Chicken Koftas

1 lb ground chicken

1 small onion very finely diced (or 1/2 med to large onion)

4-6 oz crumbled feta cheese

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp coriander

pinch cayenne pepper (more if you like things spicy)

salt and pepper

Directions:

1.  Place everything into a medium sized bowl and gently mix well with your hands or a fork.  Do not over work the ground chicken or it will dry out.

2.  Once well mixed, pat mixture into one large mound and divide into 4 equal sections.

3.  Take each section of the 4 sections and gently pat into 2 oval patties until you have 8 patties of equal size.

4.  Heat 3-4 TBSP olive oil over med-high heat in a large skillet.  Add patties a few at a time to the pan and cook until brown on both sides and cooked through the middle about 10-15 minutes.

5.  Remove from pan and place on a plate lined with paper towels to soak up some of the oil then serve warm on warmed pita bread and topped with sliced tomatoes and the cucumber-Greek yogurt sauce.

Cucumber Greek Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients

1 small to medium cucumber very thinly sliced (if the cucumber is larger cut slices into 1/2 moons)

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 TBSP fresh mint leaves finely chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.  Combine all ingredients in a small to medium bowl, let sit for 15 minutes or so to allow the cucumbers to release some of their liquid into the sauce.

2.   Serve as a dip or use on top of the chicken kofta pita sandwiches.

Oven Baked Root Veggie Chips

Ingredients

a combination of various root veggies like potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and turnips

**(you could also add some apples though I wouldn’t recommend them dipped in the hummus)**

about 1/4 cup Olive Oil

Sea salt

Pepper

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees

2.  Thinly slice a combination of veggies using a mandolin or the mandolin blade on your food processor to about 1/8 in thick slices.

3.  Toss liberally in olive oil and then in a single layer, line 2 baking sheets with the veggie slices

4.  Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes making sure to rotate the pans about 10 minutes in and flipping the chips once they are beginning to crisp up and brown on one side.

**keep a VERY close eye on them…it is a fine line between a crisp chip and a burned one.  Everyone’s oven will cook them a little differently so they could take shorter or longer than the estimated time.  I throw them in while I am prepping the rest of  meal so that I am standing right in front of the oven while they are cooking**

Non-traditional Homemade Hummus

1 15 oz can Garbanzo beans drained and rinsed

1 15 oz can Cannelini beans drained and rinsed

1-3 cloves garlic (depending on how garlicky you like hummus)

1 TBSP fresh rosemary

1 TBSP fresh thyme

1-3 TBSP freshly squeezed lemon juice

about 1/4 c olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.  In your food processor first place garlic cloves and pulse until the garlic is finely chopped.

2. Next add the beans and herbs and pulse until finely chopped.

3.  Add lemon juice and then stream in olive oil until smooth and creamy (though you can cut back on some of the oil if you want to save some of the bean liquid or you can substitute up to a few tablespoons of water).  Salt and pepper to taste (you can also add more lemon juice at this point).

4.  Serve drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with paprika.

Enjoy!!

]]> http://www.chappellphotoblog.com/?feed=rss2&p=2910 1 http://www.chappellphotoblog.com/?p=2816 http://www.chappellphotoblog.com/?p=2816#comments Fri, 09 Sep 2011 13:13:23 +0000 admin http://www.chappellphotoblog.com/?p=2816

Since we decided to grow our own on top of doing a CSA, we have had PLENTY of potatoes this year so this summer has been full of finding new fun ways to serve the classic potato.  I came up with this new take on an old favorite to take as a side to a dinner we have with friends (the main course being an amazing rack of bbq ribs…um yum!  I wanted more texture and a fresh take on the typical mayo drenched, everything tastes soft and about the same, yellow potato salad (don’t get me wrong, I LOVE that stuff, but I wanted something new and different).  This potato salad works great as a side or could really be a meal in and of itself.  It is best eaten pretty quickly after it is made, I would even recommend while it’s still warm because the potatoes tend to dry out if stored in the fridge overnight.  So here is a new take on classic potato salad, enjoy!

