The Final (maybe!) Zucchini Entry for This Season

A friend who bakes prodigiously, and then shares all the tantalizing results on Facebook, recently shared her recipe for Zucchini Chocolate Chip Bars. I guess I was speed reading when I saw her praises for the cookies, as I had thought they were chocolate chocolate chip bars, something I promised another friend I'd bring to a coffee gathering.

No problem. I just adapted the recipe and it worked out nicely, a very dense, chewy and fudgy-type bar. Still, I thought it would be good to try the original recipe out too. As usual however, (sorry, Felicia), I decided to do a little adapting and added vanilla and cinnamon to the mix. As she promised, these are excellent bar cookies that will be a nice addition to your "what do I do with all this zucchini" recipe file.

Note that I did not peel the zucchini for these recipes. Unlike the chocolate cake I offered a few posts ago, the green still shows up just a little after both of these bar cookies were baked. So you have a choice--peel the zucchini or 'fess up from the start about the ingredient that makes these so moist.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bars

(The few I had left after our coffee are on the plate in the picture above.)

1/2 c brown sugar, packed
1/2 c butter, soft but not melted
2 eggs
1/4 c cocoa powder
1 t vanilla
1 t cinnamon
1 3/4 c flour
1 t baking powder
2 c lightly packed shredded zucchini
1 1/4 c chocolate chips

1. Beat together the first six ingredients until smooth.
2. Stir in the flour sifted with the baking powder.
3. Fold in the zucchini and then the chocolate chips, just until well-mixed. Try not to overbeat. (I suspect that too much beating at this stage may make these a little gummy.)
4. Pour into a well-oiled 9 X 13 pan and bake at 350 degrees 20 to 25 minutes, until just set.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bars--the almost original recipe

(These are the bars still in the pan in the photo.)

1/2 c brown sugar, packed
1/2 c butter (I actually used about 3/8 c butter and 2 T canola oil)
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1/2 t cinnamon
1 3/4 c flour
1 t baking powder
2 c lightly packed shredded zucchini
1 1/4 c chocolate chips
sugar and cinnamon for topping (optional)

1. Beat together the first five ingredients until smooth.
2. Stir in the flour sifted with the baking powder.
3. Fold in the zucchini and then the chocolate chips, just until well-mixed. Try not to overbeat. (I suspect that too much beating at this stage may make these a little gummy.)
4. Pour into a well-oiled 9 X 13 pan. If desired, sprinkle generously with a mixture of sugar and cinnamon OR with just some cinnamon. Bake at 350 degrees 20 to 25 minutes, until just set.

You don't need to know all the details of why I used this proportion of oil and butter, only that it is possible to sometimes substitute oil for a portion of butter or other shortening in a recipe. That said, do be aware that more than a small proportion of oil substituted may throw off other balances of liquid, etc., and you can expect that results might be different from the original--not necessarily better or worse, but definitely different at times.

Another thing that I did differently in the two versions: I used semisweet chocolate chips in the chocolate version and milk chocolate chips in the "original" version. My personal chocolate preference leans toward the semisweet, but you could use either kind in either recipe depending on what you have and what you prefer. There is more density of chocolate flavor using the semisweet chips, however.

Finally...the real original recipe included 3/4 c shortening. I'm sure those were even more rich and tasty, but the half cup seems to be doing fine and is just a little healthier--or maybe, a little less unhealthy? Whichever...thanks so much for sharing, Felicia. These are great, double chocolate or not.

Late Summer Pasta Salads

We were blessed to have a little rain over the weekend after a prolonged dry spell. Nothing like so many parts of the country, of course, but we had been spoiled by plenty of moisture well into August, so having to water the garden (and the raspberries--always the raspberries!) was something we hadn't had to do earlier in the season.

Now, on Monday afternoon, the sun is shining, the temperature is just right and it looks like a long scheduled picnic this evening hit just the right day. It's a potluck so I decided on a pasta salad along with my usual apple-raspberry crisp. (If I told you how many times a season I make this for various events, you'd probably laugh and wonder why I don't try something new. Hey, I say, stick with the tried and true, especially if people still are asking for the recipe.)

Over the years, pasta salads have taken on all kinds of variations, a far cry from the few choices back in the 60s and 70s when this usually meant tuna salad (elbow macaroni, a can of peas--or daringly, thawed and cooked frozen peas and tuna) or perhaps one with chunks of Velveeta substituted for the tuna. If the cook was really up-to-date, she might even stir in a few black or green olives (never both) and some steamed broccoli sprigs.

Then came an explosion of pasta salad variations, and a typical summer potluck can now be counted on to have three or four kinds at a minimum. Today's entry is one that uses some farmers' market finds, with the vegetables chosen for color as well as taste. In addition my master gardening neighbor gave me a giant basil plant so I have lots of this to add flavor to many different dishes.

The recipe below should be considered just a start. After the basics (for me, that means a little onion and some celery for crunch), look at what you have available. Color and flavor combinations should both be considered. The nice thing with vegetables is that, in general, nutrition follows color, so the brighter and more contrasting the choices, the healthier the salad is likely to be.

Following the recipe are some suggestions for making the salad your own.

Pasta and Vegetable Salad for Fall

1 c broccoli flowerets
1/4 to 1/3 c finely diced sweet onion, to taste
3/4 c diced or sliced celery
1 1/2 c shredded red cabbage
3/4 c thinly sliced yellow squash
1 t olive oil
1 minced garlic clove OR 1/2 t garlic powder
1/4 t salt
8 ounces radiatore or other medium-sized pasta
1 T minced fresh basil
1 t lemon juice
1 T sugar or to taste
1 to 1 1/2 c plain yogurt
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Cook pasta according to directions until just done.

