Cavetteli Pasta with tomatoes, summer squash and corn

• 1pound fresh or frozen cavatelli

• 3 teaspoons olive oil

• 2 ears corn, kernels cut from the cob

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered

• 1 1/2 cups diced zucchini or summer squash

• 2 cloves garlic, sliced

• 1 teaspoon salt

• black pepper, to taste

• 3/4 cup homemade marinara sauce

• 6 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano, plus more for serving

• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, for garnish

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

In a large skillet over medium heat, add 2 teaspoons of the olive oil and garlic, and cook until golden and fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook 3 minutes, until the tomatoes soften.

Add the corn and summer squash or zucchini and cook until tender crisp, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the marinara, season with salt and pepper and cook until heated through, about 1 minute.

Meanwhile, cook the cavatelli according to package directions, reserving some of the water before draining, then toss with the marinara and vegetables.

Add the grated cheese, remaining teaspoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste and cook 1 minute, adding some of the reserved pasta water as needed.

Serve right away with fresh basil and additional grated cheese if desired.

Zucchini Butter Pasta

• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for pasta water, and to taste

• 8 ounces (225 grams) spaghetti, cooked al dente

• 1 cup (235 ml) pasta water, reserved

• 1 1/4 pounds (570 grams) zucchini, trimmed, coarsely grated

• 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste

• 1/2 cup (45 grams) grated parmesan

• Handful fresh basil leaves, cut into thin ribbons

Boil your spaghetti in well-salted water until it’s 1 minute shy of fully cooked. Before you drain it, reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and set it aside.

Melt butter in your empty pan over medium-high heat and add the garlic, stirring it into the butter for one minute before adding the zucchini, salt, and red pepper. Cook the zucchini, stirring from time to time, for 13 to 15 minutes. It will first let off a puddle liquid, the liquid will cook off, and the zucchini will become soft and concentrated. If the zucchini begins to brown, reduce the heat slightly. Stir frequently for 2 more minutes, chopping it down into smaller bits with the edge of your spoon or spatula, until it reaches an almost spreadable consistency.

Pour in 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water and stir up anything stuck, then add drained pasta, and cook together for 2 minutes. Use tongs or two forks to pull up the zucchini butter sauce into the pasta strands, tossing frequently, and adding some or all of the remaining pasta water as needed to loosen. Toss in half of the parmesan and basil and mix, then transfer to a serving bowl. Finish with remaining parmesan and basil.

Summer Squash Frittata with Goat Cheese and Dill

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound summer squash or zucchini, grated (about 4 cups)
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
8 eggs
2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup) (try Westfield Chevre from the farm shop)
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

 Heat 1 Tbsp oil over medium heat in a heavy skillet. Add the zucchini and garlic. Cook, stirring, until zucchini begins to wilt, about three minutes, it should still be bright green. Season with salt and pepper, and remove from heat. Beat the eggs in a large bowl with the goat cheese. Stir in zucchini and dill. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the skillet. Pour in the egg mixture. Tilt the pan to distribute the eggs and filling evenly over the surface. Shake the pan gently, tilting it slightly with one hand while lifting up the edges of the frittata with the spatula in your other hand, to let the eggs run underneath during the first few minutes of cooking. Turn the heat to low, cover and cook 10 minutes, shaking the pan gently every once in a while. The bottom should have a golden color. The eggs should be just about set; cook a few minutes longer if theyre not. Meanwhile, heat the broiler. Uncover the pan and place under the broiler until the top browns very slightly and puffs under the broiler). Cut into wedges or into smaller bite-size diamonds. Serve hot, warm, at room temperature or cold.

Recipe from The New York Times

Summer Squash Pasta

4 summer squashes or zucchinis
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ cup chopped fresh chives
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves

 For the pasta, gently run a vegetable peeler down the length of the zucchini and yellow squashes to make thin ribbons. Stop when you get to the seeds and rotate to the next side until all thats left are seeds. Sautee the ribbons briefly to warm, or skip warming for a cold pasta salad. Toss the ribbons with the rest of the ingredients, let sit for at least 10 minutes so the flavors can incorporate, and serve.

