Squashed

summer squashThe zucchini in our garden have no fruit as of yet so it was nice to find summer squash at today’s farmer’s market.  These green and yellow varieties are particularly pleasing to the eye.

Today’s “recipe” (this is too easy to really be called a recipe but it’s my favorite way to cook summer squash in a hurry):

Slice squash into bite-size pieces.  Place in microwave safe bowl.  Thinly slice a few rounds of onion and place over the squash.  Cover and microwave for 4 minutes or until tender but not mushy.  Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese over the squash while still hot, add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, then drizzle on a bit of olive oil.  Toss to combine all the flavors but be careful not to break up the squash.  Eat.

Do you grow summer squash?  Have you ever found yourself dumping your excess on the neighbors?  Any good recipes for using up what you’ve grown?

Season’s Eatings

Farmer’s Market Week continues with inspirational cookbooks.  Sometimes just gobbling up the fresh fruits and vegetables is the best thing to do.  If you want to cook with the fresh stuff but are feeling uninspired, here are three cookbooks that focus on fresh, seasonal eating.  Do you have your own favorite seasonal cookbooks?

In Late Winter We Ate Pears: A Year of Hunger and Love–Seasonal Recipes and Stories From an Italian Kitchen by Deirdre Heekin & Caleb Barber
In Late Winter We Ate Pears

 

 

 

 

The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook: A Year in the Life of a Restaurant by Michelle & Philip Wojtowicz
The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook

 

 

 

 

The San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market Cookbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Impeccable Produce Plus 130 Seasonal Recipes by Peggy Knickerbocker & Christopher Hirsheimer
SF Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market cookbook

Strawberries

Farmer’s Market Week continues with strawberries.strawberriesToday’s “recipe”: Strawberries and Baby Cakes

Slice or chop a basket of strawberries into a bowl.  Cover with sugar to taste.  Let berries macerate at room temperature for at least an hour.  Taste for sweetness then add pomegranate balsamic vinegar as desired.  Serve over halved Baby Cakes.  Top with yogurt if you’d like.  If you want whipped cream, use that on top instead of yogurt (but I’d seriously consider leaving out the balsamic vinegar if you do go with whipped cream).

Baby Cakes

3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup plain yogurt (not non-fat)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Put all the ingredients in one bowl.  Using a hand mixer, blend at low speed until all ingredients are combined then beat on high speed for three minutes.  Divide batter evenly amongst 9 well-greased (but not papered) muffin tin wells. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes or until golden on top and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool for ten minutes in muffin tin then remove and continue cooling cakes on a rack.

How do you like to eat your strawberries?

Another Bonus Joke (last one, I promise) from The Electric Radish and Other Jokes selected by Susan Thorndike & illustrated by Ray Cruz:

Why did the elephant paint his toenails red?

Strawberry elephant joke illustrated by Ray CruzAnswer: So he could hide in the strawberry patch.

Radishes

Our garden, except for the strawberries, still has a while to go before anything is harvestable.   I’ve been haunting the farmer’s market instead.  To celebrate all that gorgeous fresh produce, I’m declaring this Farmer’s Market Week.  Sometimes the week just has to start on a Thursday.

radishes

Today's bounty: The radish!

The “recipe”: You’ve heard of this traditional french snack before, I’m sure.  It’s the only way I like radishes.  Take your very fresh, cleaned radishes and slice thinly.  Spread a baguette slice (not too think a slice–about a 1/4″) with high quality butter.  Top the butter with your radish slices then sprinkle with sea salt.  Eat.  If you’re carb-phobic, you can skip the bread and just dip your halved radishes in butter and sprinkle on the salt.

radishes with butter and sea saltHow do you like to eat radishes?

Bonus Joke from The Electric Radish and Other Jokes selected by Susan Thorndike & illustrated by Ray Cruz:

What is red, has a tail, and hums?Electric Radish illustrated by Ray CruzAnswer: an electric radish

Yup.