2. Meanwhile, place the broccoli in a microwave-safe dish with a teaspoon or so of water; cover and microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove and rinse lightly in cold water.

3. Using the same dish, combine the sliced yellow squash, the olive oil, garlic and salt. Toss lightly and then microwave for 45 seconds to one minute.

4. Stir the sugar, lemon juice and 1 cup yogurt together, adding about 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

5. Combine all the vegetables with the pasta and basil in a large bowl. Pour the yogurt dressing over and toss. If needed, stir in more yogurt to desired consistency. Add freshly ground pepper and more salt to taste. Refrigerate for at least an hour or two, to be sure flavors are well blended.



Variations

Dressing

You will note that the dressing is low fat because of the use of yogurt instead of mayonnaise. Even the oil used when steaming the squash could be omitted, but I like adding that little bit to infuse this otherwise slightly bland vegetable with more flavor. If you wish, you could just substitute mayonnaise, Miracle Whip type salad dressing or any other dressings of your choice, but this dressing along with whatever herbs you choose will allow the flavors of the vegetables to predominate.

Pasta

Whenever there is a special on pasta, I like to try some of the more unusual shapes. The grandchildren have learned that mac and cheese doesn't always come in little elbows, and they now look forward to some of the variations. Something different, like today's radiatore, can also add interest to a salad as well.

Other Vegetables

• Carrots, grated or sliced (if sliced, steam these lightly as with the broccoli and yellow squash)
• Green cabbage instead of, or in addition to, red cabbage
• Diced bell pepper, any and all colors
• Frozen peas--DON'T thaw; just toss into the salad straight from the freezer
• Sugar peas
• Diced beets! If these are used, I'd add them just before serving, to avoid getting an overall pink salad
• Cauliflower, prepared as with the broccoli

Herbs
As mentioned, I have a wonderful supply of sweet basil to use, but you might want to try fresh dill instead, if that is in your garden. When there are no fresh herbs, a mixture of dried basil, rosemary, and thyme is always good, but you can also try whatever suits your fancy for the day.

Other additions
This was made as a side salad, but the addition of diced cheese, some garbanzo beans, chopped hard boiled eggs, or diced ham could move it to main dish status. Served with sliced tomatoes from the garden and some fresh fruit, you'd have a great and simple make-ahead meal.
Black or green olives are always something to be considered, for color and a bit of salty taste.
A little crumbled bacon could also provide a flavor and texture contrast.

Raspberries for Breakfast or a Quick, Light, Supper

A favorite first board game for my kids over the years has been Hi Ho the Cherry-O, wherein little cherries are painstakingly put into holes in the cardboard game board and then a spinner gives each player the opportunity to “pick” one, two, or three cherries and put them in his or her basket. The first one to get all ten into the little bucket is the winner.

However...The spinner might come to rest at a bird or a dog, meaning that these animals have raided the bucket and some cherries will have to be put back on the tree. Worst of all are the spins when the bucket is upset, and everything already picked comes out of the little pail and goes back on the tree.

I don’t want to play that game with any of the grandchildren tonight.

I was almost halfway through the raspberry patch this afternoon, rejoicing in the larger berries that my—finally—long watering sessions had yielded when a branch snapped back against my berry bucket and over went the whole thing. At that point, all I could think of was that silly kids’ game. Grrrr.

The good thing was that most of the berries landed in a very soft patch of pine needles, so I was able to salvage perhaps half of what I had gathered to that point. Still, there was a lot of one by one checking of each berry when I came in the house later. (Washing doesn’t work to get these little pine needles off the berries—the water seems to just make them stick even tighter.) Even after the loss of so many berries, I still ended up with over two pounds of picture-perfect berries. Since one of the local food stores has raspberries featured this week, two dry half pint boxes for $5, that means I have around $15 worth of berries in that bag? Wow!

I understand that this bounty of berries is not available to everyone, but they are a frugal option if you do have a backyard patch, so I like to find ways to use them wherever possible. The following recipe is one that includes raspberries, but it could also be made with just apples or with strawberries or perhaps even peaches--whatever might be most reasonable in the market.

A friend of mine mentioned recently the difficulty of cooking for one person after a very long day at work. The following recipe took 8 minutes from start to finish when I made it recently, and while it was developed initially as a warming weekend breakfast, it might be just the thing for a chilly fall weekday evening when comfort food would be as welcome as a more elaborate meal.

And lest you worry about this being more like dessert than more "typical" one dish meals, consider that the amount of sugar is less than all too many breakfast cereals. This is a hefty single serving (if used as a dessert or side dish, it would serve at least two) so there are two fruit servings along with plenty of protein and fiber from the nuts and oatmeal. Serve it with a glass of milk (or, "Wisconsin style," with an ounce of reduced low fat cheese) and you'll be getting your dairy as well--a dollop of vanilla or plain yogurt is also good without adding a lot of empty calories.

Overall, not a bad dish to keep in mind, with less than 10 minutes prep time and a house that quickly fills with the aroma of "home cooking."

Breakfast/Supper Fruit Compote

3/4 c raspberries (optional)

1 apple, thinly sliced, NOT peeled (about 1 cup)

1 T sugar

1/2 t cinnamon

2 T coarsely chopped walnuts

1/2 c oatmeal--quick cooking but NOT instant

1 t canola oil or butter

Toss the fruit with the sugar and cinnamon and microwave, covered, for about 2 to 3 minutes, until the apple is starting to get tender. Meanwhile, toss the oatmeal and walnuts with the oil. Remove the apples from microwave, spread the oatmeal mixture over the top and return to the microwave. Don't cover this time. Continue cooking another 2 to 3 minutes, until the apples are fully cooked--test with a fork.