Roasted Potato Salad

Ingredients

8 cups potatoes cut into large bite sized chunks (about 1-2 inch bites)

1 cup Italian sausage (sweet or spicy depending on your preference) diced

1 small onion thinly sliced

5 cloves garlic peeled but left whole

olive oil

salt and pepper

Dressing:

1/4 c apple cider vinegar

2 TBSP grainy mustard

2 TBSP mayonnaise

2/3 c olive oil

1 tsp honey

1 cup parsley roughly chopped

1 cup basil roughly chopped

zest 2 lemons

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425

1.  Toss potatoes and garlic in enough olive oil to lightly coat them all.  Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and place flesh side down on a rimmed cookie sheet.  Do not turn or flip potatoes, just roast until flesh is golden brown in color on the outside and soft on the inside.  About 20 minutes.

2.   Meanwhile, in a small pan brown up the sausage over med high heat.  Once the sausage has browned add the sliced onion and toss.  Remove from heat.  You just want to slightly soften the onions not to completely cook them.

3.  In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar, mustard and mayonnaise.

4.  Slowly whisk in the 2/3 c olive oil until you have a smooth and creamy vinaigrette.

5.  Salt and pepper to taste.  If it seems to acidic, cut the acidity with a tsp of honey.

6.  Add lemon zest and chopped herbs and stir.  Leave to allow the herbs to macerate.

7.  Once potatoes are finished roasting and have been allowed to slightly cool, place in a large bowl along with the sausage onion mixture.  Dress with the vinaigrette and herb mixture and carefully toss until potatoes are completely coated.

Serve as a meal in and of itself or as an amazing side.  Can be served slightly warm, room temperature or cold but serve the day it is made.

Enjoy!

Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Pizza

Ingredients

1/2 recipe of Pizza Dough

1 large eggplant peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch thick rounds or moons

2-3 TBSP balsamic vinegar

couple TBSPs olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1 large tomato sliced into 1/2 inch rounds or moons

handful of pine nuts

about 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

pizza sauce of your choice

about 4 oz goat cheese

large handful of fresh basil roughly chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 425

1.  Toss eggplant with basalmic vinegar and a couple tablespoons of olive oil so that each eggplant is nicely coated, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.

2.  Spread evenly on a rimmed cookie sheet and roast eggplant until lightly browned (about 5 minutes on each side). Set aside.

3.  Roll out dough and place onto a large rectangular cookie sheet or a pizza stone. Top with pizza sauce and a thin layer of mozzarella cheese.

4.  Evenly distribute roasted eggplant and tomato slices around the pizza.

5.  Sprinkle on toasted pinenuts and goat cheese.

6.  Bake at 425 for about 20-25 minutes or until the dough is crisp and the goat cheese is beginning to slightly brown.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with basil.  Allow basil to begin to wilt on the hot pizza and serve hot.

I cannot believe it is August!  Such a great month for produce here in NC.  This is the month where tomatoes, peppers and eggplant really pick up along with juicy melons and soon we will even have raspberries.  One of our favorite meals this time of year is this Stuffed Pepper recipe.  This meal is simple, hearty and really wonderful with an ice cold beer.  These stuffed peppers include pretty much everything we get in our CSA box this time of year and is a great way for me to finish off our veggies the day before the new box comes.  And for all of you working cooks out there, the filling for these peppers could easily be made ahead of time or you could go as far as stuffing the peppers over the weekend so all you would have to do is throw these babies into the oven to warm them up and brown them off.  These adorable little guys make an awesome meal to serve guests and are much less work than they appear to be.  Delicious meal in no time! I’m also including what I’ve started to call my Disappearing Salsa recipe because every time I make this stuff it is gone before I’ve had the chance to photograph it.  These photographs are of the last 1/2 cup of the salsa after we had devoured the night before and immediately after photographing it, Hayston and I finished it off.  Apparently, we and our friends cannot get enough chips and salsa!  So if you are a salsa lover too, this really simple salsa recipe will change the way you view that stuff you buy at the store.  Your friends will be utterly wowwed by the idea that you made such amazing salsa yourself and it really takes no time at all, you basically just throw a bunch of stuff in a food processor.  I would serve this yummy salsa with anything, but of course it goes really well with this smoky, crisp and delicious stuffed pepper recipe.  So here are some delicious ways to use up sll of that wonderful August produce….

Stuffed Bell Peppers

olive oil

6 medium to large bell peppers (any color bell pepper would work here)

2 ears of cooked corn, kernels removed

2-3 medium squash (any mixture of summer squashes would work here, zucchini, mediterranean, zephyr, yellow etc.)

