Farm-fresh faves for every meal
Nestled amid outbuildings near a barn and silos stands a white tent - its tables brimming with blueberries, tomatoes, melons andmore. Signs direct drivers to stop for some summer bounty. And they do – cramming a small gravel pull-off, cash in hand.
It’s a familiar scene on back roads fromWest Chester to Wayne, Limerick to Lansdale and Paoli to Pottstown. While the season may be short, there’s no shortage of recipes to make the most of local produce.
Sample a few favorites from the Digital First archives, starting with zucchini-chocolate chip muffins. These moist, tender crowd-pleasers consistently turn out well.
Got peppers? Stuff them with quinoa, zucchini and onion for a gluten-free, vegetarian meal. Another option: grilled ratatouille - perfectwith halibut or pearl couscous.
And keep those coals hot! For dessert, grilled peach melba always shines.
Zucchini-Chocolate Chip Muffins
4cups all-purpose flour 2cups sugar 1teaspoon salt 2teaspoons baking soda 2teaspoons baking powder 4teaspoons cinnamon 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cloves 1cup baking raisins (or soaked to plump) 12ounces chocolate chips (1bag) 4eggs 2cups sour cream (16 ounces) 1cup vegetable oil 1tablespoon vanilla 3cups shredded zucchini
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients, being sure to sift together. Add raisins and chocolate White peaches give this Venetian Bellini its beautiful color. Plentiful peppers! Stuff them or grill them in easy recipes.
chips, and toss gently. In another bowl combine eggs, oil, sour cream and vanilla. Add zucchini and then dry ingredients, mixing only until moistened and thoroughly combined. Fill muffin cups 2⁄3 full. Sprinkle with 1teaspoon sugar and bake 20to 25minutes until toothpick comes out dry. Yield: 24to 30muffins (depending on muffin size) RECIPE COURTESY OF BAUSE CATERED EVENTS
Roasted Vegetable Stuffed Peppers
(vegetarian and gluten-free)
4large peppers 3cups vegetable broth 11⁄2 cups prewashed white quinoa Olive oil 1carrot 1small red onion 1small zucchini (yellow squash could also be used instead) 4ounces shredded mozzarella-provolone blend (optional)
Boil a pot of water large enough to easily fit the peppers. Cut the tops off of the peppers and set aside. Clean out the seeds and the white membranes while being careful not to break the peppers. Blanch the peppers for about 7 minutes until softened and drop them into cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain and then set aside. Pour quinoa into boiling vegetable broth with
1 tablespoon olive oil, stir in and reduce heat to a low simmer. This takes about 20minutes until all liquid is absorbed, stirring every 5minutes or so. When it is cooked, pour into a bowl and set aside. Cut carrot and the red onion into medium dices (about 1⁄2-inch squares.) Sauté these in just enough olive oil to coat the pan until they are softened and then add medium-diced zucchini, continuing until soft. The zucchini takes less time than the other vegetables, and we don’t want it to be overcooked and disintegrate. Finally combine the cooked quinoa with the vegetables and season to taste. We usually just use salt, pepper and a little garlic granulated. Fill the peppers. We usually top themwith a shredded mozzarella-provolone blend as a garnish. At this point, these could be refrigerated until guests or dinner is to be served. To finish, bake in the oven for about 25 minutes at 350degrees. Any extra stuffing is a bonus. It can be served as a side for a meal (hot or cold) or sprinkled over greens for a wonderful salad, even dropped into a soup like chicken vegetable instead of rice. *Quinoa is much lower in carbohydrates than rice, potatoes, or pasta and also much higher in protein. It is also a gluten-free product. RECIPE COURTESY OF DIFABIO’S MARKET & TAP
Grilled Ratatouille
2Japanese or baby eggplants, unpeeled and cut lengthwise into 1⁄4-inch pieces 1red bell pepper, seeded and quartered 1yellow or orange bell pepper, seeded and quartered 1medium onion, cut into 1⁄2inch rounds 1pint cherry tomatoes 2small zucchini, unpeeled, cut lengthwise into 1⁄4-inch pieces 3cloves garlic, skin on and left whole 3tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped 1tablespoon fresh thyme 1tablespoon capers, drained (optional) 3tablespoons fresh basil, chiffonade 1⁄4 cup olive oil Salt and pepper to taste
Prepare the grill to mediumhigh heat. If using a grill pan, place over mediumhigh heat burners. In a rimmed baking pan, place the eggplant, bell peppers, onions, zucchini, tomatoes and garlic. To keep the cherry tomatoes from rolling about, you may want to put them onto wooden skewers that have been pre-soaked in water. Pour olive oil over all vegetables, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss well to coat. Put the vegetables onto the grill and cook until heated through and browned to your liking – about 5to 10 minutes. Transfer the vegetables as they are cooked into a bowl. Once all vegetables are cooked and cool enough to handle, take the garlic out of the vegetable mixture and remove the RECIPE COURTESY OF CHEF VICKY HANKO
Grilled Peach Melba
Zucchini-chocolate chip muffins make a tasty breakfast or snack.
1/3 cup frozen blueberries, thawed 1 egg 1½ tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon cornstarch 1 teaspoon lemon juice ¼ teaspoon grated lemon zest Meringue: 1 white 1 tablespoon sugar
Place blueberries, with all accumulating juice from thawing (which should be about 3 tablespoons), egg, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and zest in a blender or food processor. Puree until as smooth as possible. Strain through a wire sieve into a medium saucepan. Place pan over medium Blend and strain sauce ingredients. Chill. Whip cream until soft peaks form. Add sugar and whip until stiff peaks form. Chill. Peel and cut peaches in half. Set aside. In a saucepan, bring 3⁄4 cup sugar, vanilla bean and 1⁄2 teaspoon lemon heat and bring to scalding while whisking frequently. You will notice it thickening quite a bit.
Remove and pour into 2 oven safe, individual serving dishes. Cover and refrigerate until completely cooled.
When ready, preheat broiler, making sure the rack is on its lowest shelf.
Beat the egg white until soft peaks form with an electric mixer. Add sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Either RECIPE COURTESY OF CHEF JOANIE WHITE dollop, spoon or pipe equal amounts of meringue on top of each pudding cup.
Place under broiler for just a couple minutes, until as browned as desired. Carefully remove and serve immediately.
The Yankee Chef Jim Bailey is a thirdgeneration chef, food columnist, cookbook author and food historian. Bailey lives in Maine with his wife and four children.