Recipe from Rachael Ray

Baked Stuffed Zucchini Boats

2 large zucchinis
2-4 cups of cooked rice (I am partial to basmati, it makes it all less "blobby")
1 onion
1 green pepper
1/2 pound of ground meat of your choice
Salt
Tabasco Sauce (or finely chopped hot peppers)
Shredded cheese (I like cheddar with some flavor)
Any vegetables of your choice, such as chickpeas, tomato, corn, mushrooms.
 Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (170 degrees Celsius)
Wash and halve two large-ish zucchinis. Scoop out the pulp, chop up and set aside. Dab the inside of the zucchini halves with olive oil and bake in the oven while you prepare the stuffing for about 5-10 minutes. I actually put them in while they've is preheating.

Sauté chopped onion in olive oil in a pan, till glassy.
Add chopped meat to cook.
Add chopped peppers, chopped zucchini pulp, and any other veggies you chose till cooked but still not overcooked. Add salt to taste.
Add cooked rice and Tabasco sauce to taste and mix through thoroughly.
Spoon this mixture into the zucchini halves and top with shredded cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes, since everything is already cooked, till cheese is melted and browned.

Serve hot (optionally with tomato sauce over it).

And most importantly: enjoy!

While we don't like having zucchini boats, when we do this is a great one from our shareholder Tomma Henckel

White Bean Salad with Fresh Fennel and Capers

4 1/2 c water
1 1/2 c dried white beans
5" strip kelp or kombu
1 fennel bulb
1 1/2 c sliced red or green pepper
1 c coarsely chopped zucchini
1/2 c coarsely chopped red radishes
1/4 c capers
1/2 c orange juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tspn grated orange zest
1 tspn ground cumin
1 tspn white wine vinegar (opt)

 Bring the water, beans, and kombu to boil in a 2-qt stockpot. Reduce the heat to med low and simmer covered or 1.5 hrs or until beans are tender. Drain and set aside to cool.
Discard fronds and stalk from fennel, peel away touch outer leaves. Cut the bulb in half, then slice the halves into thin strips.
Combine the beans, fennel, pepper, zucchini, radishes, and capers in a large bowl.
In a small bowl whisk together the orange juice, oil, balsamic, zest, cumin, and vinegar until well combined. Drizzle over the salad ingredients and toss.
Serve immediately

This is from Going Wild in the Kitchen from our shareholder Leslie Cerier - available in the Farm Shop.

Zucchini Tomatillo Bisque

2 Tbsp. vegetable or olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 onions, chopped
6 medium zucchini, chopped or grated
2 anaheim chilies, roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 jalapeno chile, de-stemmed, seeded, and chopped
6 tomatillos, husked and chopped
6 cups stock
5 corn tortillas
1-2 Tbsp. lime juice
1/3 cup chopped cilantro leaves
salt and pepper

Optional Garnishes:
sour cream
crumbled tortilla chips
cilantro leaves

In a large saucepan, heat oil and butter, add garlic and onions and saute until softened. Add zucchini, chiles, and tomatillos, stirring until coated and heated through. Add chicken stock; bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Tear or shred tortillas into pieces and add to soup mixture. Stir in lime juice and cilantro leaves. In a blender or food processor, blend soup in batches until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot accompanied with a dollop of sour cream adn a few crumbled tortilla chips and cilantro leaves. This is a very thick soup; if you prefer it thinner, stir in a little more stock before serving. Makes about 10 cups.

From: More Recipes from a Kitchen Garden

Zucchini Salad

3 small zucchinis

3 scallions, finely chopped
2 tbs fresh dill
1 tbsp parsley
4 tsp oregano
1 cup yogurt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp honey

Wash and dice zucchini. Put in a bowl with scallions, dill, parsley, and oregano. Combine yogurt, lemon juice, and honey. Pour over zuke/scallion mix. Toss. Refrigerate at least 1/2 hour.

Zucchini Ginger Jam

1 1/4 lb. zucchini (4 medium size)
1 1/4 lb sugar (3 cups)
1 tsp strained lemon juice
1/2" peeled ginger

Peel zucchini, put all of the ingredients in a food processor and zizz until there are no big lumps left. Heat the mixture gently in a large saucepan until all the sugar has dissolved. Then boil until setting point or until a temperature of 220 F has been reached. Put into warmed jam jars.

