Summer Bounty

It's mid-summer and most of us are deep in the throes of harvesting our gardens. Some items are going gangbusters while others are not doing so well. It depends upon where you are in the country, but here in the mid-Atlantic, there was a cool, wet Spring, followed immeditely by July-like weather.

Tomatoes have been great this year and the peach harvest will be good for orchards. I had a short squash season, thanks to many squash bugs and a greedy grounhog. cucumbers also suffered this year from some wilt and brown scale. My sprinkler malfunction was the final nail in the coffin of my cucubrit family.

For those of you looking for ideas for their abundant harvests, I have posted a couple of my favorite summer recipes. It is just not summer for me without Caprese salad and zuchinni bread. Last year I probably made zuchinni bread 6 times!

Here they are:

CAPRESE SALAD:

Cover a plate with torn romaine lettuce or mixed greens. Top with sliced tomatoes cut into halves. Hand-shred fresh mozzarella and sprinkle generously over tomatoes. You may use the sealed log-type mozzarella found in the gourmet cheese department or the mozzarella balls that are in a tub of water, such as cigliene. The ones in water taste the best. Next drizzle the salad with a bit of extra virgin olive oil and a splash of balsamic. Sprinkle with a little salt (I like Jane’s Crazy Mixed-up Salt found in the spice section) and a couple turns of your pepper grinder. Top with a generous amount of hand-torn fresh basil. This is the best part and makes it look extra fresh and pretty. You can leave out the base layer of lettuce for a more traditional Caprese salad, but this makes it much more of a meal. Serve with some sliced hard salami or soprasetta, toss in some garden fresh cucumbers for crunch and you have a refreshing summer meal!


ZUCHINNI BREAD:

This does not tast like squash, contrary to popular belief!

Zucchini BreadAdapted from Baking Illustrated

I made one change and that is a dash of nutmeg and a sprinkle of cinammon.

• 2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting



• 1 pound zucchini, washed and dried, ends and stems removed, cut in half lengthwise and seeded if using large zucchini, each half cut into 1-inch pieces
  

3/4 cups (5 1/4 ounces) sugar

1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped coarse

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup plain yogurt

2 large eggs, beaten lightly

1 tablespoon lemon juice

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, melted and cooled

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan; dust with flour, tapping out the excess.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, process the zucchini and 2 tablespoons of the sugar until the zucchini is coarsely shredded, twelve to fifteen 1-second pulses. Transfer the mixture to a fine-mesh strainer set at least 2 inches over a bowl and allow to drain for 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can shred the halved zucchini (don't cut into 1-inch pieces) on the large holes of a box grater, toss with the 2 tablespoons of sugar, and drain.

• Meanwhile, spread the nuts on a baking sheet and toast until fragrant, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the nuts to a cooling rack and cool completely. Transfer the nuts to a large bowl; add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, and whisk until combined. Set aside.

• Whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of sugar, yogurt, eggs, lemon juice, and melted butter in a 2-cup glass measure until combined. Set aside.

• After the zucchini has drained, squeeze the zucchini with several layers of paper towels to absorb excess moisture. Stir the zucchini and the yogurt mixture into the flour mixture until just moistened. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with a rubber spatula.

• Bake until the loaf is golden brown and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool for at least one hour before serving. (The bread can be wrapped with plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.)