Tag Archives: vegetables

Zucchini for Xerxes and Anyone Else with Too Much Zucchini

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This photo of zucchini above was sent from my husband the day that our kids and I got on a plane for a vacation. I imagine by the time we return, Xerxes will be exhausted by our zucchini. The scary part is this photo is only about the fourth day of harvesting. The zucchini takeover has only just begun.

So, I am actually not writing this post for you at all today, because I imagine you did not overdo the number of zucchini and summer squash you planted just a couple of months ago. I know you are not contemplating ways to eat it in absolutely every single meal for the next month. Xerxes on the other hand is needing some help. Fortunately, he is an awesome cook, especially anything Italian, and so I decided to put together a list just for him. I am sure he would love more help, so please leave a comment with your favorite way to gobble up way too much zucchini, too. Of course, if you decide to try any of these recipes, I would love to hear about that as well.

Without further ado, here are some zucchini recipes for Xerxes… and you:

Crispy Zucchini Sticks Love fried zucchini? Try them a bit more guilt-free in the oven.

Zucchini Soup My family’s favorite. This is an essential recipe for anyone with too much summer squash.

Cheese & Mustard Zucchini Delights This is an ode to the Cheese & Mustard Delights that my best friends from college taught me to make & love.

Skillet Zucchini & Potatoes Lighten up a potato dish with a bit (or a lot) of zucchini.IMG_5412

Grilled Zucchini Meatballs  Zucchini is stuffed in the meatballs and around the meatballs, giving each ball a little zucchini hug.

Grilled Zucchini & Peaches Stone fruit & zucchini become magic on the grill, then they are drizzled with lemon basil goodness.

Lemon Summer Squash & Walnut Pasta For the pasta lover (hey, Xerxes!)

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Summer Squash Pancakes The classic zucchini pancake.

Zucchini & Tomato Bread Salad Leftover bread? Leftover Zucchini? Make this panzanella salad… pronto!

Zucchini Antipasto Salad Your favorite antipasto platter and your favorite summer squash tossed into salad form.

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Bread My favorite zucchini bread recipe… probably because it is packed with chocolate.

Zucchini Corn & Quinoa Wraps These balanced wraps travel well for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Peach & Summer Squash Quinoa A pretty little salad that celebrates one of my favorite summer combinations: squash and stone fruit.

What do you make with your zucchini abundance? Tell me below!

Cook seasonally. Eat consciously. Live well,

Chef Lilly

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I want to share with you my love of sweet potatoes! Not only because they are popping up in the warmer parts of the country right now, but because they store quite well throughout the winter, are still easy to find this time of year and are powerhouses of flavor and nutrients that are needed during these colder months.

Often you will see sweet potatoes listed as yams. At grocery stores, if you see Garnet Yams or Jewel Yams know you are actually looking at a sweet potato. There is a fascinating history as to why they are often misnamed, but I will reserve that story for another day.

Sweet potatoes are joyfully diverse to play with in your kitchen. I serve them raw like carrot sticks, stir-fried or sauteed in thin pieces, shredded, or roasted. I also consider sweet potatoes my lazy meal, because after a quick scrub the whole vegetable, skin and all, can be tossed in the oven and roasted until soft as I did with these Lime Sweet Potatoes (photo above). After roasting, they are great plain or added to other dishes such as the Black Bean & Sweet Potato Enchiladas or the Sweet Potato & Bean Shepherd’s Pie.IMG_8488

Of course, I frequently take a bit more effort by peeling and chopping the sweet potatoes into the Jamaican Sweet Potato Salad or the Creamed Coconut Sweet Potatoes.IMG_0714To select sweet potatoes…

The less banged up the better, but in most cases dark spots and scars can be cut or peeled off. Discard any soft or mushy sweet potatoes. This often starts at the pointy tips and is evidence of a soon to rot sweet potato.

One of the best features of sweet potatoes is they are nutrient packed and lower on the glycemic index then regular potatoes. Just check out Dr. Rosen’s blog about Sweet Potatoes for Blood Sugar for more information about their incredible health benefits.

The next time you need a nutritious, easy dinner you are only a sweet potato away.

Cook seasonally. Eat consciously. Live well,

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Whacking a knife towards your hand merely protected by half of an avocado may not be the best advice to give, but since this is my preferred method of slicing and peeling an avocado, I just had to share!

