Zuchinni Bread

When I was younger, our family lived in Oregon.  It rains a lot there.  We has a massive garden.  Oh, how I loathed 'yard work day.'

Whether it was the rain or the green thumbs of my parents, our plants and vegetables were enormous!  Zucchini and squash are NOT my favorite.  So, not only did we have these vegetables, they were massive! My nose still crinkles at the thought. 

One year, while we were on vacation, our neighbor came over and put faces on all our zucchini and squash.  They were so huge, it was as if they should have had their own personalities by now. 

We often times shredded and froze the zucchini.  It can be used in soups, stews and sauces, without the eater being aware it is even there.  Vitamin power without the taste?!?!?  Awesome.

So, next time your neighbor, or co-worker, or friend, or mother, offers you some zucchini, whether you like it or not, take it with a smile and then make this:

Zucchini Bread

3 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon cinnamon (optional)
3 eggs
2/3 cups vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
2 cups grated zucchini*
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup raisins (optional)
1/2 cup nuts (optional)
3 ripe bananas or 8 ounces crushed pineapple

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Grease and flour two standard loaf pans.

Sift dry ingredients.  Mix eggs, oil, sugar, zucchini and vanilla in a large bowl.  Add dry ingredients.  Mix in raisins and nuts if using.  Add in banana or pineapple. 

Distribute batter evenly into the two loaf pans and bake 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean.

*I like to keep grated zucchini in the freezer in 2 cup bags.

This was my grandmothers recipe.  We called her Da.

Pickles

This is one of my best, best, best friends, Misti and her handsome little family.  Ahem...the hat on the baby is from me...love it!

If you say the words 'Misti's pickles' around a group of my friends, everyone will start ooohhhing and aaahhhing and exclaiming how much they LOVE Misti's pickles.  I have fond memories of visiting Misti when she opens a jar.  Immediately, everyone starts eyeballing the onions...they're the best part.  My husband even agrees to that statement and he hates onions...go figure. 

After 10 years of saying I was going to make these beauties, this year I finally did it!  I mentioned to my mother that I was in the cucumber market and a week later I had half a bushel of heirloom cucumbers and onions.  It's funny how mom's have a way of making you follow through on things.  According to the gardener, these vegetables were grown with love...ALWAYS a good sign!  I also lucked out with getting some carrots and onions from my friend Tammy.  Here's a picture of the lot:

I washed a dozen quart sized, wide-mouth jars and then crammed them full of dill, chilies, garlic, onion and vegetables.

Add the special pickle juice, and viola!  Pickles!...almost  The worst part now, is waiting the three months Misti recommends for proper pickling.  She said they might be good after a month, but I don't want to risk wasting any of this preciousness (Is that a word?).

Pickles

5c apple cider vinegar

7c water
1c pickling salt
1c sugar
1 clove garlic per jar (sometimes I put in more than 1 clove)
3 slices onion per jar (sometimes I use many onion slices)
2 or 3 chili peppers per jar (or about 1/2 - 1 TB flakes)
dill

Boil vinegar, water, salt & sugar. Put dill (1-2 sprigs) in jars first, pack w/ cucumbers, garlic, onions and peppers. Pour liquid on top to the brim. Seal jar. Every few minutes tighten the jar a bit, until you can't tighten anymore.

Note from Misti:  'This recipe can also be used with random veggies (green beans, asparagus, carrots, cauliflower) and sometimes do a whole jar of onions, because they taste SO good. I like lots of onions and garlic in the jar for more taste. You can add more chili pepper for more spicy pickles.'

*I made a 1 1/2 recipe of the pickle juice in order to fill 12 quart sized jars packed with vegetables.

Check back in 3 months for the verdict!!!   The verdict is in...click here!

Lime Juice Cubes

My mom and stepdad had a card at their house that went something like this:

Front:  A cartoon picture of a woman saying 'I knew of a gal who froze leftover wine in ice cube trays to use in cooking later...I didn't know that was possible'

Inside:  'To have leftover wine I mean'

I still giggle when I think of it.  Mostly because leftover wine isn't usually a problem for my household either. 

Leftover lemons and limes, however...that's another story.  I can't stand paying 79 cents for a single lime at the grocery store, so I buy the big bag at Costco and they are significantly cheaper per fruit.  The problem then, however is using them all in time.  So, why not juice them and freeze them in ice cube trays to use whenever?  I'm sure I've heard of this before, but this is the first time I actually did it. 

The frozen cubes

The final bagging. I'll put it right next to my wine cubes...

Jambalaya

The irrigation ditch stream in front of our house attracts mallard ducks every year.  They come in the spring and soon thereafter, we have oodles of little baby ducks that hang out in our driveway and even sometimes on our porch.

Every time I see them, a song runs through my head that my Uncle Jack used to sing to me all the time.  The words go like this:

I love little baby ducks,
Old pickup trucks,
Slow moving trains
And rain

Uncle Jack was a classic.  He hunted, worked on old cars, drank MGD, and was everyone's favorite.

He also made jambalaya his own way. 

There exists, a fabulous picture of him riding a bicycle.  We can't find it, but hopefully it'll surface by the time I post about his fudge recipe at Christmas time.

We miss you Jacko!

Jambalaya
by Uncle Jack

3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves
1/2 pound smoked sausage (such as Kielbasa) cut in 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup long grain rice
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in 1/2 inch cubes
1 1/4 cups canned chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 four-ounce jar sliced pimentos with juices
1/2 teaspoon turmeric*
Cayenne pepper, to taste**
1/2 pound large uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Melt butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic and saute just until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add sausage; saute until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.  Add rice and stir to coat with pan juices.  Mix in potatoes, broth, wine, pimentos with juices, and turmeric.  Season with salt, pepper and cayenne.  Bring to a boil; stir well.  Reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook until rice and potatoes are tender and liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.  Mix in shrimp and cilantro.  Cover and cook until shrimp are just cooked through...about 4 minutes. 

*Look in the bulk food section of most natural foods stores for spices.  It's much cheaper than the jarred aisle spices.  An additional benefit is that you can buy only the amount you need and the rest won't go to waste. 
**This recipe is very kid friendly.  If you like it spicier, pump up the cayenne or serve it with hot sauce on the table.