Rural Missouri - June 2013 - (Page 26)

H E A R T H & H O M E There She Grows! S by Heather Berry hberry@ruralmissouri.coop page design by Megan Schibi ummer is upon us and so are the days when many people start reaping the reward of their gardening efforts. But what should be an inspiring time to gardeners — because of those beautiful vegetables they’ve grown — can cause a bit of stress if there isn’t any outlet for the excess edibles. People usually know what to do if they have extra food from a meal — they store it in containers in the refrigerator or freezer to enjoy at another meal. But when the garden provides more produce than you can possibly eat in a few days, what do you do? If you’re industrious like Grandma was, you’ll learn to can the excess tomatoes and green beans. No time to can? It’s often cost-effective to freeze vegetables with a vacuum-sealer that keeps the veggies air-tight in the freezer until you need them. Of course, you could simply share with your neighbors, sell the excess at a local farmers market or donate the produce to a local soup kitchen. So don’t let that abundance of vegetables overwhelm you. Prepare some of these ﬂavorful recipes for your summer meals and share the wealth with your family and friends as the garden gives back to you for all your hard work. Corn Salad 5 ears of corn, shucked 1/2 cup red onion, diced 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced 3 tablespoons cider vinegar 3 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, diced In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the ears of corn for 3 minutes until the starchiness is just gone. Drain and immerse corn in ice water to stop the cooking and to set the color. When the corn is cool, cut the kernels off the cob. Toss the kernels in a large bowl with the red onion, red bell pepper, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Just before serving, stir in the fresh basil. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve at room temperature. 26 Enjoying the garden’s bounty BLT Sandwich Salad Tomato Zucchini Tart 1/4 cup olive or salad oil 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar 3 tablespoons mayonnaise 2 teaspoons coarse-grain mustard 1/4 cup butter, melted 1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning 2 cloves garlic, minced 8 1/2-inch-thick slices Italian or sourdough bread 5 cups mixed salad greens, cut into small pieces 2 large tomatoes, cut into thin wedges 1/2 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced 1/2 cup cubed smoked cheddar cheese or Swiss cheese 8 slices bacon, crisp-cooked, drained and crumbled 2 tablespoons green onion, thinly sliced One 15-ounce package refrigerated pie crust (or prepare your own single crust) 1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced 2 teaspoons olive oil 3 medium plum tomatoes, sliced 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (shredded mozzarella works well, too) 1/3 cup mayonnaise 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped In a jar with a screw-top lid, combine oil, vinegar, mayonnaise and mustard. Shake well and set aside. Preheat the broiler. In a small bowl, stir together butter, lemon-pepper and garlic. Brush one side of each bread slice with the butter mixture. Place the bread slices, buttered side up, on a baking sheet. Broil 5 inches from the heat for 2 minutes or until toasted. Cut the slices lengthwise into 1-inch strips. To serve, stack bread strips on four salad plates log-cabin style, leaving a space in the center. Arrange the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and cheese in the center of the strips. Top with bacon and green onion. Shake dressing, drizzle over salads and serve. Fit pie crust into a 9-inch tart pan or pie pan. Prick bottom and sides of crust with a fork so it won’t shrink when baking. Bake crust at 450 degrees for 9 to 11 minutes, then set aside to cool. Sauté zucchini slices in hot oil in a large skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes or until tender. Arrange zucchini in bottom of prepared pie crust. Next, arrange tomatoes on top of zucchini slices. Stir together basil, cheese and mayonnaise. Drop by teaspoonfuls evenly on top of tomato layer and spread gently. Season with black pepper. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese mixture is slightly melted. Note: This tart can be made with nearly any veggies you have in the garden. Sautéed onions, summer squash, spinach, asparagus and cabbage are all good options. Cut into bite-sized pieces after cleaning the vegetables and use in place of tomatoes or zucchini. Grilled Sweet Onions 2 large red, Spanish, Vidalia or other sweet onion 1/2 cup ranch salad dressing 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce Cut each onion in half, crosswise. Remove outer peel. Score the surface of the onion with a sharp knife. Place each onion, cut side up, in the center of a piece of heavy-duty foil. Combine salad dressing and Worcestershire sauce. Spoon mixture over onion halves. Bring up two of the opposite edges of the foil and fold to seal. Fold remaining edges to completely enclose onions. Place packets on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium heat for 30 minutes or until onions are tender. WWW.RURALMISSOURI.COOP Tomato Zucchini Tart http://WWW.RURALMISSOURI.COOP

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Rural Missouri - June 2013

Rural Missouri - June 2013
Table of Contents
Comments
Columns
Back to the land
Full steam ahead
Outdoors
Out of the Way Eats
Where shall I thee wed?
Missouri Snapshots contest
Hearth and Home
Missouri’s forgotten war
Plant during summer’s sizzle
Around Missouri
Marketplace
Neighbors
Just4Kids

Rural Missouri - June 2013