Zucchini Part III - This Time with Black-Eyed Peas

Here's a dish that could work as a dip (similar to refried beans) with chips or as a vegetarian main dish (even vegan if you skip any dairy trims) with rice. Gluten free too--a dish for many different dietary needs/wants--and it tastes good too!

While you could make this without zucchini, why not grate in this bountiful vegetable while it's so readily available. And if they are free (from your own garden or those of family and friends) or at a seasonally low cost at the local farmers' market or in the stores, all the better.

While we can joke about all this zucchini cooking, these fruits masquerading as vegetables are really great contributors to a healthy diet, with lots of fiber, antioxidants, vitamin C and key minerals and only a few calories--somewhere between 20 and 35 per cup, depending on how much you pack it in. (There are about 30 calories for a quarter pound according to most of the nutrition sites I checked.)

And if you are wondering about the wisdom of "hiding" veggies in food, you might want to look at this article:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110725123557.htm

So go ahead and get out that grater and grate some zucchini into anything you're making with a tomato or spaghetti sauce base!

South of the Border Hoppin' John

I happen to like the flavor of black-eyed peas and decided to try using them instead of the typical pinto beans in a summer spread for crisped tortillas. However, as I stirred it and the aroma filled the house, I realized that I had the start of a great main dish to be served over rice.

Note that this will be on the spicy side with most brands of tomatoes and chilies. If that is not to your liking, you could substitute an 8 ounce can of tomato sauce or diced tomatoes and chop a tablespoon or two of green bell peppers to saute with the onion.

canola oil for sauteeing--1 to 2 tablespoons at most
1 c coarsely chopped onion
2 c grated zucchini
5 garlic cloves, minced
10 ounce can tomatoes and green chilies
1 T cumin
3 c cooked black-eyed peas, including liquid (if using canned peas, use two 15 oz cans and omit salt)
salt to taste

1. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet and add the onions. Saute lightly, for about 3 to 4 minutes, and then add the zucchini. Continue cooking on medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender and starting to brown and the zucchini has softened and is also starting to take on a browned, golden appearance.

2. Stir in the garlic, tomatoes and chilies and cumin and stir well. When the mixture has returned to a simmer, turn heat to medium low and add the black-eyed peas. Continue heating until the mixture has thickened to your preference--as a dip, you will probably want it thicker than if you are serving it as a main dish over rice. After the mixture has cooked for a few minutes, taste for seasoning, adding salt as needed.

3. If desired, mash some of the peas with the back of a spoon to give a more "refried beans" consistency.

4. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro if desired. Other topping suggestions: grated cheese, sliced black olives, or yogurt. This amount serves 4 as a main dish and makes about 2 to 3 cups of dip.

Pinto beans, kidney beans, or any other favorite bean can be substituted for the black-eyed peas. 

One More Zucchini Note

If you are not ready for even one more zucchini recipe, shred those extras, pack in freezer bags with a cup or two (depending on how much you usually use at a time) and freeze. No extra prep is required, and you'll be ready to make any of these recipes easily. . A one cup packet dropped into your usual winter vegetable soups will give added body too.

Raspberry Lemonade - A Summer and Early Fall Cooler

McDonald's and Starbucks have nothing on us!

Both of these chains have been promoting "frozen strawberry lemonade" this summer and, though they are pitched as being healthy options, both are heavy on the calories and light on any nutrition other than some Vitamin C. Add in the cost of both drinks, and you can guess that I haven't been imbibing either.

Meanwhile, however, my first raspberry crop provided me with enough fruits to do more experimenting, including the production of a quart of bright red raspberry syrup, ready to be tested.

Grandchildren to the rescue.

You should know that we have started a three-ring binder of recipes the kids have made while at my house. (These are "from start to finish" dishes, not just those where they might stir in the last few ingredients. As a result, the binder is filling slowly, but there are some pretty involved recipes nonetheless.)

On one of the hottest days of the summer, Xavier and Soren came in very thirsty after some outdoor play. I didn't have any ice (my constantly overflowing freezer rarely has room for ice cube trays) but the raspberry syrup was chilled, as was a bottle of reconstituted lemon juice (aka ReaLemon), and Minnesota water stays pretty cold right out of the tap, so it seemed like we could come up with a good cooling drink with what we had.

The resulting concoction is one we have made a couple of times since and has become a recipe the boys are proud to call their very own.

Is it "healthy?" That is a question all my grandchildren often ask about a new food, and it came up quickly as we stirred our first batch. My answer? Well, kind of. There is no shortage of sugar here, but then you are looking at 200 to 270 calories for the Starbucks and McDonald's strawberry lemonade versions. Using on-line nutrition calculators, our sweetest, most concentrated raspberry lemonade comes out to about 240 calories for a 24 oz serving...and we know we have only three basic ingredients in ours. Besides, do any of us really need a full 24 ounces? But if we buy it, we'll drink it all, right?

As given below, the drink is quite concentrated, but this is for a version to be poured over crushed or cubed ice. If you are making it as we did without the ice, you will want to add a cup or two more water. The best way to determine how much to add of course, is to bring out the taster spoons or small glasses and try it out.

Raspberry Lemonade

1/2 c reconstituted lemon juice (like ReaLemon, though fresh lemon juice would be great if you have it)
1/2 c sugar
4 to 5 c ice water
1/2 c raspberry syrup

Pour all ingredients into a large pitcher and stir well. Add ice cubes or pour over ice in individual glasses.

