Saturday, July 18, 2015

It's Zucchini Season, Y'all!

So zucchini is starting to overwhelm local gardeners, so I thought I'd post a few recipes that are great for using up some of that fresh produce. I just made 2 of these recipes myself in the past week, and am sure I'll be using the rest shortly.

Although this original recipe for Indian Fritters was made with eggplant, I tried these using some fresh zucchini and they were amazing!

Indian Eggplant Fritters

This Cilantro Zucchini Hummus is one of my favorite recipes for zucchini of all times. I just made a huge batch of this and have been using it to dip carrots into or to toss with fresh salad greens.

Cilantro Zucchini Hummus

Want a quick AND easy dinner? You can have this Summer Vegetable Cacciatore on the table in under 25 minutes. You can't beat that!

Vegetable Cacciatore I

This oldie-but-goodie recipe is quick, easy, and tasty. I made this Curried Zucchini Soup a few weeks ago and it was the perfect meal.

Curried Zucchini Soup

Thursday, July 16, 2015

Roasted Poblano and Summer Squash Soup

Summer seems like an odd time to be eating soup, doesn't it? Yet for some reason, this week, I've been craving it. But even if you're not up to a hot bowl of something when it's hot outside, summer is a great time to make a soup and freeze for cooler times.

I know I'm not alone in having an overwhelming abundance in summer squash and zucchini. This year, I'm determined to use up every single one in a new way. So far, it's been going great. We've made Bread and Butter pickles with squash, and they are exceptional! I'll be posting a recipe later this week.

Our pepper plants also seem to be working overtime, and I just picked some lovely poblano peppers this morning that I wanted to use up. You can't go wrong roasting vegetables for soup, so I decided to throw some zucchini and poblanos in the oven and then make a soup. I also threw in a red onion and some garlic, because why not?



Here it is after roasting in the oven, in all of it's roasted gloriousness.



After roasting, the rest of the soup couldn't be easier. Simply add water or stock, a few spices, and blend it all up in a blender or with an immersion blender. And viola! You've got yourself a bowl of warm summery goodness.

This soup also freezes extremely well, so make a double or triple batch and put some away for the winter.

What are you doing with your zucchini abundance? And if you need some more zucchini recipes, check back tomorrow for some ideas!


Roasted Poblano and Summer Squash Soup
 
3 large summer squash, seeded and roughly chopped into 2-3" pieces
2 poblanos, seeded and cut into eights
3 cloves garlic
1 medium red onion, quartered
2-3 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
Pepper
4 cups water (or stock)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp white wine vinegar
salt to taste
 
Heat oven to 425. Place squash, poblanos, garlic, and red onion in 13x9 baking pan and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss well and place into oven. Roast 30-45 minutes until vegetables are soft and browned. Place into a large soup pan over medium heat. Add remaining ingredients and blend with an immersion blender. Serve and enjoy!