2-3  medium fresh tomatoes diced

1 can black beans drained and rinsed

1 jalepeno finely diced

2 cloves garlic minced

1 medium onion diced

1 TBSP cumin

1 tsp coriander

3 TBSP apple cider vinegar

2 cups Monterey Jack cheese

salt and pepper to taste

1 can diced tomatoes

**optional to add shredded chicken, ground beef, spicy sausage or pork to this dish, but if you do this you may have to taste the filling and adjust the spices accordingly**

Directions

1.  Heat olive oil over med high heat and saute diced onion and jalepeno until onions are opaque.  Add garlic and heat through for about 1 minute.

2.  Add squash and saute about 5 minutes or until soft.

3.  Add diced fresh tomatoes, black beans, corn, cumin, coriander, vinegar (and any meat if you are opting to do so) and heat through.  Simmer on low for about 5-8 minutes to reduce down the sauce and develop the flavors. Remove from heat.

4.  Preheat oven to 425.

5.  Carefully slice the tops of the peppers off and remove all seeds and ribs.  Do not discard tops, you will use them.  If the peppers are uneven on the bottom and rocking, carefully slice off a small piece so the pepper stands up without wobbling.

6. Begin to layer the filling into the pepper.  I usually fill it about 1/3 full then top with a layer of cheese and then repeat.  Once the pepper is filled to the top, sprinkle on remaining cheese and replace the pepper tops.

7.  Spread the can of diced tomatoes in the bottom of a 9×13 pan and then place peppers in the pan as well.

8.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the pepper begins to brown nicely from the roasting and the cheese is melted.

9.  Serve warm with rice.

Disappearing Salsa

Ingredients

2 small onions

3 cloves garlic

1 bell pepper

4-5ish large tomatoes (during the winter months you can substitute this for a large can of whole Roma tomatoes minus the juice)

1 large handful cilantro

1 fresh jalepeno (or you can use about a TBSP of canned jalepenos)

juice of 3 limes

salt and pepper to taste

**you will need a food processor or a good blender for this recipe**

Directions:

1. Chopping everything into large chunks.

2.  Put the onions and garlic in the food processor (or blender) first.  Pulse until the onion and garlic is very finely diced.  Add the bell and jalepeno pepper.  Pulse a couple times again.

3.  Add the tomatoes and lime juice and cilantro. Pulse a few times until you have a nicely textured consistency…I don’t like mine completely pureed, I like to have keep some texture to it.

4.  Taste and add salt and pepper.  If you like it spicy or acidic, you can add more jalepenos or cilantro at this point as well.

5.  Store in the fridge (if you don’t eat it all in one sitting like we tend to do).

]]> http://www.chappellphotoblog.com/?feed=rss2&p=2808 3 http://www.chappellphotoblog.com/?p=2771 http://www.chappellphotoblog.com/?p=2771#comments Tue, 19 Jul 2011 17:55:32 +0000 admin http://www.chappellphotoblog.com/?p=2771

I know not everyone likes to bake bread, but I haven’t posted a new bread recipe for awhile and am absolutely in love with this one.  This bread is crusty on the outside and soft and light on the inside.  It is my favorite soup bread recipe but is just as wonderful by itself with some yummy cheese.  You can also make it into rolls to serve with dinner or to be used for sandwiches.   And since it freezes well, it is nice in roll form to pull just a couple out at a time to go with dinner.  I started playing around with potato bread recipes last winter trying to find a good way to use up potatoes and think this is one of the best bread recipes I’ve put together.  I served it to some friends along side a grilled pork tenderloin and some roasted cabbage a couple weeks ago explaining that I wanted to figure out how to “use my potatoes” and our friend said something like, “It’s not just that they have been used up, it’s amazing because they’ve been turned into something wholly other and delicious.” I love that.  What is also wonderful about this is that you can boil and mash the potatoes now if they are beginning to go bad, and then freeze the potato mash in 1 or 2 cup serving sizes to be turned into bread later.  Then all you have to do is pull the potatoes out and make the bread.  So, for all of you bread lovers or those of you overwhelmed by the weekly arrival of potatoes in your CSA box, here is a delicious new recipe to try…

Goat Cheese Potato Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup potatoes boiled and mashed

1/4 cup goat cheese

1 cup warm water

14 g (2 packets) yeast

1/3 cup milk

1 TBSP sugar

1 tsp salt

3-4 cups flour (as with all bread, start with 2 cups and add from there until you get the right consistency)

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl mash the potatoes with the goat cheese and milk until well blended (this works best if the potatoes are slightly warm).

