Labor Day weekend is usually when I look for ways to use my last summer garden and vegetables. I remember my mother empty the plum tomatoes and dried fresh basil to dry in the basement this year. Tomatoes and basil served in our Sunday soup for months. Fresh herbs, peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, broccoli and more are still abundant in the local gardens. I love fresh garden vegetables and look for ways to use them before cold bear creek nights affect them. Here are some tips for using your plants and vegetables while they are still fresh.
Use fresh garden vegetables
Fresh herbs are one of the favorite ways to improve your diet. I like to make fresh vegetable butter for cooling and use as needed. I simply let the butter soften at room temperature. Then I cut fresh herbs and mix them in butter. I can also add some other ingredients. Using wax paper, I roll the butter into a log shape. I put it in an airtight container and refrigerate it until it hardens, or I use it for other purposes. I do many different things. This may include garlic and herbs, sticks, peppers and sage, rosemary and thyme, and tarragon and basil. Depending on the use of butter, I sometimes add cheese, lemon, freshly chopped pepper, or coconut salt. When ready, trim it and melt it over hot roast steak, fish, roasted vegetables, or serve with hot rolls. I also use fresh herbs to make a variety of salad dressings, bread crumbs, marinades, pasta dishes, fried chicken, and foie gras. Almost any recipe can add fresh herbs.
Make the most of your garden
As a kid, I used to have a lot of pepper in my garden. My mother and uncle made peppers and egg sandwiches on a clean Italian roll. It was an easy, but delicious way to use our peppers. Mom boiled the peppers in olive oil and seasoned them with salt and pepper. Once tender, cook in a beaten egg and milk mixture, add salt and pepper until cooked through. Sometimes she adds cheese, sometimes she doesn’t. In any case, it was always delicious. I use most of my peppers in fajita and to stimulate. I like to fill them. Long hot peppers filled with prosciutto or sausage and propolis are popular.
Zucchini is another vegetable that is now abundant. It is a garden I remember as a child in our garden. My mother cleans, chops, and greases it with olive oil, garlic, fresh tomatoes, herbs, and salt and pepper. We often ate it as a side dish. I like the versatility of zucchini. I like to use vegetable spice to create zodiac and use it as a substitute for pasta for low-carbohydrate foods. It is also used to make desserts and zucchini bread or muffins in a home-made vegetable ministry or fried. Um!
Linginini with tomatoes, garlic, basil and jalapeno is one of my favorite recipes using my vegetable harvest. Not only is it delicious and summery, but it is also quick and easy. Jalapeno gives him a good shot. This would be the case with Italian fast food. It is the perfect meal of the week when they are short on time. I hope you enjoy it.
Lingini with sliced cherry tomatoes
Used 2
8 ounces mature language
¼ Cup extra virgin olive oil
5 small garlic cloves, chopped
¼ Cup fresh basil
1 jalapeno pepper, sown and chopped
3 to 4 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
Kosher salt
Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Wash and cut tomatoes in half. Boil the linguini in salted water and add some liquid. Grease jalapeno and garlic in olive oil in a saucepan while cooking. Once the garlic and pepper are softened, add the tomatoes and juices and a little kosher salt. Cut the basil and add it. Cook the tomatoes for about 5 minutes until soft. Add the pasta and soup until combined and cook for a few more minutes. Add a little mixed pasta water if needed. Tomatoes often produce enough fluid that you do not need. I serve with Parmesan cheese and fresh basil. Enjoy!
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Ruth Corcoran is a professional marketer, former restaurant owner and community activist. She lives in Bad Creek. Readers can email Ruth [email protected]