(World's Largest) Zucchini Chocolate Chip Bread

Grandma and Grandpa Russell visited recently and left us with loads of fresh veggies from their garden, including this impressive specimen. After roasted zucchini and grilled zucchini, it was time for my favorite variation--chocolate chip zucchini bread. I had to spoon out some of this particular zucchini's seeds, which were as big as a pumpkin's, but then it shredded easily in my Cuisinart food processor. This one giant zucchini yielded 10 full cups. This recipe uses 3 cups of shredded zucchini per batch, which is great if you're swimming in zucchini in your garden right now. I also substituted some whole wheat flour for white flour and applesauce for oil. A double recipe made two loaves of bread and three dozen average-sized muffins. The finished product is dense but moist and soft. They also freeze and reheat well and are a great way to get little ones to eat their veggies. Ben, my baby, only has four teeth for chewing but refuses pureed veggies so these are great (I pick out some of the chocolate chips so he's not getting too much sugar). And I love them in the morning with a hot cup of coffee. I've got a couple dozen in the freezer now so will be enjoying them into this fall as the weather (hopefully!) gets cooler.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread (or muffins)
6 eggs
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 tsp vanilla
1 cup canola oil
1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
6 cups grated zucchini
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
3 tsp cinnamon
2 cups whole wheat flour
4 cups white flour
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1.) Preheat oven to 350'. Grease two bread pans and line with parchment paper, greasing the parchment paper as well. Line with paper cups or grease three, dozen muffin pans. I prefer muffins over loaves since I can take just one muffin out of the freezer for myself instead of having to wait for a whole loaf to thaw. But loaves are nicer to give away to friends or to bring out for company.
2.) In a large mixing bowl, mix eggs, sugars, vanilla, oil and applesauce.
3.) Add zucchini to wet mix.
4.) In a separate bowl mix all dry ingredients minus chocolate chips. Add dry to wet mix in batches.
5.) Fold in chocolate chips with rubber spatula, scraping bottom and sides of bowl and beater as you work.
6.) Pour out batter into bread pans and muffin tins.
7.) Bake muffins 17-20 minutes. Bake loaves 45-50 minutes.
8.) When cool, turn out of pans. Freeze in bags or store in airtight containers a few days.

Roasted Tomatoes with Feta and Pesto Farfalle

Phew. Sorry it's taken me so long to get up such a simple recipe. Seems a little anticlimactic. If you had a chance to make pesto or see some in the freshly-prepared section of your grocery store here's a quick, easy dinner or lunch. I wasn't sure how Lincoln, my almost-five-year-old, would take to pesto, but he asks for green pasta for dinner three out of five nights. Which is good since I used up the rest of my basil in the garden this week to make more. This stuff is like gold though with the ingredients--fresh basil, olive oil, fresh grated Parmesan cheese and pignoli aren't the cheapest things in the store. Luckily, the flavors are so intense a little goes a long way. If you have some leftover grilled or rotisserie chicken from a previous meal, that would go great in here too.

Roasted Tomatoes with Feta and Pesto Farfalle
5 cups farfalle, cooked and drained, still hot
5 Tb pesto
1 small package grape tomatoes
feta cheese crumbles
oil, salt, pepper

Wash grape tomatoes and toss in 1 Tb olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven at 400' for 10 minutes or so, until they split and pop and start to darken. Remove from the oven. Toss the pasta in the pesto lightly to coat. Add the grape tomatoes and toss. Add feta cheese to taste and toss very lightly. Salt and pepper to taste.

Harvest that basil--pesto

The last few years I've planted basil and I've always been disappointed...because I underestimate how much I'm going to want! You don't need a lot of ingredients to make food taste good when you have fresh herbs like basil on hand. And Lincoln will eat anything if it has fresh basil from the garden on it. In fact, I tell him some things are basil just because they're green to get him to eat them. I know, I know. You gotta do what you gotta do.

That said, all good things must come to an end. With dry August heat and the leaves getting bigger (and therefore starting to tend toward bitterness), and some plants going to seed, I decided it was pesto-making season. So here's my recipe for making pesto. If you don't have 8 cups of basil leaves on hand, you can easily modify this to what you do have around. If you don't have pine nuts (also called pignoli on some labels), you can use walnuts, although I'd play with the ratios since walnuts to me can have a stronger flavor. You can also leave out nuts altogether. Toasting the pignoli ahead for just a minute or two until brown wakens their flavor and texture. Fresh lemons are best.

Take care to wash your basil well since none of this is cooked and you'll be eating it basically raw. I found some interesting critters curled up inside my leaves. There are better ways to get your protein! Unless, of course, you're trying out for that survivor guy show.

Recipes for what to do with your pesto will follow.

