Sparkin' Pie

(New England Cookbook, by Eleanor Early, 1954)

“This particular pie was made by a girl who wished to impress a beau who was sparkin’ her. It turned out so good that he popped the question, and they got married and lived happily ever after.”

3 eggs, beaten

1-1/2 c strained applesauce

½ c sugar

1 t cinnamon or ½ t each of cinnamon and nutmeg or mace

1/3 t salt

1-1/2 c milk

Combine everything, then pour mixture into an unbaked pastry shell. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 for about 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center of the filling comes out clean.

Turkey Loaf

(based on a recipe from Jane Brody’s Good Food Book)

1 T vegetable oil

2 t minced garlic (2 large cloves)

1 c finely chopped celery (2 large stalks)

1/2 c chopped onion

1 green pepper, chopped

½ lb thinly sliced mushrooms

1-1/4 lb ground turkey

1 egg white or 1 whole egg, lightly beaten

1/2 t salt

1/2 t freshly ground black pepper

Dash nutmeg

1/2 c minced fresh parsley or 2 T dried parsley flakes

In a large skillet, heat the oil briefly and saute the garlic, celery, onion, and pepper, stirring the vegetables until they are slightly softened, about 3 - 5 minutes. Do not let them burn. Stir the mushrooms into the vegetable mixture, cover the skillet for a few minutes until the mushrooms start to give up their moisture, then remove the cover and saute the vegetables, stirring them, until all the liquid has evaporated. Remove the vegetables from the heat and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients. Add the vegetables and combine the ingredients well. Put turkey mixture in a lightly greased loaf pan (approximately 8x4 inches) and bake loaf for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let the loaf rest for 15 minutes, then remove it from its pan for slicing. 

Eggplant and Ground Beef Casserole

(based on a recipe at cooks.com)

1 big eggplant, diced
1 lg. onion, coarsely chopped
butter
1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
2/3 c. tomato paste
2 c. water
1 tsp. salt
Black pepper to taste

Saute chopped onion in butter until golden. Add ground beef and cook, stirring constantly, until it is crumbled and browned. Combine tomato paste with water, add salt and pepper and pour mixture over meat. Add diced eggplant, bring to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes. Put the beef and eggplant mixture in a baking dish and bake, uncovered in a 350 degree oven until eggplant is tender, about 20 minutes.

Carrot and Ground Beef Skillet

(based on a recipe at http://chocolateandzucchini.com/recipes/meat-charcuterie/spiced-carrot-and-ground-beef-stir-fry-recipe/)

2 lbs carrots

1 bunch green onions

2 T olive oil or rendered chicken or pork fat

2 t cumin

½ t cayenne, or to taste

1 t salt

1 lb ground beef

2 T lemon juice or lime juice, or 1 lemon or 1 lime

Peel the carrots and cut them into sticks about 4” long and ½” wide. Slice the green onions, separating the white and green parts.

Heat the oil or fat in a large skillet. Add the carrots and the white part of the onions. Sprinkle with cumin, cayenne and salt; stir well to combine. Cover the skillet but leave the lid slightly ajar and cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often, until the carrots are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated. Crumbled the ground beef into the skillet and mix it with the carrots. Add the green part of the green onions and cook for another 5 – 10 minutes, stirring often, until the meat is done. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Sprinkle with the lemon or lime juice and serve immediately. If using the whole lime or lemon, serve the beef and carrots and immediately and give each person a quarter of the fruit to squeeze over their own serving.

Watermelon Ice Pops

4 c seeded watermelon chunks

1 T lime juice (bottled is fine, fresh is better)

Sweetener to taste

Start by tasting the watermelon. If it’s really ripe it should be sweet enough that you don’t need any sweetener.

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. (Or put into a deep container and use a stick or immersion blender.) Pour into popsicle sticks or small paper cups, add sticks, and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours. Remove paper cups and serve, outside and/or with plenty of napkins. 

Zucchini and Ground Beef Casserole

(based on a recipe at http://www.food.com/recipe/zucchini-and-ground-beef-casserole-461077)

1 lb ground beef

1/2 medium onion, chopped (about 1-1/2 oz)

2 garlic cloves, chopped

Salt and pepper

1 c salsa with tomatoes, onions and chilis

1 t ground cumin

12 oz zucchini, in 1/4” dice (if seeds are big, remove them before weighing), about 2 medium or 1 large or part of a really big one

Brown ground beef with chopped onion and garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until meat is well done. Add salsa and cumin. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes over low heat. Add the zucchini, cover and cook for about 10 minutes longer. Zucchini should be cooked but not mushy.

Orange Ice Pops or Milk Shakes

ORANGE ICE POPS

(based on a recipe from Summer Desserts Super Value Pack – 450 Recipes for Frozen Desserts Like Ice Cream, Ice Pops, Frozen Yogurt and More, by Pamela Kazmierczak)

1 c orange juice

1 T sugar

1-1/2 c milk

¼ t vanilla extract

Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl. Pour into ice-pop molds. Insert stick and freeze for about 6 hours or until completely firm.