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Before the big samurai moment above, I slice into the center of the avocado, until I reach the pit and then I roll around the avocado. A quick twist will loosen the halves from each other. Next, I place the avocado in my left hand, knife in the right (lefties I am sure you have already taken note and plan to reverse). I only use a large knife for this operation. A small knife is a big useless no-no. Unless you also have success hammering a nail with the back of a screw driver. Next, safety first: unlike me and my expert risky decision to hold the avocado in a bare hand, placing a towel between your hand and the avocado is an excellent idea. Now, line your knife against the pit and whack gently. If you see in the photo above there are a few pre-cuts. Just like hammering a nail, tap lightly until you realize just how much of a whack is needed to get into the pit. IMG_9839

Once the pit feels securely attached to the knife. Twist gently and the pit should pop out of the avocado. A few fingers should push your pit off successfully. While holding the pit in your left hand (again with towel protection) thinly slice into the flesh of the avocado just until you reach the skin.  IMG_9845

You can do it on the diagonal as well.

Oh… fancy.

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IMG_9853Tada! Two sliced avocado halves…IMG_9855

Now lay down the knife. Whew. All hands still intact? Pull out a big spoon. Gently scoop into the shell of the avocado wiggling against the skin to remove all of the flesh.

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Peeled and sliced avocado! IMG_9866

Next… Butter a couple slices of bread. Lay in a cast-iron skillet (or whatever you have available) butter side down over medium heat. Place the avocado on one slice of bread and lay slices of your favorite melting cheese on the other. Thinly slice greens such as spinach or arugula and toss around the bread in the skillet. As soon as they are wilted, pile them into the sandwich. Smash it together. Check for a golden sear on each side. Melty cheese? You are now good to munch down on this creamy sandwich.  IMG_9869

Trying to decide what produce to eat these days goes beyond choosing a particular type of fruit or vegetable. There seems to be endless controversy about whether you should go local, conventional, organic or what?! In my home, we keep to a basic set of guidelines about what we choose to buy on a regular basis.

1.  Seasonal 

Starting in season means local or organic are actually more affordable and abundant. Organic tomatoes out of season are not going to melt in your mouth the same way they will if sun-ripened on the vine. And it will cost more for that disappointing quality, too. Most groceries meet consumer demand by providing zucchini, cucumbers, eggplants, peppers and more all year long. Determining what actually is in season can be a challenge. Many groceries have the seasonal items on display in large quantity at a discount, which helps. If you are stumped, Lilly’s Table is designed to keep you cooking and eating seasonal produce through recipes and weekly meal plans.

2. Local

Just as the seasons effect when produce is available, location can open up a new world of possibilities. Support your local economy and get to know your farmer. The easiest way to buy local is through a CSA (community supported agriculture) Farm Box where you buy into a share in exchange for locally produced, beautiful vegetables & more on a weekly basis. Another option is to purchase food from your Farmers Market every week. I do both as the CSA is a magical surprise of goodness every week, while Farmers Markets allows me choice and an opportunity to chat with my farmers.

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This is a great next choice when you are not able to get close to your farmer. Keep in mind, organic produce traveling from South America or elsewhere has a huge environmental impact. Also, other countries are not met with the same stringent organic labeling standards as American farmers. Getting produce from another part of the world in a different season means it is traveling quite a distance, making the carbon foot-print larger than buying conventional. When selecting produce with the organic label, do your best to find out where it was originally grown.

4. Conventional

There are times when buying in-season conventional produce makes sense especially if it means eating vegetables instead of eating processed food products. I personally would choose to eat conventional produce over organic food products. Fresh fruits & vegetables, whether or not pesticides are used, are better than not eating them at all. An easy aide for deciding when to buy conventional or organic is the Dirty Dozen. Print out cards or download it to take with you when you are at the store and stumped about which is best. This guide let’s you know the produce that is safest to eat conventionally with the Clean 15 list as well as the Dirty Dozen to avoid.

Extra tip: Check your PLU code stickers on all of your fruits & veggies. If it starts with a 9, it is organic. An 8 is a GMO (Genetically Modified Organism), although this labeling is not required so it is rare to see it. Any other number, often just 4-digits, are conventional. I have seen fruit with a big sign declaring it was organic only to notice the PLU stickers on each fruit was conventional. I am sure it was just an employee stocking error, but it is nice to know what you are getting.

We each have an opportunity, several times per day, to vote with our dollars about the types of food we would like to be available. The choice is yours, but when you demand the highest quality produce, while supporting your local economy you are letting the food industry know what you would like to see more of. Together we can all make a beautiful impact on our food system.