A Wealth of Summer Produce
Summer is here at last, and with it an explosion of luscious fruits and vegetables! Here in the USA we have a true bounty of summer produce that makes eating frugally simple and fun. The beauty of this bounty is matched only by its flavor. Whether you are shopping at a supermarket, a farmer’s market, or growing it yourself there are more choices than you could possibly use.
From apricots to summer squash, there is something for everyone, and at the hight of the season it may be hard to keep up! Three of the most beloved items on the summer menu are corn, tomatoes, and watermelon. Tomatoes are very versatile, and you could just eat them plain with a little salt, or have a tomato sandwich. Or, you could go all out and make homemade catsup.
Corn is best extremely fresh. Look for heavy ears that have not been stripped. It starts to lose sugar after being husked. All you have to do is boil a pot of water and add the husked corn for about 5 minutes, then eat it off the cob with butter and a bit of salt.
Watermelons should be heavy for their size, and have a good sized field mark. That is the webbing and slight discoloration on one side that shows where the melon lay on the earth as it grew. All you have to do is chill and cut. And, if it is not a seedless variety, have a place to spit the seeds.
By midsummer you may have too much darned zucchini. If you are growing your own the crop may be so good you can’t give it away. Try to get your zucchini on the small and tender side. Simple steaming with a little butter and salt is a great way to enjoy this summer treat. But-if a zucchini “gets away from you” by hiding under the leaves, you will need to find a recipe to deal with the tougher flesh.
You may also find yourself with too many berries or peaches, though I can hardly imagine such a predicament.
Here are two recipes to deal with the overflow of zucchini and fruit:
Zucchini Bread
1–1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup neutral oil
1 cup white sugar or date sugar (or any other granulated sweetener)
1–1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup grated zucchini
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
Directions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Put pastry paper in an 8×4 pan.
Mix flour, salt, baking powder, and soda together in a small bowl.
Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a larger bowl. Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove the bread from pan, and completely cool before cutting. Recipe may be doubled.
A Fruit Crisp:
Start with a quart of fresh fruit. Any kind of stone fruit or berries will do. If you are using stone fruit cut it into slices. Put the fruit into a 9X13 pan. Dust with one third cup sugar combined with two tablespoons cornstarch, arrowroot powder, or tapioca powder. Put in a 400 degree oven and bake about fifteen minutes, till bubbling slightly. In the meantime, mix 1 cup rolled oats, one cup flour, three quarters of a cup sugar, one cup walnuts cut into small pieces, and one stick butter (one half cup), cut into small pieces. Take out the fruit and cool it slightly, then spread the oat mixture on top. Put it back in the oven and bake for about twenty minutes, until the top is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling. Cool a bit and serve with vanilla ice-cream if you have it.