2. In another large bowl, proof the yeast by whisking the sugar, yeast and warm water together.  Let stand until frothy (about 10 minutes)

3. Add about 2 cups of flour, salt and all of the potato mixture to the proofed yeast.

4. Begin to knead gradually adding more flour as needed.  Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10-15 minutes.

5. Cover with a damp towel and leave to rise in a lightly oiled bowl for about an hour or until it had doubled in size.

6.  Preheat the oven to 425.

7.  Punch down the dough and knead for about 2-3 minutes.

8.  Shape into a loaf (or for dinner rolls, see below)  by patting out a “rectangular” shape then folding it over itself lengthwise and patting down again.  Repeat 2-3 times and then roll the rectangle up lengthwise and shape into a baguette shaped loaf.  Place on a cookie sheet.

9.  Roll two kitchen towels and place on either side of the loaf to help keep its shape while proofing.  With scissors or a sharp knife cut 3-4 X marks into the top of the loaf.  Cover with a damp towel and leave to proof for 20-30 minutes.

10. Bake for 10 minutes at 425 and then lower oven temperature to 375 and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes or until the loaf is golden brown and the base sounds hollow when tapped with your finger tips. Cool on a wire rack.

**This bread can also be made into dinner rolls and can easily be doubled for two loaves or double the rolls for a big dinner party. You can also freeze the rolls for later (this bread freezes and reheats well just be sure to reheat in a 400 degree oven to get the nice crunch on the outside).**

FOR ROLLS: After step 7, divide dough into equal sized pieces (about 12) and roll into balls.  Place balls side by side on a cookie sheet.  Using a sharp knife or scissors, cut 1 X into the tops of each roll. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to proof for 20-30 minutes at this point it is fine if the rolls are touching.  Bake for 10 minutes at 425 then lower heat and bake an additional 15 minutes or until rolls are golden brown and sound hollow when the base is tapped.  Cool on a wire rack.**

Even Hayston loves this bread.  Especially when it is warm and dipped into honey!

I love these next two dishes.  I guess they are both essentially “salads” but John and I ate them together as a meal in and of themselves for dinner the other night.  Since both are mildly addicting (we ate WAY too much of both), I feel like they are truly a meal in and of themselves.  The Greek Orzo came from another attempt at finding a yummy way to use up cucumbers and since we have been drowning in cherry tomatoes as well, I thought I’d combine the two.  And nothing says tomatoes and cucumbers to me like a good Greek salad.  I made it a little more hearty with the pasta and it also allows the salad to keep longer since a typical tomato cucumber salad often gets soupy and mushy by day two.  I love the use of cherry tomatoes for added sweetness (though diced fresh tomatoes would work as well).  It is a really simple and yummy pasta dish and is wonderful because it barely takes any time to throw together.

And then there is the Fried Green Tomato Caprese…um yum.  So, I actually stole the idea from a restaurant here in Carborro, Acme.  This is one of John and I’s favorite appetizers and since our Early Girl tomato plants are going crazy, I thought it would be fun to make my own version.  Green tomatoes are often overlooked, but they are a firmer, more subtle version of their fully ripened red counter parts.  If you don’t have your own tomato plants, you can buy green tomatoes SUPER cheap at your local farmer’s market.  This appetizer/salad will seriously wow your friends at the next dinner party you host.  It is a great balance of sweet and salty, acidic and rich.  It looks super chic on a plate, it’s a fun twist on an old southern favorite and of course it tastes delish!  So here are a couple of just fun mid July recipes…

Greek Orzo Pasta

Ingredients

1 lb orzo pasta (cooked al dente)

4 cups cherry tomatoes halved

3-4 small to med cucumbers (or 2 large cucumbers) peeled, seeded and chopped into bite sized pieces

1/4 c kalamata olives

1-2 small onions very thinly sliced (or 1 med onion)

8 oz feta cheese crumbled

about 3 TBSP olive oil

1/2 c red wine or sherry vinegar

a extra large handful of basil roughly chopped

salt and lots of pepper to taste

Directions

1.  Cook pasta in salted water until Al Dente.  Drain and return to the pot.  Toss in olive oil.

2.  Add the thinly sliced onions and the vinegar to the hot orzo so the onions will cook slightly from the heat of the pasta and the vinegar will be soaked up by both the pasta and onions.

