for a little brightness.

LEFTOVER REPORT A rarity, this soup was just as good straight from the blender as leftover a few days later.

RAW CORN CHOWDER

Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Time to table: 15 minutes
Makes 6 cups

About 6 ears of fresh corn, enough for 3 - 4 cups fresh corn kernels
1/2 cup raw nuts, the recipe called for cashews, I used almonds
2 cups water
1 small garlic clove
1 teaspoon raw or pickled jalapeño (my addition but the inspiring recipe called for garnishing the top with jalapeño)
2 teaspoons kosher salt (important, don't skimp)
Olive oil to taste (inspiring recipe called for 6 tablespoons, I used 4)

Garnishing ideas
More corn kernels
Chopped cilantro
A drizzle of pesto or honey
Black pepper

Leaving the stems on for handles, husk the ears of corn. With one hand, hold an ear tip-down in center of a large bowl. With a knife, slice off swaths of corn kernels top to bottom. When kernels are off, use the knife’s dull edge to scrape the cob top to bottom on all sides, collecting remaining pulp and milk in the bowl. Transfer kernels to a food processor and add all the remaining ingredients except the olive oil. Process til smooth. A tablespoon at a time, add olive oil until desired mouth feel is achieved. Serve immediately but the soup also keeps for two or three days.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Cup: 220Cal; 5g Protein; 14g Tot Fat; 2g Sat Fat; 22g Carb; 4g Fiber; 18NetCarb; 405mg Sodium; 0mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 5 points

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VEGETABLE RECIPES from the ARCHIVES
~ Grilled Sweet Corn with Spiced Lime Butter ~
~ Quick Microwave Sweet Corn ~
~ more sweet corn recipes ~

~ Zucchini Carpaccio ~
~ Raw Beet, Carrot & Kohlrabi Slaw ~
~ more "unusually raw" recipes ~

~ Tomato Gazpacho ~
~ Summer Borscht ~
~ more cold soup recipes ~

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PRINT JUST A RECIPE! Now you can print a recipe without wasting ink and paper on the header and sidebar. Here's how.

NEVER MISS A RECIPE! For 'home delivery' of new recipes from A Veggie Venture, sign up here. Once you do, new recipes will be delivered, automatically, straight to your e-mail In Box.

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Looking for healthy ways to cook vegetables? A Veggie Venture is home to hundreds of quick, easy and healthful vegetable recipes and the famous Alphabet of Vegetables. Healthy eaters will love the low carb recipes and the Weight Watchers recipes.
© Copyright 2008

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Caponata Recipe - Sicilian Eggplant ♥

Today's vegetable recipe: Eggplant, onion and tomato cooked til soft, deepened with red wine vinegar and capers. Low carb. Weight Watchers zero points!!

No beating eggplant: it's cheap, healthful and cooks up in a million ways. Now meet my new favorite way to cook it, caponata, the spread, the 'scoop', the salad, the eggplant-tomato mix that there was no getting enough of this past week.

Serve it as a healthful appetizer or a side dish served at room temperature aside fish or pork or chicken. I served it with flatbread for an afternoon outing: very tasty, especially with feta and olives on the side.

UPDATE: For readers who respond to 'visual cues', please know that the size of the chopped vegetables in the photograph is good for a side dish. For an appetizer that's easy to spread, chop much smaller.

CAPONATA

Hands-on time: 25 minutes
Time to table: 1 hour
Makes 5 cups

1 tablespoon olive oil (reduced from 5 tablespoons, just not needed!)
1 large onion, diced
4 or more garlic cloves, chopped
1 anchovy, mashed (optional but wonderful)
1 large globe eggplant, tip and tail trimmed, skin on, cut into very small dice (the smaller it is, the easier it will be to spread on bread or crackers)

2 large fresh tomatoes, diced small
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons capers
Salt & pepper to taste

OPTIONAL
Kalamata olives (can be added with the tomato)
Fresh basil (can be stirred in after caponata is cooked and cooled)
Toasted pine nuts (these are traditionally used to sprinkle on top)

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil til shimmery on MEDIUM HIGH. Add the onion, garlic, anchovy and eggplant as they're prepped, stirring to coat with fat each time. Cook, stirring often, until eggplant has softened and become slightly brown, about 15 minutes. Add the tomato, vinegar and capers. Cover and let cook until eggplant and onion are very tender, about 15 minutes. Season to taste. Serve warm, at room temperature or refrigerate and serve cold.

TODAY'S VEGETABLE RECIPE INSPIRATION
Adapted from Bon Appetit, August 2005 and Red, White, and Greens: The Italian Way with Vegetables by Faith Willinger

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per 1/4 cup: 25 Cal; 1g Protein; 1g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 4g Carb; 2g Fiber; 35mg Sodium; 0mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers Old Points 0 & PointsPlus 1

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SUMMER APPETIZER RECIPES
~ Beet Pesto ~
~ Green Chutney ~
~ Easy Easy Radish Spread ~

~ more appetizer recipes from A Veggie Venture ~
~ more appetizer recipes from Kitchen Parade, my food column ~
~ more eggplant recipes ~
~ more Weight Watchers recipes ~
~ more low-carb recipes ~

NEVER MISS A RECIPE! For 'home delivery' of new recipes from A Veggie Venture, sign up here. Once you do, new recipes will be delivered, automatically, straight to your e-mail In Box.

A Veggie Venture is home of eggplant lover and 'veggie evangelist' Alanna Kellogg and the
famous asparagus-to-zucchini Alphabet of Vegetables.
© Copyright Kitchen Parade 2008

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