Zen and Zucchini

I love this time of year when the zucchini are so prolific that the search begins for creative ways to consume this yummy vegetable.  New to me this year is a zucchini taco inspired by a recipe from my CSA (community shared agriculture) farmer. This is a very, very delicious way to eat up your zucchini.

Zucchini Tacos

2 Tbs. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small sweet onion, diced

1 zucchinis, cut lengthwise into quarters, then chopped

into 1/2 inch pieces.

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 cup corn kernels

1/2 cup grated monteray jack cheese.

3/4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

2 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro

1 pablano pepper, seeded and sliced

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic,

onion, chili pepper (optional), and zucchini, stirring and

cooking until the zucchini begins to soften—about 5 minutes.

Stir in salt, pepper, broth and corn. Cover, reduce heat

to low, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat

and sprinkle with cheese. Cover again to hold in the

heat and melt the cheese—about 2 to 3 minutes.

Serve immediately wrapped in a tortilla.

Zucchini Taco - Sunflower from my friend Heather Harrington

My favorite summer time treat is zucchini bread.  Wowser, it's so good fresh from the oven.   Here's the recipe I used:  Best Zucchini Bread EVER

Zucchini bread on my Grandma's platter

I just realized that I have so many zucchini recipes that I'm going to have to continue this onto a later blog because I have many, many favorites.

My garden is all about the harvest now and I love it.  Here's a picture of today's partial harvest minus the cucumbers and zucchini.  As for my extra tomatoes, I'm washing, bagging, and freezing until canning day in the not so distant future.

Today's Harvest - veggies on my Grandma's veggie platter

Hey, I'm starting to turn the corner.  Having 10 days of "slow down, breathe, practice gratitude, no rushing" really paid off.   Finally, for the first time in toooooooo long, I enjoyed the sound of the wind through the trees, I watched swarms of hummingbirds enjoying succulents from my flowers, and I simply enjoyed the laughter of my kids.  Over the last 10 days I experienced many moments of zen that I had lost in all my crazy "rushiness".  Yup, lesson learned - I need to slow down once in awhile and focus on the journey, not the destination.  Burning the candle from both ends doesn't make me very bright and I found it easy to completely eliminate the following for a week and a half straight:   working from home, to-do lists, Facebook, blogging, alarm clocks, texting, and Twitter.  I'll be doing that more often!!

What do you eliminate from your day when you are feeling overwhelmed and over committed?

Thanks for reading,

Kristin

Zucchini, Potatoes, and Beets

We are getting an abundance of produce right now.  Between the Farmer's Market, the CSA, and our garden we have had our fill of veggies.

I whipped up some zucchini bread for my running friends before our morning adventure today.  We ran 12.25 miles of Telemark hills.  I think I'm still delirous.  The zucchini bread was soooooo moist and tasty (almost everyone agreed).  I also left some out for the kids for breakfast and they took pictures with my camera because they were worried I wouldn't have pictures after they gobbled it down.  They can be so thoughtful.

Zucchini Bread

Click on the link for the recipe:  Super Moist Zucchini Bread

The only difference, is that I used 1/2 whole wheat flour and 1/2 white flour.

And you guessed it, this being served in my Grandma Evelyn's platter.


My Grandma Evelyn made the BEST potato salad ever, and whenever she went anywhere, that's what she would bring.  We took her potato salad for granted (at least I did).  I decided I had better learn how to make it while the potatoes are in season.   My Grandma would like to know someone is carrying on her tradition.

Grandma's Potato Salad

Here's the recipe:

12 boiled potatoes cut in 1 inch cubes with skin on.   The potatoes should be slightly firm
Add 1 cup of light mayo, 1/3 cup mustard, and 1/4 cup sugar. 
I also added 5 cubed pickles
Garnish with hard boiled eggs and sprinkle with paprika

This is served in the same bowl my Grandma would bring to every event.  Somehow this hit pretty close to home and I was pretty weepy for about an hour.  Not only because I miss her dearly, but more because life is so different without her.  After she died I cried every day for 6 months, and Greta would say to me, "you miss Great Grandma Johnson today right?"  Today she saw me crying and she said, "you miss her don't you?"  She's such an intuitive girl.


Next up, I made my Grandma's Pickled Beets and added them to a jar I inherited.  I love beets!!

Here they are:

Grandma's Pickled Beets

Grandma's Pickled Beets

Boil 16 beets for about 45 minutes until tender.

In a saucepan, boil 1 cup of vinegar, 1/2 cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of pickling spice.

Pour over beets and refrigerate overnight.

Yummo!!


This next salad is out of this world (if you like beets).  This Beet and Carrot Salad recipe was provided by Jackie Kruse.  Thanks Jackie!!  I also have a few other beet recipes from Jackie I hope to try later in the week. 

Jackie Kruse's Warm Beet and Carrot Salad

Warm Beet and Carrot Salad with Fresh Mint

4 large beets without tops
2 carrots cut diagonally
3 T. minced fresh mint
3 T. pure maple syrup
1 T. ghee (I used butter because that's all I had)

Boil scrubbed beets for  20-30 min until fork tender.
Steam carrots separately until tender crisp.
Peel beets and coarsely chop.
Combine mint, maple syrup and the ghee in a small bowl to mix.
Pour over the veggies and toss gently. Serve warm.


Thursday night I got together my high-school girlfriends (fun, fun) and we ate at the Livery in Eau Claire.  I had an awesome quinoa, feta, spinach salad.  Friday night we went to the Packer game and had a great tailgate party courtesy of my mom.  I spent Friday morning in Urgent Care with Gus, because he has a bum foot.  Because of his bum foot he had to be wheeled around Lambeau.  Poor kid.

This picture sums up our week:

LIFE IS GOOD!!!!

What a GREAT week!

Cheers,

Kristin