Decatur Magazine: Home: Food and Wine: Vegetable Recipes

by Jan Mathew			articles online: food & wine Recipes to take advantage of the season's bounty of vegetables. Bread and Butter Pickles Pickled Beets Sweet and Sour Zucchini Canned Tomatoes Zucchini Pie Zucchini Dressing Cold Zucchini Soup White Zucchini Cake Salsa Marinated Tomatoes Salad Zucchini Pineapple Zucchini Marmalade Zucchini Relish
Online supplement to the printed article from August/September 2001
Bread and Butter Pickles Four quarts sliced cucumbers Six medium white onions, sliced Two peppers, sliced (optional) 1/3 cup salt 5 cups sugar 1-1/2 teaspoons turmeric 1-1/2 teaspoons celery seed 2 T. mustard seed 3 cups vinegar Mix sliced cucumbers, onions, peppers and salt. Cover mixture with cracked ice for crispness. Mix thoroughly, and let stand for three hours. Drain. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over cucumber mix. Heat to boiling and pour into jars. Courtesy of Mickey McDaniel, Chamber of Commerce ^ back to top Pickled Beets About four quarts sliced beets 2 cups sugar 2 cups water 2 cups strong vinegar 1 tsp. clove 1 tsp. allspice 1 T. cinnamon Lemon wedge, optional Select small, young beets and cook until tender. Immerse immediately in cold water; peel skin and slice. Mix syrup ingredients (adjust measurements, if necessary, to match amount of beets used). Pour over beets and simmer with juice for 15 minutes. Pack in jars and seal. Tip! Wear gloves, because beets will stain your hands. Courtesy of Mickey McDaniel, Chamber of Commerce* ^ back to top Sweet and Sour Zucchini 1-1/2 T. dry onions 1/2 cup white wine vinegar 1/2 cup chopped green pepper 1/2 cup chopped celery 3/4 cup sugar 7 small, thin sliced zucchini 1 tsp. pepper 1/3 cup oil 2/3 cup cider vinegar 1 tsp. salt Soak onions in wine vinegar in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and refrigerate overnight. Drain well and serve chilled, or at room temperature. Serve as a salad with any meal. Courtesy of Betty Wheatley, Ella Veach Unit, HEA ^ back to top Canned Tomatoes Select sound, ripe tomatoes. Wash. Dip in to boiling water until skins crack; then dip quickly in to cold water. Cut out stem ends, remove cores and slip off skins. Leave tomatoes whole and pack in hot quart jars; fill to 1/2-inch of top with juice from tomatoes. Add 1/2 teaspoon canning salt. Adjust lids. Process in boiling water bath for 45 minutes. Remove jars from canner and tighten lids, if needed. TIP: To keep jars hot, run through the dishwater and use them before the dry cycle starts. Courtesy of Karen Halicki, Patchwork Unit, HEA ^ back to top Zucchini Pie 2 cups shredded zucchini 3/4 cup biscuit mix 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1 small onion, chopped 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 1/4 tsp. rubbed sage 2 eggs, beaten 1/4 cup oil Mix all ingredients. Pour into a 9-inch pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving. Courtesy of Jeannine Freyling, Sunnycrest Unit HEA ^ back to top Zucchini Dressing 1/4 lb. (1 sleeve) soda crackers, crushed 1 stick oleo, melted 2 eggs 2 onions, chopped 1 tsp. poultry seasoning 2 cups grated zucchini 1/4 lb. Velveeta cheese, grated or cubed (Cheddar cheese works, too) Mix all together. Place in greased baking dish, and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. TIP: While weather is warm and zucchini plentiful, grate and place 2 cups in freezer bags and freeze.) Courtesy of Bonnie Lanham, Elwin Unit HEA ^ back to top Cold Zucchini Soup 4 medium zucchini, quartered and sliced 4 cups chicken broth 1 bunch green onions, chopped 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. pepper 2 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened and cut in to pieces 1 T. dill 1 8-oz. container sour cream Cook first five ingredients in pan for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cream