ORANGE MILK SHAKE

Put all ingredients in blender and process until smooth and frothy.

BZM-MHC Zucchini Meatloaf

(based on a recipe at http://articles.philly.com/1990-09-02/food/25878500_1_zucchini-bread-dessert-recipes-onion - which, by the way, includes 50 recipes for using up overgrown zucchini!)

2 slices bread, crusts removed (save crusts to make breadcrumbs)

1/2 c milk

2 lbs ground meat (all ground beef or a mixture of beef, pork, veal, sausage, chicken or turkey)

1 medium onion, minced

2 eggs

1/2 c ketchup (or tomato sauce – it has a lot less sugar than ketchup)

2 T Worcestershire sauce

2 t mustard
1 t salt

2 c BZM (BASIC ZUCCHINI MIXTURE)

Start by getting out the pan you’re going to be using to bake the meatloaf. You can use a small, rimmed (definitely rimmed!) baking sheet, or an 8-cup casserole or a 9x9 baking dish. The reason for getting the pan out first is that your hands are going to be really messy and if you have everything out you don’t have to wash your hands in between steps.

Soak the bread in the milk for a few minutes while you mix up the rest of the ingredients.

In a large bowl, mix the ground meat, onion, eggs, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and BZM. The best way to mix it is to get in there with your (clean!) hands and mix it up good. If you really can’t stand the idea of raw egg and raw meat on your hands, you can wear clean plastic gloves, but bare hands work better. You’re going to give them a really good wash when you’re through, anyway. Crumble the soaked bread on top of the meat mixture, pour any remaining milk over it, and mix it all up together. Form it into a rough loaf on the baking sheet, casserole or baking dish you got out first. Now you’re done mixing things with your hands, so go ahead and wash them. Really well. Including under your fingernails. Bake it at 375 for about two hours.

Cucumber Water

There’s not really a recipe for this. Just combine some thinly sliced cucumber (peeled if it’s from a store), thinly sliced lemon, peeled and thinly sliced fresh ginger, and a few mint leaves in a pitcher and fill it with water. Recipes range from 4 slices of cucumber and lemon in a gallon of water to a whole cucumber and a whole lemon in half a gallon. I usually make it in a 2-quart pitcher and use about 2” of cucumber and half a lemon. I make up a pitcher of it, pour some out into a glass with ice cubes, and put the rest in the fridge until I’m ready for it. I don’t like it if it’s left overnight; something goes off with the flavor. But some recipes say to refrigerate it overnight. 

Cucumber Ice Pop with Lime and Chile

(http://www.sfgate.com/food/article/A-chef-perfects-the-paleta-of-childhood-3224996.php)

2-4 cucumbers (about 2 pounds), peeled, seeded and chopped

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon habanero chile powder*

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions: In a food processor, pulse all but 1/2 cup of the cucumber until smooth. Strain into a bowl; you should have about 2 cups juice. Add the rest of the ingredients and pour about 1/3 cup of mixture into each mold. Freeze for at least 2 hours.

*A reviewer suggested using a milder chile powder and/or less of it

Quick Pickles

(very closely based on http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/quick-pickles-recipe.html)

1/2 c white vinegar

1 T sugar

1 t mustard seed

1 t salt

1 smashed but whole clove garlic

1 t dried dill

1 bay leaf

4 kirby* cucumbers, cut into 1” slices on an angle (a bit less than a pound)

Heat small saucepan over medium high heat. Add vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, salt and garlic to the pan and cook until it begins to simmer and sugar dissolves. Toss the dill, bay leaf and sliced cucumbers together in a heat-proof bowl. Pour the simmering liquid over the cucumbers and stir to evenly coat. Allow to cool to room temperature or chill before serving. The pickles aren't preserved and won't keep long.

*Kirby or pickling cucumbers are best, but you can use "regular" or slicing cucumbers instead. Try to find slender ones. One difference is that the seeds in slicing cucumbers tend to be bigger.

Chilled Cucumber Soup with Mint and Yogurt

(http://www.simplebites.net/three-3-minute-chilled-soups/)

1 small English cucumber, washed and seeded

2 T chopped chives (or green onions)

2 T fresh mint, chopped

2 T fresh parsley, washed and chopped (or cilantro)

1 c milk

1/2 c sour cream

1/2 c yogurt

Salt and pepper

Puree the cucumber and herbs with just a bit of milk. Add remaining milk and sour cream and blend until nearly smooth. Or keep it chunkier; it’s up to you. Stir in yogurt and season with salt and pepper. Chill for at least an hour; serve cold.

Cottage Cheese Zucchini Pancakes

(http://articles.philly.com/1990-09-02/food/25878500_1_zucchini-bread-dessert-recipes-onion)

2 c BZM (BASIC ZUCCHINI MIXTURE)

1 c drained cottage cheese

3 eggs, lightly beaten

2 T flour

Salt and pepper

Tomato sauce or sour cream to serve

Combine BZM, eggs, flour, salt and pepper. Fry heaping spoonfuls in hot vegetable oil until browned on both sides. Drain on paper towels and serve with tomato sauce or sour cream.