An Abundance of Zucchini

     Well, it's been a long time.  I actually intended to post long before this time (a rhubarb recipe), but time just gets away from me.  This summer has been a rather wickedly busy one, beyond the normal.  There is the usual garden, which is both a solace and a time burden.  There is the basic fact of summer, which makes being outside and not in front of a computer a more compelling activity.
        Additionally this summer has been complicated by 2 major events:  my sister's cancer diagnosis, and subsequent temporary move to Seattle for treatment; and my daughter's graduation from high school and move to college.  It being a semester school, she left a week ago.  Needless to say, I am feeling like a ping pong ball in a rubber room.  Good thing that it is rubber, as I am unlikely to injure myself...
     The daughter going to college is a blogpost in and of itself:  learning to live by myself presents a host of new challenges.
     However, the aforementioned garden continues to pump out bounty and voila!  Zucchini have miraculously gone from manageable little veggies suitable for the grill to torpedoes that seemingly evolve overnight.  How does that happen?
     I tripped across this way to absorb a large quantity of zucchini--regardless of status (cute, manageable or zeppelin-sized).  Having fed it to several folks and gotten requests for the recipe, it has merited a post.  Ironically, I took a quick look back in past blog posts, and found this:  Zucchini casserole from 2013!  Seems like a common theme.  This one is a little more stripped down, less rich.
     One thing that is particularly nice about it is the adaptability:  I have made a smaller version of this, and a larger version that went to a party (where all was consumed).  It is good warm, or at room temperature.  I don't think it would be a difficult thing to make it gluten free by substituting cream for the béchamel.  It could easily absorb more of the season's bounty:  corn, more veggies, and so on.  There comes a point where that would force you to add less zucchini.
     And desperate times call for desperate measures.  I had a torpedo, it needed processing.

     This recipe is loosely based on one from Deborah Madison, and her Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.  This is a seriously well-used tome in my kitchen, and she rarely fails to disappoint.  But I tinkered with the recipe a fair bit and like this version.

Summer Squash, Herb and Rice Gratin

adapted from Deborah Madison's recipe

Serves 4-6, easily doubled

2 lbs zucchini or other summer squash, coarsely grated

Salt and pepper

2 T Olive oil

1 c. onion or shallot, finely chopped

2 c. bechamel sauce (1T butter, 1T flour, 2 c milk, seasoned to taste)

1 c. cooked brown rice

1/4 c. chopped parsley

2T snipped chives

1/2 c. cheese grated:  try cheddar, romano, ricotta salata, others may work as well

1.  Toss the grated zucchini with 1 tsp salt in a colander over a plate, and let sit.  Preheat the oven to 375F.

2.  Make the béchamel:  melt the butter in a small saucepan, and add the flour, stir until well mixed and let gently bubble for about a minute.  Gently add the milk whisking until uniform, then slowly bring to a gentle bubble and mixture is thickened.  I usually generously salt, pepper and add a little freshly grated nutmeg.  Set aside.  

3.  Saute the onion in the olive until translucent, in a pan large enough for the zucchini.  Squeeze the zucchini to get rid of excess moisture and add to the pan.  Continue to saute, until the moisture is mostly absorbed.  Add the rice, parsley and 1/2 of the béchamel, stir to combine.  Adjust seasonings.  Scrape into a baking pan large enough to contain--a little bigger than 9x9 for this recipe and smooth the top.  

4.  Stir the chives and the cheese into the remaining béchamel and pour on top, smooth out.  

5.  Bake 20 minutes, or until browned on top and bubbling a little.  

Serve warm or at room temperature.  

Notes:  chopped tomatoes tossed with some basil and a little olive oil and salt go great with this dish.  

Savory Biscuits

      There is nothing like waking up early with an idea that won't go away.  Sleep is futile.  Besides, once the cats know that I am awake there is nothing but annoyances:  things knocked off the bedside table, noise-making running the gamut from purring to the proverbial 'singing the songs of my people.'  The idea itself was based on a biscuit that we had at a local bakery lately, a tall biscuit, with ham.  I wanted cheese in there as well.  I had no ham.   But I did have prosciutto.....
      Saturday mornings around this household are fairly quick.  I volunteer and thus need breakfast to be done before 9:30.  But I don't mind doing fairly straightforward baking.
      A quick look online found a recipe on Food 52, for Garlic Cheddar Biscuits, which looked promising.   I mangled it a fair amount however.  I certainly wanted no garlic.   And another recipe mentioned that you want a fairly dry cheese here.
     I will say that this level of mangling produced savory buttery biscuits which needed no embellishments.  I have no idea about the original recipe, but this one was a winner.  And while I hate waking up early, this time it was worth it.