3.  Once the pasta has cooled add the diced cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, basil and feta. Toss until combined.

4.  Salt and pepper to taste (you can also adjust the acidity here by either adding more vinegar or if it is too acidic for your taste you can add a tsp of honey to balance the flavors).  I added a lot of pepper and much less salt because feta is so naturally salty.

Serve warm or cold.

Fried Green Tomato Caprese

Ingredients

4 large green tomatoes sliced into about 1/2 in slices with the ends discarded

1/2 c Panko bread crumbs

1/4 c corn meal

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese finely grated

1/2 c flour

2 eggs

1/4  c milk

salt and pepper

1/2 c olive oil (or vegetable oil) for frying

Fresh mozzarella cheese

Small handful of basil thinly sliced

a little dash of basalmic vinegar

Directions

1.  Lay out all of the green tomatoes on a large plate or cookie sheet.  Lightly salt and pepper both sides of the tomatoes and set aside (it is really important to season the tomatoes to bring out their subtle flavor).

2.  Preheat a large frying pan with 1/2 cup oil to med high.  Meanwhile, in 3 large dishes prepare your breading.

Dish 1: Flour mixed with a pinch of salt

Dish 2: Egg and milk beaten together with a pinch of salt

Dish 3: Combine the bread crumbs, corn meal, parmesan cheese and little bit of salt and pepper.

3.  Begin the dredging and frying process. Take one slice of tomato, first dredge it in the flour until it is coated and shake of any excess.  Next coat it in the milk/egg mixture again making sure to coat well and shaking off any excess.  Lastly place in the bread crumb mixture making sure to press the bread crumbs into the tomato and completely covering the tomato slice with the bread crumb mixture.

4.  Carefully place into the pan.  Repeat with remaining tomato slices and fry 4-5 at a time (depending on the size of your pan, don’t let the tomatoes touch).  Fry until golden brown on both sides, about 3-5 minutes per side.

**Be careful to adjust your heat according to how quickly the tomatoes are frying up.  You may have to lower the heat if they are over browning or raise the heat if it is taking more than 5 minutes, you do not want mushy or burnt tomatoes!**

5.  Arrange slices on a plate and top with a thin slice fresh mozzarella and some basil.  Drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

Serve hot and crispy!

]]> http://www.chappellphotoblog.com/?feed=rss2&p=2868 1 http://www.chappellphotoblog.com/?p=2803 http://www.chappellphotoblog.com/?p=2803#comments Wed, 13 Jul 2011 13:27:42 +0000 admin http://www.chappellphotoblog.com/?p=2803 I wrote this recipe for my sister who called me because she had a ridiculous amount of cucumbers and she wanted some recipes over than relish to help use them up.  I seriously think she had something like 15 cucumbers in her fridge that day.  Cucumbers are a tough CSA/garden veggie because you can’t really cook or freeze the extras, but they are also wonderful because they are so fresh, light, slightly sweet and summery.  Also, homemade relish is one of the best things you’ll ever taste and you will never want to go back to that stuff they sell at the store.  I try and make a huge batch of relish and can it at least once during the summer for us to eat off of the rest of the year, but there aren’t many people who are interested stinking up their house because they are soaking their cucumbers in vinegar and even less who want to attempting canning, so I am going to try and post a few cucumber recipes for all of you out there!  This couscous salad is really simple and delicious.  It is a great picnic or quick lunch kind of salad but is also amazing beside some simple grilled chicken for dinner.  But mostly, it’s an easy recipe that anyone can make in less than 15 minutes and it helps use up some of those cucumbers! So here is my light and easy Cucumber Couscous Salad.

Cucumber Couscous Salad

Ingredients

2 cups uncooked couscous

3 med-large cucumbers peeled, seeded and chopped into bite size pieces

1/2 cup Craisins (raisins or currants could work too)

1/4 cup toasted walnuts roughly chopped

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup basil roughly chopped

1/4 cup crumbled feta

1 TBSP honey

large handful of sweet basil roughly chopped

salt and pepper to taste (lots of pepper)

**optional- two cups of spinach or swiss chard wilted and you could also throw in some chopped up grilled chicken**

Directions

1.  Cook couscous according to instructions on box (I typically add a little butter and salt to the water right before I stir in the couscous)

2. While couscous is sitting for the 5 minutes covered, combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl.

3.  Once couscous is cooked add to the bowl and fluff/mix all of the ingredients until combined.

Serve warm or cold.

