Chocolate Blueberry Zucchini Bread

No self-respecting farm blog will be without a good zucchini bread recipe.  When zucchini and squash are in season, we are all looking for creative ways to eat it all before it spoils. This particular recipe also puts those summer blueberries to good use and has an added layer of decadence with rich dark chocolate. There are many ways to get flavor in a bread like this, and if you are not concerned about dairy or fats, buttermilk will give the best texture, hands down. With two good friends* in my kitchen, however, we were able to put our heads together and come up with this one. It is low-fat, high-fiber, and tasty enough to make the kids think they are eating cake for breakfast.

Ingredients: 3 cups prairie gold whole wheat flour (or can use half hard red whole wheat and half white flour) 1/2 cup cocoa powder 1 tbs baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/2 cup sucanat dash of salt 2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp cloves 1/4 whole nutmeg, grated

1/2 cup local honey 2 tsp vanilla 3-4 eggs (less if you like it crumbly, more if you like it spongy) 3.5 oz good quality dark chocolate (70-90% cocoa), melted 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce 2 zucchini or zephyr squash, grated (about 2-3 cups) 1 pint of blueberries

Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil two loaf pans. Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, melted chocolate and honey.  Combine the wet ingredients, dry ingredients and zucchini.  Fold in the blueberries.  Divide evenly into the prepared pans and bake for 1 hour, or until a skewer comes out clean.

*Credits to Gina Krabbendam and Oriel Wiggins for their contributions to this recipe.

Braised Cabbage

I found this recipe last year and it has remained a favorite.  In the New York Times version, the writer uses savoy cabbage, black mustard seeds, curry leaves and jalapeno peppers.  I made a few minor changes to my ingredient list to include items in this week's CSA box.  I used brown mustard seeds that I found at Greenlife, instead of the black, and did not make an extra shopping trip to find curry leaves.  The final product was nonetheless amazingly tasty.  I recently served this with seared three-grain tempeh and it was a near-perfect flavor combination, but it is also fantastic with grilled meats, and wild rice.

Ingredients: 1 head of green or purple cabbage Canola oil 4 whole cloves 1 Tbs brown mustard seeds 1 bay leaf 3-4 sliced shallots 3-4 garlic cloves, chopped 2 banana peppers, quartered and sliced A 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and julienned 1/2 Tbsp ground turmeric 1 medium to large tomato, diced 1 Rapunzel vegetable bouillon cube, dissolved in 2 cups of water Sea salt to taste

Method: Cut the cabbage into 8 wedges, leaving the core intact so the wedges hold their shape while cooking.  Heat some oil in a large skillet and sear the cabbage wedges for about 5 minutes on each side, or until they brown on the cut sides.  Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate.  Add a little more oil and the cloves, mustard seeds, bay leaf, shallots, garlic and banana peppers to the pan.  Saute for a couple of minutes until the vegetables begin to sweat.  Add the diced tomato, turmeric, ginger and cook one minute more while stirring.  Add the vegetable broth, stir, and reduce heat to low.  Place the cabbage wedges back in the pan on top of the broth mixture.  Cover and simmer until the cabbage is tender.

Grilled Balsamic Beans

This is almost too simple to post as a recipe, but it's worth it. It would seem that most people love green beans, however it wasn't until I had them grilled with a rich balsamic vinegar that I had the same appreciation as the rest of the world.  If your barbecue has a solid flat griddle section you are set, but you can make these without it. I have also seen grill skillets and pans for sale. I used two layers of kitchen foil with the edges folded up and crimped in the corners to create a "tray." This worked perfectly well for holding the vinegar and oil on the beans.

Ingredients: 1 bunch of green beans, stems removed 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup good balsamic vinegar Sea salt Freshly ground black pepper

Method: Place beans in a bowl and toss with the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper until well-coated.  Heat grill to medium-high heat (about 375 degrees if you have a thermometer on your barbecue).  Place beans and all of the oil and vinegar onto the foil "tray" or pan, moving the beans around while they cook. Remove from the grill when they have browned a bit and are tender with a little crunch.

Cucumber Salad with Blueberries & Basil

Ingredients:

1 Asian seedless cucumber

1 banana pepper

1 fennel bulb

20 basil leaves

1 cup blueberries

1 teaspoon dried whole fennel seed

2 oz goat cheese (optional)

Dressing:

2 garlic cloves, minced or crushed

3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbs white balsamic vinegar

1 Tbs Lucini dark cherry balsamic vinegar

1 tsp Alchemy Spice Jamaican Jerk Seasoning

Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare the dressing by mixing the garlic, oil, vinegars and seasonings together. Thinly slice the cucumber, banana pepper, fennel bulb and basil leaves.  Toss in a bowl with the blueberries and fennel seed.  Add the dressing and goat cheese (if desired) just before serving.

Cauliflower and Summer Ale Soup

Ingredients: 2 heads of cauliflower, (cheddar, white or both) 2 fennel bulbs, chopped 1 bunch of cutting celery, stalks chopped and leaves reserved 1 white sweet pepper, seeded and chopped (can use banana peppers if you want to add some heat) 1 medium yellow onion, chopped 4 garlic cloves, chopped 2 Rapunzel vegetable bouillon cubes with sea salt and herbs 1 pint of local ale (Chattanooga Brewing Company Hill City IPA has a nice buttery flavor and would compliment this soup well) 1 Tbs whole-grain french mustard Canola or olive oil 6 cups of water Salt and pepper to taste Aged cheddar cheese, grated (optional)

Method: Cut or break the cauliflower into medium sized pieces.  Place on a baking sheet, drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper.  Bake at 375 degrees for 30-45 minutes, or until the tips begin to brown and the stems are fairly soft.

While the cauliflower is baking, place the chopped fennel, celery, sweet pepper, and onion in a large stock pot with some oil and saute on medium heat until the vegetables begin to brown just a little.  Add the garlic, vegetable bouillon cubes and the ale.  Give it a stir and let it cook for a minute or two, then add the water.  Let it come to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.

When the cauliflower is done, add it and the tablespoon of mustard to the soup.  Remove from heat and carefully puree with an immersion blender, or in batches in a conventional blender.  Warm through as necessary and serve with chopped celery leaves and grated cheddar cheese on top.