Raspberry Syrup

4 c raspberries
4 c water
2 c sugar, divided
2 T lemon juice

Combine raspberries, water, lemon juice and 1/4 c sugar in a large pan. Bring to a boil and simmer about 10 to 15 minutes until the berries are well softened. Turn mixture into a colander or strainer over a large bowl and allow to drain for a few minutes. Press lightly on the berries a few times, but the remaining pulp will still be very juicy.

Put the drained juice back into the pan and stir in the remaining sugar. Bring to a boil and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture has cooked down slightly. Store in the refrigerator for several weeks.

This can be used for a light syrup over ice cream as well as in lemonade. You might also pour some of the syrup over fresh berries to sweeten them slightly or poach fresh peach halves in just enough syrup to cover--this can be done in the microwave in only a couple of minutes for a great last minute dessert.


What about all that pulp that you have left? It is ready for using in breads, cakes, even pie filling or jam, wherever cooked raspberries might be used. Since it is not super-sweet, it makes a nice topping for ice cream. Use a cup of the pulp in place of a cup of bananas in your favorite banana bread or sweeten it a bit more and use as a filling for sweet rolls. Maybe that's a recipe to post in coming weeks as well.

Laugh of the Day

I came across the sage advice again today: Under no circumstances should I get soap or detergent anywhere near my cast iron skillet nor should I use anything at all abrasive on it. Treat it as gently as nonstick cookware was the comparison.

LOL.

My grandmothers and generations of women before them would have found these instructions laughable, even preposterous. Of course, they knew that you NEVER let a cast iron pan sit with water or other liquids soaking in it, and none of them had automatic dishwashers, but they also knew that cleaning the pans well and keeping them seasoned would involve some pretty heavy duty scrubbing at times.

Of course you want to care for these wonderful pans well, but our fore-mothers were even more careful with the few kitchen tools and supplies that they had. Would they do anything to damage their precious "spider?" (If you are old enough and from some parts of the country, that was what you called the workhorse frying pan or skillet.) Of course not. And if you follow their methods, you too can have a pan that develops an almost satiny surface, as nonstick as many more modern materials.

I did not have a cast iron pan for many years but finally bought one about 10 or so years ago. The first was a "pre-seasoned" one, but I have since acquired a couple of others that I had to season myself, and I can tell you that both kinds have taken kindly to the treatment I am about to describe.

When I purchased that first pan, it came with all the warnings and cautions about treating the pan with figurative kid gloves, which puzzled me. After all those years of seeing how my mother cared for her spiders, how did she manage to have such wonderful pans still in the cupboards when we were dividing up her household? So I decided mother knew best--as always--and here is what has worked for me for over a decade:

NEVER leave a cast iron pan soaking in water or filled with water or other liquids. Also, NEVER leave it excessively damp. Yes, iron does rust, even in pans.

NEVER put cast iron pans in the dishwasher. The drying time is too prolonged, the detergent doesn't really scour, and you won't be able to re-season it when it is hot and ready to absorb the oils.

Routine cleaning:
When you have finished cooking whatever you are cooking, scrape it out as thoroughly as possible, using a metal spatula if really stuck on, a silicon spatula if that is enough. Though the pans often clean most easily while still a little warm, you should avoid putting a very hot pan into water, as it could be possible to crack the iron if the contrast is too great. Personally, I have never seen this happen, but it does seem to be possible.

Put a small amount of water in the pan and squirt in just a little dishwashing (not dishwasher) detergent. If you were cooking something that didn't really stick on (sauteed onions for example) and you didn't manage to burn any of it, you may well be able to wash it clean with just a cloth or gentle plastic scrubber. However, if you were scrambling eggs or if you managed to somehow, somehow let the chicken curry stick on a little--or a lot--you are going to have to go to something stronger to get the pan clean, really clean.

My mother always kept a "Chore-Boy" copper scouring pad by the sink, ready for her cast iron pans, the only ones that would not be ruined by its rough texture.  Steel wool was also used by many homemakers in the past, but my mother didn't like the way it fragmented into little iron shavings. SOS, the pre-soaped steel wool pads, was a little more controversial in the minds of some of these ladies, since they were more expensive and the soap in them was a little stronger than they liked.

I have found that the Chore-Boy brand still exists, in both copper and steel versions, and there are similar scouring pads available in most supermarkets, so I too have one of these by the sink. Since I am not a cook who manages never to cook things a little too long, I do need to scour my pans at times. When the pan needs a real cleaning, I use the scouring pad to get every last bit of cooked on food off. Then a thorough rinse, a minute or two to drain, and back to the stove I go. Wipe it out with a bit of paper towel if need be, to keep from having standing water in it.

Here is the real secret to keeping your cast iron skillet looking "younger" all the time, one that our fore-mothers with their ever warm cook stoves just took for granted:  Turn a burner on high and place the pan on it. When it is well-dried by the heat, drizzle just a few drops of canola or other light cooking oil in the pan and swirl around. Then, again using a bit of paper towel (enough to avoid burning your fingers), rub the oil into the bottom and sides of the pan. Leave it on the heat for another minute or two and then allow it to cool completely before putting away.

That's it. You are re-seasoning your pan every time you use it, with the heat "opening the pores" of the iron so that the oil works its way well below the surface. Meanwhile, the scouring will be gradually burnishing the surface to a glossy shine.

If you look closely at the picture above of my favorite skillet (I have a couple of other cast iron pans of different sizes, but this is my "daily use" one), you will see a drop of water beading up on its surface. I had just finished with the regular post clean-up seasoning and thought this might give you a picture of just how wonderful the surface is getting to be.

