Cooking From The Garden My 6 Most Popular Recipes It s wonderful to grow all that produce in your own garden, but sometimes we run out of ideas as to how to use it all. Here are my 6 most popular recipes for using what comes out of the garden. Enjoy! 1
#6 Ratatouille Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 30 mins Total time: 50 mins Serves: 4 Ingredients 2 Tablespoons Oil 1 Medium Yellow Onion 6 Cloves Garlic 2 Cups Diced Eggplant, Skin On 2 Cups Diced Bell Pepper, any combination of colors 1½ Cups Diced Zucchini 1½ Cups Diced Tomato, Skin On 1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Basil (or 1½ teasp. Dry) 1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Parsley (or 1½ teasp. Dry) ½ Teaspoon Chopped Fresh Thyme (or ¼ teasp. Dry) Salt and Pepper To Taste Instructions 1. In large frying pan over medium heat, add Oil, Garlic and Onions. 2. Cook stirring until they are lightly caramelized. About 5 minutes. 3. Add Eggplant and Zucchini, cook about 5 minutes more. 4. Now add the Peppers, Tomatoes and herbs Cook 15 minutes until soft and liquid has mostly evaporated, stirring occasionally. Serve hot or cold. 5. Serves 4 - ¾ Cup Servings 6. Easily Doubled Recipe by Life Is Just Ducky at http://www.lifeisjustducky.com/ratatouille/ 2
#5 Moussaka Prep time: 45 mins Cook time: 45 mins Total time: 1 hour 30 mins Serves: 6-8 Ingredients 2 Medium Eggplants, peeled and sliced ¼" thick Olive Oil (as needed) MEAT SAUCE 1 Lb Ground Beef 2 Medium Onions, finely chopped 3 Garlic Cloves, minced 1 8oz Can Chopped Tomatoes 1 8oz Can Tomato Sauce 1 Teaspoon Oregano 1 Teaspoon Parsley 1 Bay Leaf ½ Teaspoon Salt ½ Teaspoon ground Black Pepper (Traditional but Optional) ½ Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon BECHAMEL SAUCE 4 Tablespoons Butter ½ Cup Flour 3 Cups Milk ½ Teaspoon Salt ½ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese 2 Egg Yolks (Traditional, but Optional) ½ Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg Instructions 1. Brush oil on both sides of Eggplant slices and place in a single layer on cookie sheet 2. Broil on both sides until golden brown, Repeat with remaining Eggplant 3. MEAT SAUCE 4. Brown Ground Beef with Onions and Garlic, Drain 3
5. Add Chopped Tomatoes, Tomato Sauce, Oregano, Parsley, Bay leaf, Salt, Pepper and Cinnamon 6. Simmer until all the water is absorbed 7. BECHAMEL SAUCE 8. Melt Butter 9. Whisk in Flour until there are no lumps and cook for 2 minutes longer 10. Gradually whisk in milk, Keep whisking until it starts to thicken, about 2-3 min 11. Whisk in Salt, Cheese and Nutmeg, Stir until Cheese is melted 12. Remove from heat 13. Separate Eggs and stir the yolks until smooth 14. Pour some of the cheese sauce into the egg yolk WHILE whisking 15. Pour the egg mixture into the rest of the cheese sauce and whisk until well blended 16. PUT IT TOGETHER 17. In a 9"x13" baking pan 18. Layer half of the Eggplant, half of the Meat Sauce, Eggplant, Meat Sauce. Top with Bechamel Sauce 19. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes until golden brown and bubbling Recipe by Life Is Just Ducky at http://www.lifeisjustducky.com/moussaka/ 4
#4 Brussels Sprout Casserole Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 30 mins Serves: 4 Servings Ingredients 24 oz Brussels Sprouts 1LB Hamburger ¼ cup Flour ½ Teaspoon Salt ¼ Teaspoon Pepper ¾ Cup Water ½ Cup Cheese of your choice Instructions 1. Cook Brussels Sprouts until tender 2. Brown Hamburger 3. Add Flour and Seasonings 4. Stir until blended and Flour is not still dry 5. Add Water and stir until mixed and bubbly 6. Cook 2 minutes 7. In oven proof casserole layer Brussels Sprouts, Meat and Cheese 8. Bake 350 20 minutes - until Cheese is melted and lightly browned 9. Note: Instead of baking you can microwave until the Cheese is melted. It just won't brown. Recipe by Life Is Just Ducky at http://www.lifeisjustducky.com/brussels-sprout-casserole/ 5