Pesto
8 cups fresh basil (lightly packed into the cup)
2/3 cup fresh grated parmesan
1/3 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
3 garlic cloves
juice of two lemons
1 Tb of sea salt
approximately 8 Tb of olive oil

1.) Harvest the largest stalks of basil, leaving any smaller stalks for tomato salad for the rest of the summer. :-)
2.) Thoroughly rinse each stalk and leaf with cold water, removing damaged leaves and garden pests.
3.) Remove the leaves, discarding any of the woody stalks in a grocery bag with the damaged leaves and pests (I seal these up at the end and toss them in the outside trash so no little nature visitors surprise me in my kitchen later).
4.) Thoroughly dry by rolling in a clean kitchen towel, pinching together the ends and shaking out excess water. Use a second dry towel, repeating the process if needed.
5.) Meanwhile, lightly toast your pine nuts. You can also omit them or use walnuts. Juice your lemons and measure out your olive oil and cheese. Peel your garlic.
6.) Begin to pack as much of the basil into your food processor as you can, using the chopping blade. Pulse until you break down some of the leaves and can fit in all 8 cups of the basil. You can start adding the lemon juice and olive oil to help the process.

8.) Toss in all remaining ingredients and pulse until a smooth consistency. If it's too dry, add a LITTLE more oil, 1 tsp at a time. You can't go back once you add too much oil and in my mind there's nothing worse than oily pesto.
9.) To freeze, spoon the pesto into ice cube trays (each slot is about 1 Tablespoon of pesto). Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap down into the pesto to keep it from discoloration or freezer burn.
10.) When frozen, turn out into a freezer bag, label and store away to use later. Makes about 18 Tbs.

Sorry, could not get this durn picture to rotate in photo imager. Probably a user error. :-)

Foodie Family Road Trip: Hershey Chocolate World

On a recent trip to visit family in Upstate New York, I took the boys on a side trip to Hershey, PA. Even though I grew up a few short hours from Hershey Park, I'd never been. I suspected that the amusement park itself would be too much--for the boys, me, and the budget. But then I read about Hershey Chocolate World and decided it was just our speed.

Hershey Chocolate World is located just outside the gates of the amusement park, about a 10-minute drive off I-81, through some pretty dairy farm country. Parking was free for the first three hours and they opened at 9am. The timing was perfect for us, as we had just eaten breakfast and checked out of the hotel, and it wasn't that far out of our way. Admission to Chocolate World is also free, although if your kids are old enough to know better Hershey's has plenty of temptations inside to lighten your pocket book. My almost-five-year-old was blissfully ignorant of the other paid attractions and was more than satisfied to do the free 'factory' tour twice--so long as he got the free mini-Hershey bar at the end and was able to pick out a treat from the gift shop. My one-year-old was also wide-eyed by the tour, with its Disney-ish theatrical style; animatronic, singing cows; and amusement-park ride car. Also like Disney, they dump you out in the gift shop. :-)

If you're looking for a real factory tour, you'll be disappointed, but little ones will love it. I bet teenagers will get a kick out of it too, although they might not tell their friends. Also available besides the free tour: a 3-D adventure, Make-Your-Own Chocolate Bar experience ($15 a pop and they charge every member of your party), and a Trolley tour. All looked like fun for another day, especially for older kids.

My only complaint was that they made us leave our stroller outside, and since I was on my own, it made it more difficult to get around. Note to the world at large: If you see a woman lugging a baby and a preschooler through a chocolate factory, hold the d--n door! Also, full disclosure: I believe very strongly that the only good Hershey bar is one served with roasted marshmallows and graham crackers, but the tour does make you feel good about supporting dairy farmers. Also, the animatronic cows seemed happy. I do have a soft spot for York Peppermint Patties and their dark chocolate bars with the nuts and berries. Both boys will apparently eat anything that starts with an H and ends with -ershey.

I see many more stops at Chocolate World in our future. Maybe next time we're up that way we'll give the museum a shot (A shuttle will take you to the museum from the Chocolate World parking lot) or Hershey gardens. Lots of fun photo ops; smelled great; low cost; and we were back on the road in time to miss the morning commuter traffic. See you next year, Chocolate World!

Foodie Read: The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake

To pass the time on a l-o-o-n-g road trip recently (Read: driving four days, two kids, just me.), I checked out my first e-audio book from the library. How cool is this? If you haven't already, go to your library's on-line site and see if they have a digital media section or--gasp!--talk to your librarian. I downloaded 'Lemon Cake' to my computer and then uploaded it to my iPod for the trip with only minimal help from my techie husband. Very easy and FREE. Can't beat it. And if I'm way behind on the times here, sorry. They must not have advertised it on NOGGIN. :-)

So, what's the book about? I can't tell you yet. Because I can't stop myself from talking about the cover. The first thing I thought when I saw the cover was, "Hey, wait, that's a chocolate frosted yellow cake. Who in their right mind would frost a lemon cake with chocolate frosting? Seems like a waste of perfectly good lemon cake...and chocolate frosting." Actually, the mom in this book does make such a cake for her daughter, Rose, for her ninth birthday. And when Rose tastes the cake she is awakened to an uncanny ability to taste her mother's emotions through her food. The book, set in Los Angeles, follows Rose's development as she learns to live with and finally embrace and use her strange ability. She eventually discovers, however, that she's not the only member of her family with special skills.

