Grilled Eggplant Casserole

I created this recipe for three reasons:
1) too hot to cook indoors
2) loads of eggplant to harvest from my garden
3) I like the unmasked taste of eggplant
I planted two heirloom varieties of eggplant, Early Long and Black Beauty, starting from seeds last spring. Once in the garden, the plants kept getting eaten by some insect, despite my treatment with organic repellents. But as the season progressed, the bugs must have moved on, since now the three plants are large and producing abundantly, even though the leaves have holes. I made this recipe with freshly harvested Early Longs, but you can substitute other eggplant varieties. This is also a gluten-free version of Eggplant Parmesan, for those with dietary restrictions.

• 3 lbs. eggplant (I used 15 of my long, skinny Early Long variety), peeled
• 6 T olive oil
• 2 T Italian herb seasoning
• 2 c marinara sauce
• 1 c grated mozzarella and/or Italian cheese blend (more if desired)

Using two 9"x12" foil pans, measure two tablespoons of olive oil into each and swirl to coat the bottom. Eggplant will oxidize and turn brown quickly after being cut, so don't cut up ahead of time. I peel the eggplant since sometimes the peel doesn't cook as tender as the pulp, but it's not bitter if freshly picked, so peeling is optional. Cut each long eggplant on the diagonal, into slices about 3/8" thick. Divide into the two oiled pans, and stir to coat. Drizzle one more tablespoon of olive oil and one tablespoon of Italian herb seasoning over each pan, stir to mix well. Seal each pan with foil. I grilled on my two-burner gas grill, with each side lit and set a little above low. Grills vary, so you'll have to determine the best temperature setting for yours. Cook for 20 minutes. If the eggplant is softened and olive green in color, just starting to brown on the bottoms, it is done. If not, stir and continue to cook. When cooked, I transfer all of the eggplant into one of the pans to make a layer about 3/4" thick. Spread the marinara sauce on top, sprinkle on the cheese, cover with foil. I turn off one side of the gas grill and put the pan over it, keeping the other side on low. This indirect cooking method creates more of an oven. Cook covered for 15 minutes, then uncover and cook for 10-15 minutes more. We love this as a main dish, and it can be served with pasta as well.

Squash Scampi

Here is a great meal for garlic lovers, which I adapted from a recipe for shrimp scampi given to me by my friend Dee.

• 3 c zucchini and/or yellow squash, cut into matchsticks
• 1 small eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/4" thick bite-sized pieces
• 1/4 c olive oil
• 1 T dijon mustard
• 4 tsp minced garlic
• 1-1/2 T lemon juice
• 2 tsp fresh basil or parsley, chopped
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Arrange the veggies in a shallow layer in a 9" x 13" casserole. Mix all other ingredients in a measuring cup or small bowl, pour over the veggies. Bake 15 minutes, then stir and bake 15 minutes more or until desired doneness. Great served over pasta.

You Can Grow Garlic

I've grown my own garlic for a couple of years and it is easy and possible in most parts of continental USA. It is not susceptible to insects or diseases, so I'm happy to have it in my organic garden. I've learned a few tips which I'd like to share so you will be encouraged to plant some too:

When to plant - You'll have to research this for your own part of the country, and perhaps you'll determine the timing better than my research yielded. I've seen instructions to plant in my area (zone 7) ranging from early fall to the winter solstice, Dec. 21. My experience has been that I harvest full heads in June when I plant in September, and I've read that garlic needs 9 months to mature. If you plant by the lunar calendar, root crops are planted during the two weeks after the full moon.

What to plant - Each planted garlic clove will grow into a full head, and you need to start with a head of garlic. Don't just buy a head at the supermarket and expect good results… produce department garlic is often treated not to sprout! Great if it will sit on your kitchen counter while you use it, but not good if you bury it in the ground and expect it to grow. You can buy garlic to plant from seed catalogs (like Seeds of Change, Hood RIver Garlic), you can buy from sources which you know don't treat it - like a local farmer - or you can save some of your own harvest to replant the next season. I bought mine from the nearby Mennonite Community farm stand. The yield sign I photographed on the road to the farm is pictured above - you don't see many of those graphics around these days!

Choose a Variety - To simplify, there are three types of garlic you can plant: hard neck (a very stiff straight stem in the center of the cloves), soft neck (no center stem), and elephant. The elephant is more closely related to leeks than to garlics, and some say it has only a mild garlic flavor, but I find it plenty strong. I love how easy it is to peel and get lots of garlic all at once! Hard neck varieties - like the Spanish Roja, a "Rocambole" type I bought from the Mennonites - are known for superior taste and easy peeling, but they don't store for long periods. Soft neck garlic heads tend to grow larger than hard necks, have superior shelf life, and are particularly good for warmer climates, but might be lacking in flavor. I've planted all three types in my garden.