#3 The Best Pumpkin Bread Ever Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 50 mins Total time: 1 hour 5 mins Serves: 3 loafs Ingredients 2½ Cups Sugar ¾ Cup Vegetable Oil 4 Eggs 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon 1 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg 1½ Teaspoon Salt 2 Teaspoon Baking Soda 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder 2 Cups Flour ⅔Cup Water 1 Cup Flour 1 Can (or 2 Cups) Pureed Pumpkin 1 Cup Chopped Pecans Instructions 1. Add ingredients 1 at a time. Mixing after each addition. Yes the Flour is listed twice. It is easier to mix without getting lumps if you mix part of the flour in, then mix the water in, then add the rest of the flour. 2. When everything is mixed, pour it into 3 greased loaf pans. 3. Bake on 350 for 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean Recipe by Life Is Just Ducky at http://www.lifeisjustducky.com/best-pumpkin-bread/ 6
#2 Lacto Fermented Vegetables. It sounds like a bad science experiment. And a science experiment it is, but not a bad one Let s start at the beginning. What Are Lacto Fermented Vegetables? Lacto Fermenting fruits and vegetables has been around for thousands of years. It was an ancient way of preserving food before refrigeration and canning were invented. Lactobacilles Bacteria, which is present on the surface of all plants, has the ability to convert sugars to lactic acid. Lactic acid is a natural preservative that inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria & preserves the vitamin and enzyme levels. Why Would Anyone Want To Lacto Ferment Their Food? Having grown up in a culture that thinks you have to pasteurize and refrigerate everything, and if it s one day past the printed expiration date it has to be thrown out, most people have never had fermented food. Instead they eat food stripped of the live 7
bacteria the gut needs to stay in balance. Fermented food puts the good bacteria back in your gut. Some of the reported benefits of fermented foods is that they aid in digestion, support the immune system, and they are teeming with beneficial bacteria that boost digestive health. With beneficial probiotics, digestive enzymes and health boosting nutrients, they can balance gut bacteria & stomach acids, improve digestion and make your body more able to absorb nutrients. They can also help reduce constipation. Eating them on a regular basis will help heal your digestive tract. What Can You Lacto Ferment? Most fruits and vegetables can be fermented, But some are easier than others. Fruits and things with a lot of sugar take more care and a little different process. Some turn out better than others. The most popular and easiest items are beets, radishes, onions, green beans, carrots, cabbage (sauerkraut) and kohlrabi ( my personal favorite). All of these can be lacto fermented with the method I spell out below. For things like fruit chutney you will need a different recipe. What Can You Ferment Your Vegetables In? Traditionally, crocks were used. You can also use a mason jar with a one way air lock. But you can also just use a mason jar with a weight to keep the food under the brine. I had planned to use the weights. I had read that marbles in a ziploc bag worked well. I asked my husband if he had any and he said no, he had lost all his marbles. *grin*. I ended up not needing a weight anyway. I had an empty sour cream container which I cleaned really well. I cut the top to fit inside the jar, below the shoulders. As it turns out the shoulders held it down, yet because it is flexible, I could bend it to get it in the jar. As you can see there are many options. Just make sure all the solids are kept submerged under the brine. 8
So let s get started. How Do You Make Lacto Fermented Vegetables? *As my Grandmother used to say, the first ingredient is always a clean bowl. In other words, make sure everything is thoroughly washed and dried. It doesn t have to be sterilized, but it must be clean. *Mix up brine, using 2 cups of distilled water to 1 tablespoon of non iodized salt. Stir until the salt is dissolved. The water is important as any chlorine in your water will kill the bacteria that will ferment your food. Iodized salt will make it cloudy and will impart an odd taste. Believe me I m a big proponent of iodized salt and believe it is important in our diet. Just not in this recipe. I used pickling salt. Sea salt will work too. *Clean and peel your vegetables, and slice or dice them to the size you would like. Make sure they will