The charm of 'Lemon Cake' is not necessarily the exciting plot or sparkling prose. I confess to being a scanner, and I hit the FF button a couple of times during the first half of this e-book. (Life is short; don't waste it reading bad prose or dull story lines.) But as Rose grew, I became more interested in her life, her brother's strange disappearances, and her ever-so-slightly deepening relationship with her dad. Of course at one point I wondered if she only ate the food of very depressed, angry, annoying people. Apparently not many happy cooks or chefs or, for that matter, people in L.A. But by the final chapters, when my iPod died and I was still two hours from home, I found myself rifling desperately through the suitcase in the trunk looking for my charger. I even unplugged the kids' movie and listened to the whining and ranting for the last 30 minutes just so I could find out how it would end. And that, my friend, is the best compliment I can give a book.

So, chocolate iced lemon cake...really? Any one? Am I alone in this?

Kettle's Buffalo Bleu Potato Chips Make Easy Appetizer

I love the homemade potato chips Sullivan's Restaurant in downtown Raleigh serves with a real blue cheese dressing on top. They are to die for. And what good New Yorker worth her salt doesn't love spicy Buffalo wings? So when I saw Kettle's new Buffalo Bleu Potato Chips at Harris Teeter recently, I saw an opportunity to make a yummy appetizer that combines some of my favorite flavors. Next time you have a party, take a bag of Kettle's Buffalo Bleu chips (a spicy BBQ chip will do nicely too if you can't find them) and pour them out on a microwave-safe plate or serving tray. Top with blue cheese crumbles, zap in the microwave until just warmed and maybe a little melty in places, 30 seconds or less, and serve. Yummy. Might be good drizzled with some ranch dressing too, but that's the southern transplant in me talking. Enjoy!

Sunday Brunch

Mixed Greens in a Raspberry-Orange Vinaigrette with Blue Cheese, Potato Frittata, and Creamy Lemonade Pie with Fresh Whipped Cream and Raspberries.

This meal reflects the weather we had this weekend: alternately hot and humid, and dark and stormy. The potato strata was a perfect comfort food for a rainy day while the raspberry blue cheese salad and creamy lemonade pie kept it from feeling too heavy with all the heat we've had. For short cuts, use store-bought raspberry dressing, graham cracker crust and whipped cream. But if you have the time and want the full effect, I've included the recipes for each. After all, it's the weekend. I start with the recipe for the pie, since it needs to be made several hours ahead of time. Making the pie the night before is even better.

***
Creamy Lemonade Pie with Fresh Whipped Cream and Raspberries

Crust:
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 Tb sugar
1/3 cup melted butter

Filling:
1-5 oz can of evaporated milk
1-3.4 oz package of instant lemon pudding mix
2-8 oz packages of reduced fat cream cheese (Let sit out at room temp for a while before mixing.)
3/4 cup lemonade concentrate

Topping:
1 cup whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup powdered sugar

1.) For the crust, mix the ingredients in a bowl then pour into a pie plate, pressing to the bottom and up the sides. Bake 350' for 8 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2.) For the filling, mix evaporated milk and lemon pudding mix, two minutes. Beat in cream cheese until no lumps exist. Slowly add in lemonade concentrate. When the crust is cool, pour the filling into the crust and place in the fridge to set several hours or overnight.
3.) For the topping, chill a bowl and whisk in the freezer until ready. Pour in contents and beat on high until stiff peaks form, about five minutes.
4.) When ready to serve, dollop fresh whipped cream and fresh berries on top of each slice.

***
Potato Fritatta
2 potatoes (Yukon gold are nice for this. I had reds on hand this weekend.)
2 shallots
1/2 cup low fat milk
6 eggs
1/2 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese
salt and pepper
1 Tb olive oil
chives (I had green onion on hand but chives are much better if you have them.)

1.) Thinly slice the potatoes and shallots.
2.) Heat 1 Tb olive oil in a pan and lightly fry the potatoes in batches until tender, not too brown. Fry shallots quickly, 1 min or so, until tender. Set aside warm.
3.) In a bowl, mix eggs, milk, cheese and a dash of salt and pepper.
4.) Add in warm potatoes and shallots and let sit several minutes.
5.) Pour bowl into a new oiled and heated, large cast iron or other oven-proof frying pan.
6.) Cook on stove top until puffed and only jiggly on top.
7.) Place in the oven at 350' for 15 mins or until browned on top, puffed and not jiggly at all.
8.) Top with chopped chives and serve hot.

***
Mixed Greens in Raspberry-Orange Vinaigrette with Blue Cheese

Salad:
1 clamshell package of mixed greens (I love the herb mix.)
roasted, salted sesame seeds
crumbled blue cheese (Chevre is also very good with this. I had blue on hand.)
fresh raspberries

Raspberry- Orange Vinaigrette:
1 Tb raspberry jam
2 Tb fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp orange juice concentrate
3 Tb olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1.) To make the vinaigrette, whisk the jam into the lemon juice, adding the orange juice concentrate when smooth. Whisk in the olive oil and flavor with salt and pepper. You won't need a lot of salt if you use salted sunflower seeds.
2.) When ready to serve, toss the greens in a bowl with the vinaigrette until lightly coated. Portion out into four bowls and top with crumbled blue cheese, a sprinkling of sunflower seeds and several fresh raspberries.