Ham and Cheese Biscuits

Makes 5-6 large biscuits, enough for 3

Adapted heavily from Posie Harwood's Garlic Cheddar Biscuits from Food 52

3 c flour

1T baking powder

1/8 t baking soda

1/2 t kosher salt

1 c unsalted butter, cubed

1/2 c aged Cheddar cheese

1/2 c Romano cheese

1/3 c prosciutto chopped into 1/2" squares ( or ham, cut smaller, or browned bacon....)

1 c sour cream mixed with heavy cream ( think buttermilk would work fine)

1/4 c + milk

Preheat the oven to 425F.  You will need a baking sheet with parchment paper.   

In a food processor, pulse the flour, powder, soda and salt.  Add the butter and continue to pulse until you get butter chunks the size of small peas.  Add the cheeses and pulse quickly to mix.  

Add the prosciutto to the sour cream/cream mixture.  

Turn the flour mixture out into a large bowl, and add the cream, stir to combine.  The idea here is to barely work the dough.  I found it much too dry at this point, and a lot of flour not combined.  So I added 1-2 T more milk, and stirred again.  You might need another couple tablespoons milk, the idea is a fairly stiff rough dough.  

Turn it out on a lightly floured counter, and knead to make a fairly cohesive dough, again, barely working the dough, just trying to get everything to hang together.  Pat the dough to about 2-3" thick, and either cut into squares or use a large drinking glass to get large rounds.  

Place 1-2" apart on the baking sheet, and bake 20-30 min, until the tops are golden brown.  

These are best served warm/hot.  I suspect they are fine if they are cold though.  Ours just never had the chance.  

A Glimpse of Summer

     It's kind of cheating, I know.  I am a confirmed locavore.  I believe in eating seasonally, for all the reasons that we are supposed to do it.  But here in Seattle, there is a local company that sells frozen fruit:  mixed berries, marionberries, and frozen peaches.  I can tell I am on the early side of being very very tired of apples, oranges and pears.  Those peaches looked just about right today, and into the basket they went.

     In early February, when it's in the mid-30's, with cold rain and 90% humidity, it's hard to feel warm.  This is certainly a nod to places colder than here, but the wet and damp get into your bones like snow and dry cold just doesn't seem to do.   I don't want to complain, but let's just say that I am quite ready for increased temperatures.  

     My peach pie recipe is one I devised in the summer, with ripe peaches and a streusel crust.  I riffed on that one today:  I made a crisp, which in many ways is a crustless pie.  I used the same filling and added oatmeal to the streusel, voila!  A crisp is born.  

     Removing the oatmeal and lining a pie plate with a crust will result in said pie.  But today I wanted it to be simpler.  Frozen peaches are already peeled, sliced into wedges and thus ready to go.  They hold up well and have great flavor.  Would I rather use fresh peaches in season?  Sure.  Do I have access to that in February?  No.  

     The question then remains:  is this cheating?  On the locavore level, I win by using a local company's produce.  I lose by not staying heartily committed to the idea of seasonal eating.  I would contend however, that preserving the season is absolutely valid.  I can jam, summer tomato sauce, applesauce and more.  I freeze my plums and raspberries.  The pumpkin I have in my garage is staying preserved by some miracle I don't quite understand.  There is no difference.  After several months of beans, oranges, carrots and squash, I am oh-so-ready for a change, and thus doubly glad for the frozen bounty.  

Peach Crisp or Pie, My Way

Makes enough for 6 -8 servings

Preheat the oven to 400F

Filling:  

4-5 large peaches, goal of 6-8c, when cut up

1 T lemon juice

1/3c packed light brown sugar

1/4c white sugar

3 T cornstarch

generous pinch of ground ginger

1 t cinnamon

pinch salt

Streusel/ Crisp topping:  

1 c flour (a mix of white and whole wheat is fine, or almond flour would work too)

1 c regular oatmeal

3T light brown sugar

4 t white sugar

1/4t kosher salt

6T unsalted butter, softened

1-2T heavy cream  (optional)

1.  Make the crisp topping:  mix all ingredients together until well blended, the size of hazelnuts.  Set aside.

2.  Cut peaches into thick slices, don't need to peel (unless you are using frozen, then lucky you.  I let them partially defrost before moving onward).  Toss with lemon juice.  

3.  Mix remaining ingredients, then toss with the peaches.  Place in a 9"x9" pan.  Top with the crisp topping.  

4.  Bake for 40-45minutes, or until lightly browned and bubbling.  Best warm or at room temperature.   Serve drizzled with cream, if desired.

5.  Feel like summer is one step closer.