Where to plant - I plant my garlic right in the vegetable garden, in an area that won't be rototilled in early spring, since I won't harvest until early summer. I have successfully dug up young sprouting garlic at the end of winter, tilled the area, then replanted, but I'm sure they do better without such disturbance. Plant in prepared fertile garden soil, good sunlight, good drainage, and a pH of 6 to 7.

How to plant - Don't break the head of garlic apart until you are ready to plant, or the cloves might dry out too much. In all cases, the larger the clove, the bigger head it will grow… plant the largest cloves from your "seed" head, eat the small ones, and discard any which look unhealthy. When ready, plant each clove 5 to 6 inches apart, with root end down and tip end up. I have had the best results planting each clove 3-4" deep, and up to 5-6" for the elephant garlic cloves. You can mulch with decomposed leaves or straw on the bed during the winter, especially in colder climates, but rake off the mulch in the spring to avoid mold, slugs or snails, and to give the plants some sunshine. If frost turns the green tops yellow, it will not harm the growth of the garlic bulb.

Plant your garlic this fall, and I'll update you on growing and harvest garlic early next spring. And you'll see lots of the recipes I post will call for fresh garlic. For me, I can't grow too much garlic!

Fresh Basil

Zipper bags of basil puree freeze well.

A jar of pesto, which will keep in the refrigerator for a week.

Basil forming a flower head - time to pinch!

My biggest challenge with growing basil this year has been keeping up with it. Basil is an annual culinary herb and it loves this summer's sunshine, regular watering, and hot weather. It is a species of the mint family, as its square stem indicates, and mints are vigorous growers. There are many varieties of basil, like Thai basil and lemon basil, but I have the best results with common sweet basil. The more you trim off the leafy branches, the thicker the plant grows. The plant wants to fulfill its life cycle, sending up flower stalks which would eventually create seeds for next year… a signal to the basil plant that its growing season is over. So the successful basil grower's job is to keep the flower heads pinched off, extending the basil growing season all summer. If you love the fragrance and taste as much as I do, that's not usually a problem, because you'll be picking it continuously. My problem is that I planted so many; I started my own seedlings and they germinated very well. I ended up planting 18 in the garden, among the tomato plants. I've pruned the plants continuously, even a few times when I wasn't using the basil (not wasted - it went into the compost pile). Now that it's late August, I've frozen all the minced basil and pesto that I'll need for the next year, and I'm not using it fresh often enough to keep my plants from becoming bushes!

Here are my tips for basil:

HARVESTING: Pick the basil as near to when you will be using it as possible. It's best picked in the morning after the dew has dried and before the sun is too hot. If you plan to chop it up right away, you can cut the top 2-5" of each stem. Pinch just above a set of leaves to encourage bushy new growth. If it will be more than an hour until you use it, I've found it best to cut stems long enough to place in a container of water, just as you would with a flower bouquet. You can leave this basil bouquet on the kitchen counter, cutting off leaves as needed, and enjoying the licorice-scent that fills the air. I've had some success washing basil leaves, drying them in a lettuce spinner, then storing wrapped in a paper towel in a sealed zipper bag in the refrigerator. Refrigerated for any length of time, the leaves will begin to turn black.

USING: I commonly strip the basil leaves from their stems, since the stems can be tough. Chop the basil leaves with a knife, manual chopper, or in a food processor. I try to work quickly, whether using the basil to add to something I'll be eating right away, or preparing it for refrigeration or freezing (see below). Use the basil in a Salad Caprese with tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and topped with my Caesar Dressing; make it into pesto for top tossing with cooked pasta; add it to tomato soup near the end of heating; spread it on toasted Italian bread as a brushetta. I use my pesto as a layer in traditional lasagna, or mixed with sour cream and dried onions for a dip. Try adding it to bread dough and stir fried veggies.

REFRIGERATING OR FREEZING: If I have more basil than I will use immediately, I chop the leaves fine in the food processor, then add just enough olive oil to hold the chopped leaves together and blend thoroughly. I spoon this into either a small jar or a zip bag. In either case, you want to keep the basil from exposure to the air, because its surface will darken. So before I cover the small jar, I lay a piece of plastic wrap over the top surface, pressing it down against the puree. Before I seal a zip bag of pesto or pureed basil, I flatten the bag, guiding the basil into the corners, then press out the air before zipping the bag closed. These flat bags stack nicely in the freezer. You can also fill a designated ice cube tray with basil puree, freeze, then pop the cubes into a zipper bag, making convenient portions to add to soups and dips. Friends also tell me they successfully freeze zip bags of whole fresh basil leaves, but I found that takes up too much valuable freezer space compared with basil purees.

DRYING: Basil is one herb which has less flavor when dried than when fresh, but dried basil is still tasty. I air dry the freshly picked leaves on a framed screen for a few days until they are brittle, then store in a jar in a dark cabinet until ready to use.

