Grilled Balsamic Vegetables with bonus Grilled Pineapple

Grilled vegetables are a bit of a summer classic, but to be honest I've never loved them.  The vegetables that are good for shish kebabs tend to not be among my favorites.  However, this marinade actually had me looking for more.  If you're not a vinegar lover, these may not be for you, but if you're generally ok with vinegar (or even better, you are a lover of all things vinegar as I am) then these are definitely for you.  If you have white balsamic vinegar, it will help the vegetables stay a little prettier (the rainbow of colors in this is gorgeous), but regular dark balsamic vinegar will work just fine if that's what you have.

Grilled Balsamic Vegetables

Number of Servings: 4
Time to Prepare: 5 hours 15 minutes

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 large sweet potato
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 1 medium zucchini
• 1 large red onion
• 8 oz mushrooms

Bake sweet potatoes at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes--until it is softened but not completely cooked.  You want it to still have a bit of firmness to it so it will stay on the skewers. Meanwhile, chop the bell peppers, zucchini, and red onion into 1" pieces.  Slice mushrooms in half, as needed, so there are all somewhat uniform in size.

Combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, basil, garlic, and salt in a gallon-size bag and mix well.  Add the veggies and seal.  Refrigerate and let marinate for 4 hours, turning over occasionally.

Soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes. 

Thread the veggies onto the skewers.  (I usually group the red onion in layers so there are 3 or 4 pieces together.)  Grill until vegetables are tender and have a bit of char.

Source: slightly adapted from frecklesinapril.com
Produce Used: Garlic, bell pepper, sweet potato, zucchini, red onion, mushroom


Grilled Pineapple

Number of Servings: 4
Time to Prepare: 4 hours 15 minutes

• 1 pineapple, sliced into rings and cored (we use a small round cookie cutter to punch out the core of the rings)
• 4 Tbsp brown sugar
• 4 Tbsp lime juice

Place all ingredients in a gallon-size bag and seal.  Turn to coat.  Refrigerate for four hours.  Grill for a few minutes on each side--long enough to get nice golden brown grill marks.  Serve warm.

Source: slightly adapted from frecklesinapril.com
Produce Used: Pineapple, lime

8/18/2012 - Lasagna Soup

Lasagna Soup
Produce from this basket: Tomato, onion
Other produce: Carrots, celery, zucchini, garlic

This is a weird recipe, but everyone at dinner seemed to enjoy it.  My wife loved it so much, she insisted I post the recipe.

Dice 2 onions, 4 carrots, 2 celery stalks, and 4 cloves garlic. Cook the vegetables in 2 T. olive oil until the onion is translucent. Add 4 cups chicken broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until carrots are crisp-tender.

Take any leftover lasagna you might have and slice it in 1/4 inch pieces. Add the lasagna (noodle, sauce, cheese, and all) to the soup. Add 1 chopped zucchini. Cook until lasagna reheats and the zucchini is tender. Season with basil, Italian seasoning, oregano, parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste.

Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

7/14/2012 Basket - Zucchini Bread

Zucchini Bread
Uses from this basket: Zucchini

• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup oil
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large zucchini, grated (about 2 cups)
• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (if desired)

Grease and flour two loaf pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 

Sift flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl. 

Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and chocolate chips until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans. (I did one loaf with chocolate chips and one without so after stirring in the zucchini, I dumped half the batter into one loaf pan, then stirred in about 3/4 cup chocolate chips to the rest of the batter.) 

Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool. 


Modified from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/moms-zucchini-bread/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=zucchini%20bread&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Recipe%20Search%20Results

7/14/2012 Basket - Cheesy Pan Fried Squash

Cheesy Pan Fried Squash
Uses from this basket: Zucchini, crookneck squash, tomato
Other produce: Onion

• 3 Tbsp butter
• 1/4 large onion, chopped
• 1 zucchini, thinly sliced
• 1 crookneck squash, thinly sliced
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 cup grated colby cheese

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium high heat.  Add onion and cook until translucent.  Add zucchini and squash.  Cook, covered, until squash is tender (stirring occasionally).  Stir in tomato.  Reduce heat to low.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Cover until cheese is just melted.  Serve warm.

7/14/2012 Basket - Three Cheese Zucchini Bacon Quiche

Three Cheese Zucchini Bacon Quiche
Produce from this basket: Zucchini
Other produce: Onion

Crust:

- 1.5 C. flour
- 1.5 t. sugar
- 1.5 t. salt
- 2 T. milk
- 0.5 C. oil (olive, vegetable, or canola)

Combine the above ingredients in a pie plate or quiche pan. Mix well with a fork. Pat in place, covering the bottom and the sides.

Filling

- 1 C. grated Zucchini
- 3 T. flour
- 0.5 C. mayo
- 0.5 C. milk
- 3 eggs
- 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
- 0.5 onion, diced
- 2 C. grated cheddar cheese

Combine the above ingredients until well mixed. Pour into crust.