Zucchini Bread

1 cup veg oil
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
2 cups grated zucchini
1 1/2 cup wheat flour
1 1/2 cup white flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup raisins

Mix wet ingredients and dry ingredients in separate bowls and then add together. Put in bread pans and bake at 325 F for 1 hour. Freeze loaves and use all winter long.

Zucchini Ankara

1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp ground cumin
2 cup chopped onions
6 tbsp lemon juice
3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper
pinch of cayenne
3 zucchini and/or yellow squash cut into half moons, 1/2 inch thick
1 cup grated feta cheese
1 tsp dried marjoram
1 cup cooked, drained garbanzo beans
1/2 cup sliced, pitted black olives

Sauté onions and garlic until onion is translucent. Add squash and marjoram and cook on medium heat until squash is just tender. Add the garbanzo beans, olives, cumin, lemon juice, seasonings. Cook until everything is well heated. Adjust lemon and herbs to taste, and serve over rice or couscous. Top with feta cheese. This should be a juicy dish.
 

Tex-Mex Casserole

4 ears fresh corn
1/4 cup butter
3 medium onions, thinly sliced
6 medium zucchinis, thinly sliced
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
1 cup fresh tomatillos, diced
2 Anaheim chiles, seeded and chopped
1 1/2 tsp. fresh oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup grated Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a very sharp knife, cut the corn from the cobs and set aside. In a large skillet, heat a tablespon of the butter and saute the onions and zucchini for 3 to 5 minutes over medium heat. Remove. Add another tablespoon of the butter and saute the tomato and tomatillos for 3-5 minutes. Lightly grease a large casserole. Combine all the vegetables together, including chiles; season with oregano, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the grated cheese and dot with the remaining tablespoon of butter.

Bake the casserole, covered with a lid or foil, for 30 minutes. Then run it briefly under the broiler to brwn the top. Serves 4-6

 From: Recipes from a Kitchen Garden

Ratatouille Bake

1 tbsp olive oil
3-5 cloves garlic
1 onion
2 cups eggplant
2 cups zucchini
1 green pepper
2-3 tomatoes
2 tbsp parsley
2 tbsp basil
salt and pepper
8-10 oz cheese-filled pasta
4 oz mozzarella

Heat oil in skillet and add garlic, onions, and eggplant and sauté for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Add other veggies, herbs, salt, and pepper. Stir well and cook over medium heat a few minutes more. Reduce heat and allow to cook until veggies are simmering. Cook pasta. Lightly oil a large casserole and line bottom with pasta, and cover with hot veggies. Top with grated cheese. Broil until nicely brown on top. Serves 6.

Ratatouille

I first tasted this delightful stew in southern France. Almost all the ingredients can be found on the farm!

2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 bell peppers, cubed
1 medium zucchini or squash, cubed
1 eggplant, cubed
3 tomatos, chopped
1 clove of garlic (i like to add more)
fresh parsley, oregano, basil

Saute the onion, garlic and pepper until soft; stir in eggplant and squash; add tomatos and seasoning; cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Voila! Serves 6.

Garden Zucchini Ginger Cookies

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar or honey (add 1/3 cup more flour if using honey)
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp or more grated lemon peel
1 cup shredded zucchini (packed)

Optional frosting:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine dry ingredients and set aside. Cream butter and sugar or honey. Add egg and lemon peel and mix. Add dry ingredients; mix until smooth. Add zucchini. Drop by tablespoons onto cookie sheet and bake 15 - 20 minutes, until lightly browned. If desired, glaze cookies with frosting while still warm.

This recipe came from Abbe Vredenburg who used it to win the great Brookfield Farm Y2K zucchini bake-off!!
 

Garden Squash Minestrone

2 tbsp olive oil
1 lg onion
1 lb ground beef
2 cloves of garlic
1 lb zucchini or garden squash
3 carrots
2 stalks celery
8 tomatoes, quartered
4 cup beef stock
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup elbow macaroni
1/4 tsp pepper

Sauté onion, garlic, and beef in olive oil for 5 minutes in a large soup kettle. Add vegetables, stock, and herbs to kettle and simmer uncovered for 1 - 2 hours. Add macaroni and pepper and cook 20 minutes. You can substitute rice for the noodles, and leave out the beef for a vegetarian version.

