Cheryl Qualls - An Old Gardening Talk

Note: I was recently asked to post on my website some old Homemaking talks and lessons I had given in the past. I am in the process of doing so. I don't even know the date on this one! But here's hoping you'll find something useful here. (cq)

It has long been acknowledged that eating fresh fruits and vegetables daily help us maintain our health and strength. We as latter-day saints were given this council over a hundred and fifty years ago in the 89th section of the Doctrine and Covenants (Word of Wisdom) where it specifically mentions eating fresh fruits and vegetables in season in verse eleven: "Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used with prudence and thanksgiving."

The August 10, 1993 issue of "Family Circle" has an interesting article on forty "super" foods that can be incorporated into our diets to increase our intake of valuable vitamins, minerals, fiber and other important disease fighting and immune-boosting substances. What are they? Simply stated they are: Amaranth, apricots, bananas, barley, lean beef, black beans, bran cereal, broccoli, brown rice, cabbage, cantaloupe, carrots, figs, fish, garlic, ginger, grapes, kale, kiwifruit, lentils, mango, miso, nuts, oats, olive oil, orange juice, pears, prunes, pumpkin, red bell peppers, skim milk, spinach, strawberries, sunflower seeds, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, wheat germ, whole-wheat bread, yogurt. Does this list look familiar to you? Many of these items are recommended to the saints by our leaders as items to be included in our food storages. Items on this list that cannot be stored can be grown in our gardens each year.

Below are a few favorite summer recipes that include items from my summer garden. Hope you enjoy them.

Refrigerator Pickles

7 cups green cukes sliced thin
1 cup onions
1 cup green peppers
2 Tablespoons salt

Let stand 2 hours or longer (drain)

Mix:
2 cups sugar
1 cup cider vinegar          }Bring these items to a boil-let stand
1 teaspoon mustard seed       until cool.
1 teaspoon celery seed

Pour over cuke mixture and use as soon as cold or store in fridge.

Zucchini Brownies

In the food processor mix:
2 cups shredded zucchini
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 c. cocoa  (dry powder stuff or 2 squares melted and cooled)
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 cup oil
2 t. vanilla
1/2 c. nuts

Pulse just until blended.  Bake in a 9 X 13 greased pan at 350 for about
25 minutes.

Stuffed Zucchini

2 medium zucchini (about 12 ounces)
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1 T. Olive or cooking oil
2 tsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. dried basil, crushed
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup frozen egg product, thawed or 1 beaten egg
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cut zucchini in half lengthwise. Place, cut side down, in a microwave-safe
2 quart square baking dish.  Micro-cook, covered, on 100% power for 2 to 3
minutes or until nearly tender.  (Or, cook in boiling water for 3 to 4
minutes.)  Scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/4 inch thick shell.  Set shells
aside.  Finely chop the zucchini pulp; set aside.

In a medium saucepan cook onion in hot oil till tender but not brown.  Add
chopped zucchini; cook 1 minute more.  Stir in flour, basil, and pepper.
Add milk all at once.  Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly.  Cook and
stir 1 minute more. Gradually add zucchini mixture to the egg product or
egg.  Stir in Parmesan.  Spoon mixture into zucchini shells; place in
2-quart square baking dish.  Bake uncovered, in a 350 oven for 25 to 30
minutes or till filling is lightly browned.  Makes 4 side-dish servings.
(131 cal, 8 g. total fat, 200 mg sodium)

BHG 8/93

Quick Fresh Tomato Sauce

Makes about 5 cups of sauce:
3 pounds fresh ripe tomatoes
1 large onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup basil leaves, thinly slices
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
3 tablespoons tomato paste

1.  Drop tomatoes into large pot boiling water for about 1 minute or until
skins wrinkle slightly.  Remove tomatoes with slotted spoon.  When cool
enough to handle, remove skins. Coarsely chop.  Drain pot.

2.  In same pot, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender, 3 to 4
minutes.  Add tomatoes.  Cover and boil gently 15 minutes.  Cool slightly.
Cool slightly,  Whirl in blender or food processor to puree.

3.  Return to pot.  Add basil, salt, pepper flakes and tomato paste.
Cover and simmer 15 minutes.  Store in clean container in refrigerator for
up to one week or freeze.

Note:  If sauce is too thin, simmer gently, uncovered, to thicken.  If too
thick, add a little water.

Family Circle 9/1/93

Fresh Uncooked Tomato, Herb, and Mozzarella Sauce

1 1/2 pound ripe tomatoes, skinned, and coarsely chopped
1 Tablespoon minced shallots (about 1 or 2 shallots)
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 Tablespoons finely minced parsley
1 Tablespoon finely minced oregano
2 Tablespoons finely minced basil
1 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1/2 cup olive oil
1 Tablespoon capers
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup finely diced mozzarella cheese

Mix all ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl and let stand for
minimum of 2 hours a room temperature.  There should be about 3 cups of
sauce.

Pour over 1 pound cooked, drained pasta, toss, and serve at room
temperature.  Pass Parmesan cheese and a pepper mill for freshly grated
black pepper at the table.  Serve with rigatoni, ziti, perciatelli or
spaghetti.

Creative Cooking with Grains and Pasta by Sheryl and Mel London

Grilled Chicken and Sausage Kabobs

Skewer:  Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, canned artichoke hearts, red
and green pepper squares, italian sausage chunks (par-boil for 10 minutes)
and plum halves and peeled orange quarters.

Baste while grilling outside with:

1/3 cup oil, 1/4 cup white wine, 2 crushed garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon each
oregano and basil 1/2 cup orange juice and 1/4 cup honey.

note:  I use regular fresh garlic and you can leave out wine if desire

Grill and turn until chicken is fully cooked.  Discard extra basting
sauce.

Women's Day 7/5/83

Stuffed Green Peppers with zip!

6 to 8 peppers, tops trimmed and cleaned out inside
10 ounces ground meat (I use italian sausage but could be beef/turkey)
2 t. oil
l large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 large cloves garlic, minces
3 cups cooked brown rice
1/2 t salt
1/2 t hot paprika or sweet paprika plus dash cayenne
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
3/8 cup finely chopped fresh parsley, divided
2 T finely snipped fresh dill or 1 t. dried dillweed
6 T grated parmesan

Place peppers in microwave safe dish, cover and mic for 3 to 4 minutes on
high.

Brown meat until it has lost its pink color. Drain off fat.  Set aside and
wipe out pan.

Heat oil in the pan, and saute the onion and garlic until they wilt.  Add
meat.  Cook the mixture of several minutes, stirring.

Add cooked brown rice, salt, paprika, and pepper.  Stir in 1/4 cup of the
parsley and the dill, and heat the mixture through.

Sprinkle the insides of the peppers with salt.  Pack in the stuffing
mixture, smoothing the top.

Combine the Parmesan with remaining parsley and sprinkle this over the
top.  Place in a 9 X 13 baking pan.

Bake in preheated 425 over for 30 minutes.

Jane Brody's Good Food Book