Recipes
Wondering what to do with all that fabulous produce you're buying at Taylor's Produce? Here are some recipes to try. We'll be adding more throughout the summer.
CHEESY SQUASH CASSEROLE
Cheesy Squash Casserole
From Laura: I made this casserole recently for a potluck and it was a hit! It is topped with crumbled Ritz crackers and according to my husband "Anything is better if you put Ritz on top!). I followed this recipe, surprisingly not too much butter since it's a Paula D recipe!
INGREDIENTS:
6 cups large diced yellow squash and zucchini
Vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup crushed butter crackers (recommended: Ritz)
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Cut squash and onion. We used the nifty mandolin cutter my MIL gave us for Christmas, but you can cut them up the regular way.
Saute the squash with a little olive oil for 15 to 20 minutes.
In a separate skillet, saute the onion in butter for 5 minutes.
(This step is verbatim from her recipe, hence the quotes.) "Line a colander with a clean tea towel. Place the cooked squash in the lined colander. Squeeze excess moisture from the squash. Set aside." I'll be real here, I didn't get how to squeeze the liquid out without burning myself in the process. So I just squished it a little with a spoon and it worked just fine!
Next, mix all the ingredients (except crackers) together in a large bowl. Put the mixture in a buttered casserole dish (I used a 9x13).
Top with cracker crumbles.
Bake for 25-30 minutes.
Devour the yumminess!
Moms Peach Cobbler
A Taylor Family Favorite
INGREDIENTS:
1 3/4 c. sugar
5-6 c. sliced peaches
1/2 to 1 stick of butter, melted in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish
1 c. flour
1 c. milk
1 T. baking powder
Dash of salt
*Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Add 3/4 cup of sugar to the peaches and mix; pour in baking dish.
In a separate bowl, mix 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk, 1 Tablespoon baking powder and a dash of salt. Mix well.
Pour flour mixture over peaches. DO NOT STIR!
Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes
Corn & Zucchini Quesadillas
This version makes 3 (rather full) quesadillas.
INGREDIENTS:
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 small-medium zucchini, sliced thin
2 ears of corn, cut off the cob
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup grated pepper jack cheese
6 tortillas (I used wheat tortillas) 8 in. size
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat and sautee the zucchini, corn and onion. (around 6-10 minutes, or until zucchini is tender) Add the garlic, salt and pepper and cook another minute. I tend to err on the side of zucchini that is really done (aka mushy) but how long you cook it is all up to you!
Lay a tortilla on a baking sheet, then add your filling and cheese. Then put the top tortilla on.
Bake for 10 minutes, turning halfway through. (If someone has a tip for flipping these neatly, I'm all ears. I had corn fly everywhere!)
Let it sit a few minutes when you take it out, then cut into wedges and serve! I'm sure it would be good topped with some sour cream, or maybe even salsa. I honestly didn't think I'd like this as much as I did!
Marinated Tomatoes
After seeing the red and yellow grape tomatoes at the stand the other day, I knew I needed to make some type of marinated tomato salad. There are tons of variations of this online. I'll have to post my mom's recipe for marinated tomatoes sometime soon too.
For this recipe, get some tomatoes. (regular tomatoes, cut up would work just fine also) I used a pint of red and a pint of yellow. Make sure you wash them thoroughly!
Next, get out olive oil, red wine vinegar, basil and garlic.
Now, this part isn't an exact science. I used all the basil pictured + 2 cloves of garlic. For the oil/vinegar, mix together in a 1:1 ratio. (I used 3/4 c of each) Whisk it all together. (it looks gross right now, doesn't it?)
Next, pause to let the cat out onto the porch 'cause he's been sitting and whining at the door long enough to drive you nuts.
Once your liquid is whisked together (and the cat is on the porch) cut your grape tomatoes in half and add them to the marinade. Stir.
Refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight. (if you're impatient like I am, they are certainly edible after only marinating for 20 minutes, but they are better if you give them a couple hours.)
Grilled Zucchini
Super easy and quick recipe today. (It's so easy, you can hardly call it a recipe)
Wash your zucchini, then cut it in half (or into quarters if you want it to cook a little faster).
Brush all sides with Olive Oil, then season it however you'd like. You can just use salt and pepper, I used salt, pepper and Montreal Chicken seasoning. De-lish.
Ready for the grill...
Grill for 5 minutes.
Flip. (not you, the zucchini...no somersaults near the grill...)
Grill 5 more minutes.
This is a great way to make your meal completely grill-prepared. No heating up the kitchen for this meal of burgers, corn and zucchini!!
Refreshing Blueberry Tart
First, you need a baked tart. I used Smitten Kitchen's "Great Unshrinkable Sweet Tart Shell" recipe. It eliminates the need for pie weights, and was SO yummy. If you don't have time to make your own shell, I'm pretty sure you can buy the frozen version.
There are 2 layers that will go in the tart.
For the first layer, mix 6 tablespoons of softened cream cheese (that's 3 oz. so you don't have to look it up like I did :) ), with 1/4 c sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Once it is mixed (I just used a spoon and it mixed well) spread it in the bottom of the tart shell.
Now, for the blueberry part! Wash your 3 cups of berries (that you purchased from Taylor's Produce, of course) and set them aside.
Next, put 1 cup of the berries in a pan with 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup sugar and 2 T cornstarch that was dissolved in 2 T of warm water. Let it come to a boil, then turn it back to simmer right away. The heat will cause the berries to burst (I also mashed mine a little to help them along.)
Let it simmer until it gets thicker, and is all blueberry color. (as pictured below)
Mix the remaining 2 cups of berries with the cooked berries and then pour into your tart shell.
You are ready to eat! I stuck mine in the fridge and it made it super refreshing. It got thumbs up from everyone who ate it!
PW's Fresh Green Beans
So, you've purchased your green beans from Taylor's Produce, and now need to decide what to do with them? If you are like me, sometimes it is nice to do something other than boil them. I found this recipe from Pioneer Woman and gave it a try.
While I was making this, I didn't really think the taste difference would be worth the few extra steps it takes. Boy, was I wrong!! These were SO. so. SO. delicious. You must try them soon!
Here's what you need: (actually, you only need table salt OR kosher salt...I didn't read thoroughly...)
1 lb green beans
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 tablespoons bacon grease (can substitute 1 T butter and 1 T olive oil)
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt (can substitute regular table salt; use 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon)
Ground black pepper
Wash thoroughly and snap the ends of the green beans.
Melt the bacon grease (or butter, or oil) in the skillet on medium heat.
Add garlic and onions. Cook for a minute or two.
Add green beans and cook for a minute. The beans should turn bright green after a minute or two.
Add chicken broth, chopped red pepper, salt and black pepper. Turn heat to low and cover with a lid. (make sure the lid is cracked, so steam can escape.)
Cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until liquid evaporates. Beans should be soft, but still crisp.
Give it a try and let us know what you think! These are definitely going in my regular recipe rotation!