Calabacitas

This recipe was contributed by shareholder, Erika Zeros. She said it is a recipes she modified from The Moosewood cookbook. Tastes great with Mi Tierra corn tortillas or homemade tortillas made with Four Star Farm corn or wheat flour! I Added a few notes, for flexibility if we are short on a crop. Thanks Erika!

A vegetable melange influenced by Pueblo cuisine.

Yield: 4 servings

1 T olive oil
1 C minced onion (or scallions)
1 c miniced anaheim and/or poblano chilis (or other hot pepper)
1/2 t salt
1 - 2 t pure ground chile powder (optional)
2 C diced zucchini (about 10 oz, or 2 6-inch zukes) - may use yellow squash
2 C corn kernels (cut from 2 ears, or defrosted frozen corn)
2 t minced garlic
1 C cooked pinto beans
Grated jack,  cheddar cheese or chipotle cheddar (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper
Squeezable wedges of lime
Grilled flour or corn tortillas

1. Place a medium-sized skillet over medium heat for a minute or 2. Add the olive oil, wait about 30 seconds, then swirl to coat the pan.
2. When the cooking surface is hot enough to sizzle a bread crumb, add the onion, chiles, salt, and optional chile powder, and cook, stirring frequently for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the vegetables become quite soft.
3. Add the zucchini, corn, garlic, and beans, and continue to cook, stirring gently to avoid breaking the beans, for about 5 minutes longer, or until the zucchini is just tender. (Don't overcook the zucchini.) Remove the pan from the heat.
4. Sprinkle in grated cheese to taste, if desired, and stir to distribute it as it melts. Add black pepper (an possibly more salt) to taste. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature, with squeezable wedges of lime and a tortilla for each serving.

(modified from Moosewood)

Zucchini Pizza Crust

I have tried many zucchini pizza crusts and this one was the most like crust, rather than casserole. It is quite easy to make and if you go into production mode, you can freeze some for a quick, easy meal later. Because it has cheese in the crust, I have been enjoying loading it with sautéed vegetables and olives. A nice layer or pesto spread on top or veggies with goat cheese are also great!

Ingredients:

8 cups shredded zucchini

1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour (try 4 stars from the farm shop!)

1 egg, beaten

1-2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

basil and oregano (fresh is best) chopped fine, to taste

salt

Heat oven to 450. If you have a pizza stone, heat it. Line pizza stone, pizza pan or baking sheet with parchment paper, or oil well and sprinkle with coarse corn meal. Combine all ingredients until well integrated. Press dough out to desired thickness. Bake in preheated oven until crisp on bottom and beginning to brown on top. Remove from oven, put toppings on and return until toppings are done, approximately 10-15 minutes. You may also freeze or refrigerate the crust at this point for later use. 

Zucchini Brownies or Muffins

Our daughter, Anna, provided us with this recipe. It was a hit with the farm crew. These are not traditional brownies, however, they are very healthy and super tasty AND they require a good amount of zucchini that many a child might never notice. 

Ingredients:

2 cups raw, pureed zucchini

1 cup whole wheat pastry or bread flour

1/3 cup applesauce or canola oil

1 cup pureed dates (soak dates in hot water, drain excess water and then puree - you can store any extra in the refrigerator to add to oatmeal or to replace sugar in any baked good)

1 1/2 tsp bakind soda

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 egg or 1 "flax seed egg" ( soak 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed in 2 tablespoons of water to replace the egg for vegan version)

Preheat oven to 350, Prepare muffin tin or brownie pan by oiling sides well. Mix together zucchini, applesauce or canola oil, dates and egg or flax seed egg. Pour dry ingredients on top. Stir just until mixed. Bake for approximately 20-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. 

Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup oil

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 tbsp vanilla

2 cups shredded zucchini

3 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup raisins (optional)

1 cup walnuts (optional)

Directions:

1. preheat oven to 325 F

2. combine all wet ingredients and then add dry ingredients

3. bake in oiled loaf pans for about 1 hour

4. makes 2 loaves