Oh. And if you happen to miss those "NEVERs" above, and your pan ends up getting a little rusty in spots or starts to lose its shine, all is not lost. Just scour all the crud away, rub all surfaces of the pan with a little more oil than usual, and then put it in the oven at 350 for an hour or so to re-season.  Some sites recommend that you put the pan in upside down for half the seasoning time, and the wisest ones recommend putting a cookie sheet underneath to catch the inevitable drips. When the seasoning time is done, remove from the oven and let cool until just warm. Then give it another rub with some paper towels to soak up the excess oil.

Zucchini Part II--Dessert

My kids' paternal Great Grandma was a master cook and baker, and one of her "signature dishes" was Flop Cake. She never would say why she had given it this name, but no matter. She always baked the moist, almost brownie-like cake in a 9 X 13 pan, with a thick layer of fudge frosting over the top. Somehow, that frosting always came out just right.

Over the years, I have made the cake often, and the frosting even more times, as it has a wonderful flavor good for many other desserts. However, I have come to think that the "flop" in the name for the cake really was reserved for the frosting, as it can sometimes stubbornly refuse to set (but oh, what a wonderful fudge sauce that is) or it can turn to rock-hard fudge candy before the frosting is halfway spread. Even that, however, means you think you are getting a piece of candy along with your cake, so it's not all bad. And so I keep on making it, always with the hope that this time maybe things will work out to that perfect glossy perfection Grandma always seemed to achieve.

It so happens that we were celebrating a seventh birthday last week for one of my grandsons. It was clear that a chocolate cake with chocolate icing would be his choice, so I went searching for a dense chocolate cake--of course with zucchini--with the plan to use Grandma's fudge frosting as the topper. I'd even dig out the candy thermometer to go with the standard soft ball test--surely that would improve my chances at a just right texture.

Well, the cake was a great success...at least in flavor and texture. The appearance? Hmmm...let's just say that it was really good we were eating on the deck and dusk was starting to fall by the time the cake came out. Not being able to see it too well was really quite an asset--maybe I should just include "serve as part of a dinner by candlelight" as part of the instructions.

I suspect that part of the recipe problem is that Grandma sometimes used a coffee cup or a tea cup for her measuring, so I will be doing some investigating on line to find more reliable proportions for the frosting. Meanwhile, I am presenting to you the recipes for both cake and frosting, since the flavors together were wonderful--and the cake was still so good three days on that guests ate heartily and then carried home the leftovers so they could savor every last crumb.

Zucchini Fudge Cake

1/2 c butter, softened
1/2 c canola oil
2 1/2 c sugar
4 eggs
2 t vanilla
1/2 to 3/4 c baking cocoa (you need at least half a cup, but I like the added chocolate-i-ness of the full three quarters of a cup)
3 c flour
2 t baking powder
1 t soda
1/3 c powdered nonfat dry milk (see NOTE 2)
3/4 c water
1 t cider vinegar
3 c grated zucchini
1 c coarsely chopped walnuts

1. Cream the butter, oil, and sugar together until very well mixed.

NOTE 1: When making cakes, the old-fashioned cooks knew that the secret to a really wonderful texture was to cream the butter or shortening with the sugar for several minutes, until the sugar is almost dissolved. I am blessed to have a stand mixer that has served me well for decades, so I can put the butter, oil, and sugar in the bowl and walk away to prepare the pan for baking or do other things while letting the mixer do its thing. If you have only a small hand-held mixer, do try to spend as much time on this step as you can, at least for special occasion cakes. You will be amazed at the difference it can make.

2. When the mixture is very light and fluffy, gradually beat in the eggs, vanilla, and cocoa powder. Continue to beat at medium speed until well mixed and uniform in color, about a minute or so more.

3. Add the vinegar to the water and dry milk powder and stir well.

NOTE 2: If you do not have dry milk powder, use 3/4 c milk instead of the water and dry milk. And of course, if you have buttermilk, you can use that and omit the vinegar.

4. Sift together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Now, starting with about a third of the dry ingredients, add these alternately to the egg mixture with the milk.

NOTE 3: When you are asked to add wet and dry ingredients alternately like this, always start with a third of the dry ingredients, then half the wet, then the next third of the dry, followed by the rest of the wet and then the rest of the dry. Why? This ensures that the mixture will be mixed completely without a lot of over-beating or pockets of dry stuff in the batter when you go to put it in the pan. While it may seem like a lot of extra work, it really isn't, and, trust me, you will be much happier with the results if you use this method instead of dumping everything in all at once!

4. Grate the zucchini with a hand grater or in a processor or blender. The shreds do not have to be terribly fine. Do not drain the zucchini; just use it as is.

5. After the batter is well combined, fold in the grated zucchini and the walnuts. Stir just enough to be sure everything is evenly distributed.

NOTE 4: Though nuts are usually optional in recipes like this, I think they are important to include here if possible. The walnuts enhance the flavor but they also will mask any possible "texture" feel from the zucchini.

6. Turn the mixture into a well-oiled and floured Bundt pan or a 10 inch tube pan. If the latter is used, you may want to use part of the batter for six cup cakes so that the pan does not get too full. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to one hour, until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out just barely clean. For the moistest cake, you do not want to overbake.

7. Allow the cake to cool in the pan 5 to 10 minutes before inverting on a cake plate. Cool well before frosting.



And now, the frosting!

Flop Cake Fudge Frosting

1 1/2 c granulated sugar--NOT powdered
1/3 to 1/2 c baking cocoa
1/2 c milk
2 t cornstarch
2 t butter
1 t vanilla

1. Combine the sugar, cocoa, and cornstarch in a heavy saucepan and stir until well blended. Gradually stir in the milk and then begin heating the mixture over medium high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring often.