]]> http://www.chappellphotoblog.com/?feed=rss2&p=2803 0 http://www.chappellphotoblog.com/?p=2820 http://www.chappellphotoblog.com/?p=2820#comments Mon, 11 Jul 2011 18:56:04 +0000 admin http://www.chappellphotoblog.com/?p=2820

Summer is here! It’s hot, humid, the mosquitoes are out in full force and we are reaping the benefits of all that hard work this spring by bringing in baskets and baskets of fresh produce from our backyard vegetable garden.  Happiness.  I’ve been trying to get a couple shots of the summer garden to post, but the plants are so huge I have had a terrible time figuring out how to photograph it!  Before I post what the garden looks like today, I found these old photos of what our backyard looked like when we first moved to Durham.  I’m pretty proud of the transformation because John and I designed and did ALL of the work ourselves.  It’s SO satisfying to see hard work pay off!  So here is what our yard looked like before…

the vegetable garden is on the far side of the patio and this is what that empty space looks like now…

our cut flower/pollinator garden around the edge of the patio…

we finally got around to graveling in our paths and around the vegetable plot.  Given that we have no grass, I think it makes a difference!

I adore these cute little sunflowers.  They are only about 2 ft tall and form a border around the outside of the veggie plot (in between the baby blueberry bushes).

Hayston likes them too.

garden phlox from our cut flower garden (the butterflies and humming birds love it)!  All those pollinators are great for encouraging pollination and lots of flowering for our veggies and flowers=fruit.

some purple cone flower, attracts yellow finches and other small birds. So good for keeping the pests in the veggie garden under control plus the flowers are beautiful and watching the birds is just an added bonus!

Here’s a look at one of our loaded tomato bushes…we’ve probably harvested about 20 tomatoes already from this plant alone and I’m making fried green tomatoes tonight!

Our giant zucchini plants (pretty hard to capture in one frame).

Early Girl tomatoes…love them!

peppers are on their way!

a couple Japanese eggplants are almost ready.

a ton of purple bush beans!

and some baby cucumbers.

I hope John and I encourage all of you that you can transform your backyard too without spending a ton of money or having to call in the professionals.  And I have a number of recipes featuring all of these yummy summer veggies coming very soon!

When John tasted these little cakes he literally said “These are made from ZUCCHINI?!” Such a good response and exactly what I was hoping for.  These rich, a little complex, moist and light little cakes are an amazing way to hide a huge amount of zucchini, an entire 3 cups!  If you are overwhelmed  by that little green squash right now, offer to bring dessert to your next picnic or get together.  I put together this recipe to mimic the incredible flavors found in one of my absolute favorite chocolates of all time, Gearhart’s Maya Chocolate.  Seriously , Gearharts is chocolate perfection and if you live in VA it is worth a stop in Charlottesville to indulge.  I mimicked the flavors in the Maya by combining rich dark chocolate flavor with spicy cinnamon and a little heat from a hint of cayenne all brightened up with coolness of citrus from the orange.  If you are skeptical about adding heat to a chocolate cake, I totally get it and will not be offended if you skip the cinnamon or cayenne pepper.  Even if you take away the orange you will still have a rich a delicious simple chocolate zucchini cake recipe that you could make anytime and for anyone.  Though not a replacement for a good box of Gearharts, we loved these little cakes and I hope you enjoy them too!

Maya Chocolate Zucchini Cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups white sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (good quality like Ghiradelli or better)

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

3 cups finely grated zucchini (make sure to squeeze out all of the extra water from the zucchini)

1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper (optional…adds a little kick)

zest one orange

juice of 1/2 a large orange or 1/4 cup orange juice

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt pan or cupcake pans.

2.  In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and cayenne pepper (if using it).

3.  Add the eggs and oil, mix well. Fold in the zucchini. Pour into the prepared pan.

4. Bake for appropriate time below or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

5.  Right before serving dust with (or roll cupcakes in) a cinnamon sugar powder made with equal parts cocoa powder, granulated sugar and cinnamon.

bundt pan:  50 to 60 minutes

for large 6 cupcakes bake: 25- 30 minutes (will make 12 large cupcakes)

for regular 12 cupcake pans bake: 20-25 minutes (will make 24 small cupcakes)

Enjoy indulging while using up some of the pesky zucchini!!