cheese and dill. Process in small batches in food processor until smooth. Stir in sour cream. Cover and chill 8 hours. Garnish with chives. Courtesy of Jeannine Freyling, Sunnycrest Unit HEA ^ back to top White Zucchini Cake 3 cups flour 2 cups sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tsp. soda 2 tsp. cinnamon 1 cup chopped walnuts 1-1/2 cup oil 1 8-oz. crushed pineapple with juice 3 eggs, beaten 2 cups shredded zucchini 1/2 cup coconut Mix all ingredients in order listed. Pour in to a greased and floured 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour, or until tests done. Top with cream cheese frosting. Courtesy of Mary Shelton, Pleasant Grove Unit, HEA ^ back to top Salsa 4-6 pounds tomatoes 5 Jalapeno peppers 2 medium onions 2 medium green peppers 1 cup tomato sauce (small can) 1 tsp. garlic powder 2 tsp. salt 1/2 cup red wine vinegar 2 T. cilantro Clean and cut tomatoes in fourths. Put tomatoes, onions and peppers in food processors and chop all. Add tomato sauce, garlic powder, salt, red wine vinegar and cilantro. Mix well. Put in jars and keep in refrigerator. Makes about 6 pint jars. Courtesy of Doris Greene, Pleasant Grove Unit HEA ^ back to top Marinated Tomatoes Salad 8 medium tomatoes, sliced 2 T. cider or red wine vinegar 1 tsp. sugar 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley 2 tsp. prepared mustard 1 tsp. salt (optional) 1/4 cup olive oil 1 garlic clove, minced Arrange tomatoes in serving bowl; sprinkle with parsley. Combine the remaining ingredients in a jar with tight-fitting lid; shake well. Pour over tomatoes. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes of until ready to serve. Serves 8. Courtesy of Marlene Knap, Niantic Unit HEA ^ back to top Rock Springs HEA member Minnie Poll uses the following three recipes for a gift basket trio: Zucchini Pineapple 2 quarts zucchini, peeled and shredded 3/4 cups lemon juice 3 cups pineapple juice 1-1/2 cups sugar Combine all ingredients in saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Ladle in to clean, pint canning jars. Wipe jar rims and adjust lids. Process in boiling water for 15 minutes after water has returned to full rolling boil. Use as a substitute for crushed pineapple in cooking or as a marmalade. Do not change proportions of juice to zucchini. Zucchini Marmalade 2 pounds grated zucchini 1 tsp. grated lemon peel 13-1/2 ounce crushed pineapple, drained 1 package Sure-Jel (pectin) 2 T. crystallized ginger, finely chopped 1/2 cup lemon juice 1/2 tsp. grated orange peel 5 cups sugar Peel zucchini and grate 6 or 7 cups. In large kettle, combine zucchini, lemon peel, orange peel, lemon juice and pineapple. Simmer 15 minutes. Add pectin. Put on high heat and boil. Stir in sugar and ginger. Bring to a rolling boil. Boil hard one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim and stir. Let set 5 minutes before putting in jelly jars. Zucchini Relish 10 cups ground zucchini 2 or 3 ground sweet peppers, red and green 4 cups ground onions Put zucchini, peppers and onions in large container and add 5 T. salt. Let stand overnight. Rinse and drain, pressing out extra liquid. Put 2-1/2 cups vinegar in large kettle. Mix six cups sugar, 2 T. celery seed, 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper, 1 T. each of nutmeg, turmeric, dry mustard and cornstarch. Add to vinegar and bring to a boil. Add vegetables and simmer 30 minutes. Can in pint jars with enamel lids. Also freezes well. ^ back to top

Publisher's Note: These recipes may be printed for personal use only. This is an online supplement to an article originally appeared in the August/September 2001 issue of Decatur Magazine. It may not be reproduced or redistributed in whole or in part without the publisher's consent. © Copyright 2001 Decatur Magazine - First String Productions. All rights reserved.