Tomato Season!

I haven't done much posting to this blog lately since my discretionary time has largely been absorbed by gardening and all its related activities: harvesting, cooking, freezing, preserving, drying. The bounty from our vegetable and herb gardens, as well as from our fruit trees and berry bushes, has been great this year.

I decided to grow a lot of "roma" paste tomatoes so I could do some canning this year, as well as having plenty for fresh salsa. I've learned that it's not worth all the work of canning unless I have a big quantity to do at once. After reviewing recipes, I decided to "put up" marinara sauce instead of just canning whole tomatoes. Canning whole tomatoes called for boiling-blanching-peeling, and I figured that would be nearly as much work as making the sauce! I had purchased a food mill (Roma brand) two years ago and I've used it for wonderful tomato juice, apple sauce, pear sauce, grape juice, salsa, and other great foods. This year, I am using it for the tomato sauce and it has made my work so much easier... with delicious results. And you can also freeze the marinara sauce... if you don't just eat it all fresh!

To make the tomato sauce in the food mill, I simply cut up whole uncooked unpeeled tomatoes into quarters, fill the hopper, and let it churn. Out one slot comes pure tomato pulp and juice, out the other comes the seeds, core, and peel. The food mill comes with a hand crank which I used for my first big harvest of tomatoes and it took me two hours! Then I got smart and attached the optional electric motor and it cut the time way down. The waste goes into my compost pile - no wonder I get little tomato plants where ever I spread compost in the spring.

To the bowl of pure tomato puree, I add chopped garlic, loads of chopped fresh basil, chopped onion (all from my garden too), salt, and some of my jalapeno powder. (You can add other ingredients too, but I try to stick with recipes when hot water bath canning so I don't alter the pH. And adding meat requires pressure canning.) Then it all gets "cooked down" to about half the original volume, to thicken the sauce, which I do over medium low heat with the pot uncovered so the moisture can evaporate. It's so hot here that I hate to heat up the house with hot pots on the kitchen stove, so I use a portable gas cooking unit set up on the big porch. Great view of the mountains, so it's not too shabby! Works out great when I am doing a lot of canning too, using the outdoor dining table as my work station.

Caution: canning is LOTS of work! When you figure all your time and what you get out of it, you can only justify it with the fact that you are using wonderful freshly harvested food and your own good ingredients.

So try making your own tomato sauce. We'll be enjoying ours next winter when there are no fresh tomatoes around.

Refrigerator Pickles

Not into canning? These are quick and easy pickles anyone can make, and a great way to use excess cucumbers. Substitute young zucchini and they are equally crunchy and delicious! You can recycle your empty peanut butter jars or buy canning jars. I like the one-piece white plastic lids sold in the canning jar section for these pickles vs. the two-piece metal canning jar lids.

For each pint canning jar you need:

• 2 pickling cucumbers about the height of the jar (or one small zucchini)
• 1 whole garlic clove
• 1 tsp mustard seed
• 1/8 tsp celery seed
• 3/4 T salt
• 2 tsp dill seed
• 1/4 tsp hot pepper seeds
• 3/4 c white vinegar
• 3/4 c water

Cut unpeeled cucumbers in half or quarter lengthwise, and about 1/2" shorter than the jar. Pack the cucumbers into the jar, turning some spears upside down to fit better. You can really pack them tightly, they shrink a bit when pickled. If using zucchini, cut similarly and pack into the jar. Or experiment and cut the veggies in chunks, and add different veggies. Add the garlic clove and the herbs and spices. In a measuring cup, mix the vinegar and water, then pour into the jar to cover the veggies. Tighten the lid and shake the jar to mix the ingredients. Add more vinegar mix if it has settled. Store in the refrigerator. They start to "marinate" or pickle in 24 hours, and are yummy after 4 days. These are not air-tight sealed jars, so best eaten within a few weeks. They don't usually stay around that long in my house!

Judy's Lemon Zucchini Bread

My two zucchini plants are producing a steady stock of squash these days, to the point where I've had to find creative ways to use them. Here is a yummy sweet bread, which we like for breakfast or dessert.

• 2 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 2 tsp dried lemon peel or 1 T fresh lemon zest
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup safflower oil
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp lemon extract
• 1/4 cup plain non-fat yogurt
• 1 cup grated zucchini (tightly packed)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan (or 4 mini loaf pans).

Mix the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. In another bowl, combine the remaining ingredients.

Add zucchini mixture to flour mix, combining until just moist. Pour into loaf pan(s) and bake for 45-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

TIPS:
- I add 1 cup of blueberries to this; try other in-season chopped fruit like peaches or strawberries
- For a variation, substitute orange peel and extract for the lemon
- This freezes very well, and the recipe doubles well
- For picky eaters, peel the zucchini before grating and no one will suspect any foreign ingredient!