2. Cook until a few drops of the mixture form a soft ball in ice cold water ("soft ball stage") or until a candy thermometer registers 235 to 240 degrees.



3. Remove from heat and let cool, stirring occasionally. (Try not to scrape down the sides from here on out, as that can cause the entire mixture to get sugary instead of staying creamy.)

4. Stir in the butter and vanilla and beat for a few minutes until the mixture is glossy. Spread immediately on the cake.


Problem solvers:

If the frosting does start to harden too quickly, you might be able to get a little milk stirred in to make it spreadable. However, my experience has been that this sometimes just turns the frosting into syrup!

On the other hand, if you can't get the frosting to set at all, you can resign yourself to drizzling it over the cake and hope this "glaze" will eventually harden. You can also beat in some powdered sugar to thicken the frosting, though some of the pure fudge-i-ness will be lost. Or, you can always just turn it into fudge sauce; slice the cake, top with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream, and then drizzle the sauce over the top, as though that was what you meant all along!

As you can see in the picture below, I was unable to get the frosting spread on the cake before it started to harden into chunky fudge. Not very pretty, but the flavor was wonderful...Oh, and there wasn't a fleck of green to give the zucchini away!




(By the way, this still worked for a birthday cake just fine, with candles and a very happy little boy to have the chocolate cake he had asked for.)

Zucchini Part I--As a Main Dish

We have all heard the jokes about the orphaned bags of zucchini left on the doorstep overnight, but I had a very nice experience a week or so ago. There at the door were my master gardener neighbors, offering up a beautifully arranged basket of zucchini, yellow squash and cucumbers they were offering to share with the rest of us on the street.

Selecting a lavishly striped zucchini for my share, I added it to the yellow squash that are actually doing quite nicely in my own garden this year. Then, only a few days later, my daughter arrived from eastern Wisconsin with a large bag of more zucchini and cucumbers from her master gardener uncle. What a bounty!

A couple of years ago, I found the cookbook pictured above at a garage sale, a real bargain for only 50 cents. The cookbook is self-published--looking like a church cookbook with that same kind of plastic binding--with almost 300 pages of recipes for...zucchini. Yup, every single one of them includes zucchini. Sliced zucchini, grated zucchini, pureed zucchini, even zucchini juice. Main dishes, breads, salads, preserves, desserts, they're all there. Will I ever use all of them? Of course not. The zucchini juice section seems a little more work than I'm ready for, and the cake section seems to go over the top at times. Still, the book has been a great idea starter and a good supplement to some of the things I already do with these squashes.

And I have been "doing." Here and in the next couple of posts, I'll be sharing some old and new ways that I have found to use up these free foods--and you can't get much more frugal than free, can you!

For starters, let's go with lasagna. While this includes browning the zucchini in olive oil, the recipe itself is still a little lighter than most because of the "missing" pasta, use of fat free yogurt instead of ricotta, and the absence of meat. I've been making my adaptation of a recipe from Jane Brody's Good Food Book for over 25 years, and it still makes people happy when it is served. It's especially good when we have these giant zucchinis from the garden, though smaller ones available other times of the year can also be used.

Zucchini Lasagna

Enough for a 9 X 13 or 11 or 12 inch square pan

2 large or 3 to 4 medium zucchini--the zucchini will shrink a little while sauteeing so be sure you have enough!
2 to 3 T flour
3 T corn meal
salt or seasoning salt--about 1/4 to 1/3 t
olive or canola oil
2 c nonfat plain yogurt
2 eggs
1/2 t garlic powder
Italian seasoning and/or oregano to taste
1 can or jar, 26 to 28 ounces, spaghetti sauce
8 oz tomato sauce
additional herbs (I like a little basil and additional oregano) or garlic powder as desired
8 ounces grated mozzarella or "Italian blend" cheese
approximately 1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese

1. Slice the zucchini lengthwise into quarter inch thick slices. If desired, sprinkle lightly with salt and place in a colander for about 20 to 30 minutes. Before dipping in the flour mixture in step 2, squeeze them lightly to extract more liquid. (This is not a required step, but it does help make them brown more quickly and evenly.)

2. In a large frying pan, heat just enough oil to thinly cover the bottom. Meanwhile, combine the flour, cornmeal, and salt in a flat dish. Dip the zucchini slices in the flour mixture, coating each side well. When the oil is just shimmering, put the zucchini slices in and cook over medium high heat, turning to brown both sides. You will need to work in batches, so take the first slices out and put them on a platter lined with a paper towel. Add a bit of oil to the pan as needed and continue sauteeing the slices until they are all just golden. Do not overcook or they will be too soft to handle easily.

3. Combine the yogurt, eggs, garlic powder, oregano, and Italian seasoning and mix well. In a separate container, combine the spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce and any additional herbs or seasonings as desired.

4. Now the layering begins! Spread a small amount of the tomato mixture over the bottom of the pan, covering it thoroughly. Then cover this with a third of the zucchini slices, pressing them close together so the bottom of the pan is well covered. Spread with half the yogurt mixture and then about a third of the remaining tomato sauce. Sprinkle with a third of the mozzarella cheese.

Repeat the layers--another third of the zucchini, the rest of the yogurt, another third of the tomato sauce, and a third of the mozzarella. Complete the layering with one more layer of zucchini covered with the rest of the tomato sauce and then the remaining mozzarella. The final topping is the Parmesan, spread evenly over the entire dish.