Top with thinly sliced Zucchini, 1 C. freshly grated Parmesan, and 1 t. paprika (for color).

Bake for 30-40 minutes at 450 degrees until set firmly.

4/14/2012 Basket - Zucchini Hummus

Zucchini Hummus
Uses from this basket: Zucchini, lemon
Other produce: Garlic

• 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp tahini
• 3/4 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp salt

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, then add zucchini.  Cook and stir until zucchini softens, adding more olive oil as needed if the pan gets too dry.

Dump contents of pan into a blender and add remaining ingredients.  Blend until smooth.

4/14/2012 Basket - Tortellini Summer Squash Soup

Tortellini Summer Squash Soup
Uses from this basket: Zucchini, crookneck squash, tomato, onion
Other produce: Carrots, garlic

• 4 carrots, sliced
• 2 zucchini, diced
• 1 crookneck squash, diced
• 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried thyme leaves
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans
• 1 (13 ounce) package frozen tortellini
• salt
• pepper
• Italian seasoning

Put carrots, zucchini, squash, tomato, onion, garlic, thyme, chicken broth, and beans into crock pot. Stir to combine. Cook on low for 8 hours.

Cook tortellini according to package directions. Stir cooked tortellini into crock pot. Add salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning to taste and serve.

4/14/2012 Basket - Pizza with Summer Squash Crust

Pizza with Summer Squash Crust
Uses from this basket: Zucchini, crookneck squash (yellow summer squash), tomato, green pepper, pears


Make this crust from allrecipes.com:

Ingredients

• 4 cups finely shredded zucchini or yellow summer squash
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• salt to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Once zucchini or summer squash has been shredded, lightly salt the squash and transfer it to a strainer. Let stand 15 to 30 minutes and press all remaining liquid out of squash.
3. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine squash, flour, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, eggs, pepper and salt. Mix well.
4. Spread the mixture into a greased and floured jelly roll pan. Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven.
5. Remove the crust from the oven and change the oven's temperature to broil. Brush the top of the crust with oil, and then broil the crust for 3 to 5 minutes until the top is lightly browned.
6. Allow the crust to cool slightly and slide spatula underneath all edges and under the middle. Place a large baking sheet over the top of the crust and gently flip the crust over so that the bottom of the crust is now facing upwards. Because it can be difficult to flip the crust smoothly, it may be necessary to cut the crust in half to facilitate the flipping of the crust. If you want to omit the flipping stage, that is okay, but the crust won't be as crunchy.
7. Brush the top of the crust with oil and broil for another 3 to 5 minutes until the top is browned. Cover with toppings as desired.

We put tomatoes, green pepper, and hamburger on one half and pears and goat cheese on the other. We covered the whole thing with cheese and cooked it for 15 minutes at 450.

4/7/2012 Basket - Pumpkin Zucchini Bread

Pumpkin Zucchini Bread
Uses from this basket: Zucchini

• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin
• 1 cup butter, melted
• 1 Tbsp vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 2 cups finely shredded zucchini

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine eggs and sugar. Add pumpkin, butter, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Gradually add to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Stir in zucchini. Pour into two greased 9x5x3" loaf pans. Bake for 45-50 minutes until knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove to a wire rack.

4/7/2012 Basket - Sweet Potato & Black Bean Soup and Baked Zucchini Sticks with Garlic Aioli

PSweet Potato and Black Bean Soup
Uses from this basket: Sweet potatoes
Other produce: Garlic, onion, shallot

• 3 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 large sweet potatoes, diced
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1/3 cup minced shallot
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 3/4 t ground coriander
• 1 t ground cumin
• 1 t ground ginger
• 1/2 t black pepper
• 2 T lime juice
  

Put the beans, sweet potato, onion, garlic, and shallot into a crock pot. Sprinkle with coriander, cumin, ginger, and pepper. Pour the chicken broth and water over the top. Cook on low for 8 hours (or on high for 5 hours).

When the beans and potatoes are very soft, stir in lime juice and blend with an immersion blender to desired consistency (I like to leave some chunks). If it's too thick, add some more broth to thin it out.

Salt to taste. Garnish with sour cream if desired.


Baked Zucchini Sticks with Garlic Aioli
Uses from this basket: Zucchini
Other produce: Garlic, lemon

• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp mayonnaise (the olive oil flavor is particularly good for this)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
  
• 2 medium zucchinis, peeled
• 3/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp ground sage
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  
• 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp water

Mix mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Adjust seasonings. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Cut zucchini in sticks (about 1/2" by 3"). In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, cheese, sage, garlic powder, and seasoned salt. In another bowl, beat egg and water. Dip zucchini in egg mixture, then coat with crumb mixture (or if you're feeling lazy, dump all the zucchini sticks into a ziploc bag with the egg and shake it up, then add the crumb mixture and shake to coat--it won't be quite as even of a coating as hand dipping each one, but it is a lot faster). Arrange breaded sticks on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Serve with garlic aioli.