fit in the jar. Add herbs of your choosing. I used 2 cloves of sliced garlic and 4 sprigs of fresh dill weed. I will add more next time. Maybe a little jalapeno too. *Put vegetables and herbs in your jar. Pour brine in on top. Make sure you leave 1 to 1 1/2 of head space (space above the brine). It can bubble over. *Put something on top of vegetables to keep them under the water. This is important. This is an anaerobic process. The presence of oxygen once fermentation has begun will ruin the final product. *Cover with a dish towel or a coffee filter to keep dust etc. out. Let it sit at room temperature, approximately 72. It will take more time if it is cooler, less time if it is warmer. *Bubbles will begin to rise. This lets you know it is working. If it develops a white foam or scum on top just spoon it off. This is perfectly normal and fine. (if it is black, pink or 9
green see below) Let ferment for 3 to 10 days. After 3 days start tasting it. When it tastes the way you want, put a cover on it and put it in a cool place to store and start eating it. Some people will put it in a cool place like a root cellar others the refrigerator. If your house is cool (45 60 ) you can just keep it on the table. I live in Florida. HELLO. It s going in the refrigerator. The flavor will continue to develop as it ages. *You can store this for 6 months or more. If it lasts that long. Mine is going to be eaten in less than 2 weeks! It s So Good! The kohlrabi stayed nice and crunchy. I m going to make some more and this time I m going to try beets, carrots and green beans too. What a great way to eat your vegetables! How Do You Eat Fermented Vegetables? You can put it in a sandwich or a salad or just use it as a side like you would pickles. But for the greatest health benefit, don t cook it. Cooking will kill a lot of those wonderful enzymes you just created. How Do You Know If It Has Gone Bad? The occasional batch that goes bad is not a danger as there are sure signs that it has spoiled. First it will have a green, pink or black mold and second, it will have such a terrible putrid smell that nothing could persuade you to eat it. So rest assured this is a safe way to preserve your vegetables. If you keep it clean and keep your vegetables under your brine, you should be good to go. 10
#1 Hawaiian Coleslaw Prep time: 15 mins Serves: 12 - ½ cup servings Ingredients ½ Cup Marzetti Coleslaw Dressing ½ Cup Miracle Whip 1-3 oz Can Crushed Pineapple (or ½ Cup finely chopped fresh pineapple with juice) 6 Cups Thinly Sliced Cabbage - Packed ½ Cup Shredded Carrot Instructions 1. Mix first 3 ingredients. 2. Fold in Cabbage and Carrots 3. Mix thoroughly options: 4. Add a little sprinkle of cayenne pepper for a little zing (to taste) 5. Add ½ cup chopped walnuts 6. Can easily be halved Recipe by Life Is Just Ducky at http://www.lifeisjustducky.com/hawaiian-coleslaw/ Now the hard part. Deciding what to make first! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11
*BONUS* I gave you the most popular recipes on my blog. But, now I ll give you the vegetable recipe that is the most popular with my family! This dish of greens is so versatile you can use any greens you have on hand. You can use the swiss chard that is listed in the recipe, or you can substitute any other green you have in your garden. Try it with beet greens, turnip greens, kale, romaine, typhon or spinach. Each will impart its own unique flavor. But all will give you their own burst of nutritional goodness. Your family will be asking for this again and again, just as my family does. Sauteed Swiss Chard And Tomatoes Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 6 mins Total time: 16 mins Serves: 4 Ingredients 3 Tablespoon Oil 2 Diced Garlic Cloves 1 Chopped Large Tomato ½ Cup Sliced Fresh Mushrooms (optional) 4 Cups Chopped Swiss Chard Stems Removed ½ Teaspoon Fresh Basil Salt & Pepper ¼ Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese Instructions 1. Cook on medium heat 3 minutes; Oil, Garlic, Tomato and Mushrooms. 2. Add Chard, Basil, Salt and Pepper 3. Cook 3 more minutes or until wilted and tender. 4. Top with Parmesan Cheese when serving. Recipe by Life Is Just Ducky at http://www.lifeisjustducky.com/swiss-chard/ 12
13