5. Bake the lasagna in a 350 degree oven about 45 minutes, until the mixture is bubbly and the top is golden. If it seems to be getting too brown too quickly, you can cover it loosely with foil for the last 15 minutes or so.

6. As with all lasagnas, allow this to sit for 15 to 20 minutes after taking it out of the oven so that it will cut and serve more easily. This easily serves 8 people. Leftovers reheat well in the microwave or can be frozen.

Fruit Crisps

My raspberries are currently on hiatus, having finished their July efforts a little less productively than most years but once again full of blossoms and “baby berries.” The hordes of bees humming all around are a wonderful sight. I sometimes think these berry bushes read the calendar better than I, since turning the page from July to August almost invariably means that all remaining red or even pink berries miraculously disappear. Then, Labor Day weekend arrives and ripening berries again appear, gracing the yard and my table from then until frost.

Even though there are no fresh berries available right now, I have two large raspberry crisps in the oven, ready to take to a dinner this evening. Anticipating another good crop, it seemed like a good time to clear out the last of the 2010 packages. That’s the lovely thing about fruit crisps: they are as good made from frozen fruit as fresh, so they can be enjoyed year round.

I have been making apple and other fruit crisps for so many years now that I rarely pull out any kind of recipe. Instead, I think of the topping in terms of ratios—flexible ones at that—so I can just make as much crumble as I want for the particular amount of fruit or presentation. Sometimes, I reduce the amount of fat for a little more basic dessert but other times the crumb topping is just like a shortbread cookie with some oatmeal and nuts added in. If I have a lot of fruit and I will be serving the crisp with ice cream or whipped topping, I might make less of the crumble. Other times, there might be more crumbs as I try to stretch a limited amount of fruit to serve just a few more people. However I end up making it, there never seem to be complaints!

Perhaps more than a recipe then, today I offer some “guidelines.”

Fruit Crisp Topping

1 part butter (or up to half canola oil and the rest butter)—for a very buttery topping, increase the butter so it equals the sugar amount

1 1/2 parts sugar

2 parts flour

cinnamon, nutmeg, and/or allspice to taste

1 1/2 to 2 parts oatmeal—usually the quick (NOT instant) rather than “old-fashioned” though the latter can make an interesting texture

1 part chopped walnuts, almonds, or pecans (optional)

Soften the butter just enough so that it can be mixed into an evenly crumbly texture with the remaining ingredients. A large fork is usually the best for this. Start by mixing the butter, sugar, flour and spices, and then add the oatmeal and nuts after the rest of the mixture is evenly distributed.

If you translate the above so that one part equals one cup (1 c butter, 1 1/2 c sugar, etc.), you should end up with about 6 to 6 1/2 cups of crumbs, a pretty large amount.

Now, some added details...

How Much Fruit? How Much Topping?

How do I decide how much fruit and how much topping to use? Again, this can vary a great deal. One of the things my mother used to do when making fruit pies was to cut the fruit right into a pie pan of the same size that she would be using for the dessert. When it was full enough (which meant heaping up, because the fruit always cooks down), she would pour it into a mixing bowl and add in whatever sugar, flour or cornstarch, and spices she felt that amount needed. Maybe that’s where I learned my “inexact” approach to these desserts. Anyway, here are some approximations that should serve you very well.

For a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan or 8 or 9 inch square pan, use 3 to 4 cups of fruit and about 2 cups of crumbs. If you want to make a 9 X 13 or similar large pan of crisp, you will probably need 6 to 8 cups of fruit and 4 to 5 cups of crumbs.

In the picture above, you can see that I used a higher proportion of fruit to crumble than is probably typical, but I was being really extravagant with the berries. (Yes, if I were buying raspberries, this would not at all fit the "frugal" aim of the blog. Even at the very lowest prices I have seen in the past year, the cost of the fruit in these two crisps would easily surpass $20 or even $25. One more blessing of even a small garden and fruit area in the back yard.)

Sugar:

The amount of sugar (and possibly thickener like flour or cornstarch) will vary depending on the fruit. For a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan, you will want 1/2 to 1 cup of sugar, depending on the fruit. Berries usually need 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup of sugar, while peaches, nectarines, etc. might require only 1/2 cup, depending on how ripe they are. “Pie” cherries and anything with rhubarb usually need a full cup of sugar.

How can you tell if you have enough sugar? You taste it. Stir the fruit and sugar together well and then take a tiny amount of the fruit with some of the sugary coating and try it out, recognizing that there will be more blending of the flavors as the crisp cooks.

Thickener:

The greater the proportion of fruit to topping, the more thickener you are likely to need. Obviously too, the juicier the fruit, the more flour or cornstarch you’ll need. Here is where recipes can help if you haven’t made many of these kinds of desserts before. (Pie filling recipes work well for fruit crisps as well.) If you look at my January 31, 2011, entry below, you will also find a special way to make apple crisp, Tarte Tatin, that really moves this basic dessert to a whole new level.

Apples present a special problem, since some varieties will cook up with far more juice than others, so a recipe developed for something like Granny Smith apples might turn out very thin if Macintosh apples are used instead. So what are you supposed to do if you don’t know how your apples will cook up or what kind of apples were used in the recipe you are trying? Sometimes, trial and error. There are a lot of resources online that provide some information on specific varieties and what they are like after cooking, but, as noted below, sometimes you will just need to take your best guess and see what happens. As noted below, if you have the sweetness right, you can get by with a lot of variation in the ultimate consistency. I will admit to preferring juicy to “dry,” so I tend to keep the thickener amount on the light side if in doubt. 