This time of year always reminds me of the summer I was pregnant with Hayston. I was horribly sick and couldn’t keep anything down apart from Gatorade and we were about 8 weeks into our first season trying out a CSA with Britt Farms.  My mother came to stay with us for a week and when she asked what she could do to help around the house, John and I resoundingly said, cook up our veggies!  If you haven’t realized already, I am the cook in the family and apart from popcorn and pasta (which he is very proud that he can make himself) John stays away from the stove.  So we were literally drowning in squash.  It was so bad, my mom opened the refrigerator door and screamed when she saw our mountain of vegetables.

No one realizes how much zucchini and squash plants will actually produce until they’ve grown a few in their garden.  That innocent little starter plant quickly takes over 4 square feet (something everyone told you would happen but you couldn’t believe until you saw it for yourself).  About this time of year everyone is tired of zucchini bread and sauteed squash, and yet a zucchini plant will continue to produce for many more months (unbelievable, but true).  So, it’s time to pace ourselves people and not allow ourselves to be controlled by that innocent little green squash!  Do not fall into the black hole of a squash mountain in you fridge like we once did!  There are plenty of incredible recipes that include zucchini and yellow squash that will  liberate you from your sauteed squash and zucchini bread rut.  I promise that almost all of my recipes over the next couple months will include squash and I have a number of “end of the week” clean up type recipes that include everything but the kitchen sink, so keep checking back for new ideas to stay in control of your squash.  Until then, here is the first of a two part post that will knock out an amazing amount of squash.  On Tuesday I had 6 zucchinis and 2 crook neck squashes and by today they are all gone, making me one of the few people in the South who is wishing they actually had MORE squash.  These recipes are delicious and will make you excited the next time you open your fridge to find a mountain of squash.  So here is part 1: Zucchini and Black Bean Burgers with a Garden Salsa Salad and to get you excited, part 2 is a Maya Chocolate Zucchini Cake that is to die for so check back in a couple days!

Zucchini Black Bean Burgers

Ingredients:

2-3 small to medium sized zucchini and/or yellow squash (when grated and drained will equal 2 cups)

1/2 cup Panko Bread crumbs

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (if you like it spicy, you can use pepper jack)

1 egg beaten

1/2 can black beans smashed with a fork

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp coriander

Zest 1 lime

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil for cooking

Directions:

1.  Hand grate on a box grater (no, do not use your food. For this to get the right texture you have use a box grater) a combination of zucchini and/or yellow squash.  I like to use 1-2 small zucchinis and 1 yellow squash for its color.

2.  Put shredded squash into a clean kitchen towel and squeeze as much of the excess liquid out of squash as you can.  Measure two cups of shredded and squeezed squash and place into a bowl.

3.  To the squash add the remaining ingredients and mix with a fork or your hands.

4.  Form patties with your hands (I can usually get about 6 patties out of the mixture) and place on a plate.  The mixture will feel a little dry and crumbly, that is ok, just stick them together the best you can and put them aside.

5.  If you have the time, refrigerate for about 30 minutes so that the patties will firm up a bit.

6.  Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan on med-high heat.  Add the patties and cook until brown and crispy on the outside and cooked through on the inside (about 3-5 minutes per side).  Serve warm topped with the Garden Salsa Salad.

Garden Salsa Salad

Ingredients:

2 large tomatoes cut up into chunks

2 ears of corn cooked and kernels removed from the ears

1 large green pepper chopped (yellow or red would work just as well)

2-3 cucumbers peeled and largely diced

1 jalapeno seeded and very thinly diced

1 small onion thinly sliced

1 can black beans drained and rinsed

1 avocado cut into chunks (optional)

1-2 cloves of garlic minced

1/4 cup olive oil

juice of 4 limes

large handful of cilantro (about 1/2 cup)

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Whisk lime juice, garlic and olive oil together in a small bowl.

2. Combine all of the remaining ingredients in a large bowl mixing well with a large spoon.

3.  Dress with the lime dressing.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve as either a salad that stands alone, a topping to the burgers or as a fresh salsa served with chips.

**I served this with a fried tortilla fourth.  To make this extra large tortilla “chip” fold a flour tortilla in 1/2 and then cut the 1/2 so that you have two triangular folded pieces.  Heat olive oil in a small pan and quickly brown up both sides of the folded tortilla fourth (almost like a cheeseless quesadilla).  Serve immediately so it will be warm and crispy**

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