Flour or cornstarch? Cornstarch provides a clearer, glossier sauce around the fruit, so that is usually my first choice. However, I find flour works just fine for apples and rhubarb and is perfectly acceptable for any fruits. (I used to use instant tapioca for some fruit fillings, but the expense and extra effort just doesn't seem necessary.)

Fruit:

Another wonderful thing about fruit crisps is their wonderful ability to turn mixtures of all kinds of fruits into a continuing variety of desserts. I live in a part of the country where fall apples are sometimes extremely low in cost, so I often mix these with more expensive fruits since the apples add fruitiness and sweetness while staying in the background of the blueberries, raspberries, etc. Rhubarb (still not at all my favorite!) is also a great stretcher if you have it available in your back yard (or your neighbor’s—these are the spring zucchini of garden sharers). Just think of all those strawberry rhubarb recipes you’ve seen. If you have a couple of peaches that are starting to get a spot or two, you can mix them with whatever berries you happen to have or with apples or even pears and come up with a whole new dessert.

Baking:

Now that I have the fruit in the pan, the crumbs spread over the top, how do I bake it and for how long? Use a 350 degree oven and plan on baking the crisp for 30 to 55 minutes. Berries and other soft fruit will take the shortest time to bake. You will want the filling to be bubbly and, if you have apples, peaches, or other firm fruit, you should be able to insert a table knife into the center and feel that the fruit is thoroughly soft. Fruit crisps are wonderful right out of the oven, but can be served barely warm or cold as well.

Some “cures” for unexpected results:

If the dessert is “juicier” than you’d like:

Serve it in bowls, with ice cream. Though these desserts are really good warm (or even hot), chilling a runny crisp can sometimes thicken it up quite a bit, so that is an option too.

If the dessert is “too thick”:

Cut it in squares and dollop some whipped topping (or ice cream again) over the top. Serving with just plain cream drizzled over is an old fashioned way to serve desserts and can be ideal for a crisp that is just too thick. Sometimes, warming the pieces for a few seconds in the microwave can also make the dessert less firm.

If you discover the filling is not as sweet as you’d like:

Again, go with some ice cream or sweetened whipped cream. If you really missed your target, you could make a sugar syrup (1 cup sugar to 1/2 c water, boiled for about 5 minutes) and drizzle over the entire dessert. I think you’d have to have done something drastically off to need this however.

If you discover the filling is way over the top too sweet:

Try a Wisconsin approach and serve with some slices of good cheddar or similar cheese. You could also top with plain yogurt instead of ice cream or whipped topping.

Final thoughts:

Be flexible…and that is my advice for all manner of crisps. Sometimes you will end up with a dessert that needs to be served in bowls with a spoon and other times you might have a result that is dry enough it looks like a filled cookie bar. Unless you got the sweetness balance wrong somehow, you are likely to find that your dessert will be eagerly received, no matter the consistency…and you just smile when the compliments come in and let everyone assume that you meant it to be just as it came out.

The key to remember with fruit crisps is their wonderful variations and forgiveness of our little changes and missteps. They are also pretty quick to make, especially when compared with pies, and provide endlessly varied desserts as the seasons progress.

Grape Puree Put to a Good Use

My daughter-in-law has been adding to her already busy schedule the making of grape juice and grape jelly, thanks to a proliferation of grapes ripening on their back yard fence. She cooked up a huge pot of grapes for her first batch and allowed them to drain through a colander. This yielded over a gallon of juice, but the pulp left in the colander looked too good to discard. Being a frugal cook after my own heart, she put this pulp through her food mill to strain out the seeds and skins and gave me over five cups of the result.

Hmmm...

I first googled "grape puree recipes" and found mostly pie fillings. All looked good, but I really didn't want to get that elaborate with my experiment. Instead, I started in a similar direction and ended up with a dessert that was closer to a bar cookie than a fruit crisp, my original intent. Probably the only change that I will make with the remaining puree is to add a little more sugar, as these grapes were really quite tart.

Wild Grape Bars

Filling
2 c grape puree
2/3 c sugar (See NOTE)
1/4 c cornstarch
1 t cinnamon
1/4 t mace

Crust and topping
1/3 c butter, softened
1/4 c oil (this could also have been made with 1/2 c butter, omitting the oil)
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1 t cinnamon
1 1/4 c flour
1 1/2 c oatmeal
3/4 c chopped walnuts

NOTE:  If using red or black seedless grapes (the kind you can buy year round at the grocery store), reduce the amount of sugar to 1/4 cup. Add up to a tablespoon of lemon juice if desired.

1. Filling: In a very large microwave-safe bowl, stir the sugar, spices, and cornstarch together until the cornstarch is thoroughly mixed in. Gradually add the puree and stir until smooth. Place in microwave and cook for about 6 minutes at power level 5 (medium), stirring occasionally, until the mixture is bubbly and thickened. Set aside to cool slightly.

2. Crust: Cut sugars into the butter and oil until evenly mixed. Stir in the flour and cinnamon. Add the oatmeal and nuts and continue to stir until the mixture is evenly crumbly. (A large fork is the best tool for this mixing.)





3. Spread all but about a cup or so of the crumbs in the bottom of a 9 X 13 pan and press so that the crust is firm and even. Spread the filling over the crust and then sprinkle with the remaining crumbs.

4. Finish either in the oven or the microwave:

A. Cook in the microwave for about 20 minutes, at medium power, until bubbly around the edges. OR

B. Bake at 325 for 20 to 25 minutes, until the filling is bubbly and the top is slightly golden.


Alternative uses for the filling:

Add a little water to reach desired consistency, and use as a syrup for pancakes, over ice cream, etc.

Slice or chop a few apples into a pie pan, cover with the grape filling, and then add a crumbly top for a grape-apple crisp.