Summer Squash Soup

Husband-Tested Recipe from Alice's Kitchen

Have you ever made a soup of items you had left in your garden or in your fridge? That's what I did with this soup and it turned out great, so I wrote down what I did so that I could make it again. I made this soup with the peppers I had on hand, but any kind of peppers would be yummy. Soup recipes are pretty forgiving, so you really can't go wrong. What made this especially tasty was the croutons I made with leftover bread. (Directions at the bottom of this recipe.) I also added a big dollop of Eric's Pesto (recipe on this blog) on top and stirred it in to add a burst of summer flavor. Keeping pesto in the freezer is a handy way to make your dishes pop! All of the veggies, herbs and other ingredients in this soup can be found at Lost River Market & Deli and at the Orange County HomeGrown Farmers Markets.

1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
7-8 banana peppers, seeds removed, chopped
½ red pepper, chopped
½ green pepper, chopped
½ yellow pepper, chopped
5 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 very large yellow squash
3 cans chicken broth or vegetable broth
water
2 fresh bay leaves
1 bunch fresh thyme
5 whole peppercorns
1 teaspoon kosher salt

In large pot, heat olive oil. Add the onion, garlic and all peppers. Sautee until tender. Add squash, carrots and broth. Add enough water to barely cover veggies. Bring to a boil. Add thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns, salt. Simmer until veggies are tender, about 20-30 minutes. Remove bay leaves and thyme bunch. Discard. Puree soup in blender or with a hand blender until smooth.
Garnish with a few large dollops of Eric’s Pesto, slices of cherry tomatoes and toasted garlic croutons. These garnishes not only make the soup look pretty, but they add a lot of flavor to the soup, especially the pesto and tomatoes.

I MADE THE CROUTONS OUT OF LEFTOVER BREAD. CUT THE BREAD INTO CUBES AND SAUTE THEM IN A BIT OF ROASTED GARLIC OIL OR OLIVE OIL WITH A CLOVE OF GARLIC TOSSED IN. ADD A LITTLE SALT AND PEPPER AND STIR UNTIL THE CUBES ARE TOASTED.

Chicken Gumbo

Husband-Tested Recipe from the kitchen of Martha Bost, (Alice's Mother)

This recipe is not only husband-tested, but daddy-tested too. Mother and I are big fans of okra and she would often times make this for dinner when she knew I was dropping by. Serve this yummy gumbo over rice with lots of hot sauce. Ingredients for this comfort food dinner can be found at Lost River Market & Deli.

Ingredients
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 Tablespoon butter
2 Tablespoons flour
1 (14.5 oz) can tomatoes, cut up, undrained (fresh tomatoes would be great too)
4 cups chicken broth
½ cup green pepper, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 Tablespoon fresh
1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 Tablespoon fresh
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon hot sauce (or to taste)
8 oz okra, fresh or frozen, sliced
2 cups cooked chicken, cut up

Instructions
In a large pot, cook onion and garlic in butter.
Stir in flour; cook, stirring until flour is golden.
Stir in canned tomatoes, chicken broth, bell pepper, bay leaves, oregano, thyme, salt, and hot sauce.
Bring to boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes. Remove bay leaves.
Stir in okra; bring mixture to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until okra is crisp tender.
Stir in chicken and cook 5 minutes until chicken is heated through.
Serve over hot cooked rice in soup bowls. Add more hot sauce to taste.

Chicken Nicoise Salad

Recipe Husband-Tested in Alice Wootton’s Kitchen

I was at Lost River Market & Deli last night and noticed the beautiful golden cherry tomatoes from Brambleberry Farm in the produce section. Not only are they pretty to look at, but they are so sweet, it's like eating candy!! They'll also have them at the Orange County HomeGrown Farmers Market. Seeing those local cherry tomatoes got me inspired to include this delicious chicken salad recipe. It can be made in advance, so it's perfect for a party or picnic. Nicoise [nee-SWAHZ] is a French phrase that means "as prepared in Nice," typifying the cuisine found in and around that French Riviera city. This cooking style is identified with hot and cold dishes that include the integral ingredients of tomatoes, black olives, garlic and anchovies. Nicoise Salad usually contains these basic ingredients plus French green beans, onions, tuna, hard-cooked eggs and herbs. The recipe below is a variation using chicken.

1 whole chicken breast
· 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon or 1 can chicken broth
· 5 whole cloves
Add water to cover. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer 20 minutes. Remove skin and bones from chicken and tear into pieces when cool enough to handle.
· ½ pound fresh green beans, whole
· 4 small red potatoes or ½ pound, sliced ¼ inch
· 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
· 1 ounce can chopped or sliced black olives, drained
· fresh spinach or leaf lettuce (optional)

Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch first the beans, and then the potatoes until the beans are crisp tender and the potatoes are cooked through. Plunge them in the ice bath to stop the cooking. Drain well.

· 2 Tablespoons olive oil
· 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt
· 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
· 4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
· 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
· ½ teaspoon dried oregano

Place dressing ingredients in a jar and shake until thoroughly combined. Toss the salad ingredients with the dressing and serve.

Fresh Corn Salad

Recipe from Martha Stewart Living Magazine and Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

If I was a writer, I'd write an ode to Orange County sweet corn. When we drive about the county, we leave the windows open, even in the heat, just so we can smell the corn fields. I love that smell! Working at the Orange County HomeGrown Farmers Market, I can tell you that things get serious when the sweet corn arrives, so I know I'm not alone in my love for this vegetable. Since shucking corn and cutting the kernels off the cob is a messy affair, I do this job outside. I take my cutting board, large bowl and chef knife out there and shuck away. If you can't wait until Tuesdays or Saturdays to purchase local corn, you're in luck! You can get it at Lost River Market & Deli too! Fresh Corn Salad seems like such a plain name for such a fabulous salad. Every time I make this salad, it's gone within minutes. I always serve it in a bowl that's cobalt blue in color with a sprig of our purple basil on top. It really shows off the golden kernels.

5 Tablespoons olive oil (divided)
8 cups fresh corn kernels
1 ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup red onion, diced
¼ cup scallions, sliced (Scallions are green onions)
2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
1 cup fresh basil leaves, slivered (Purple basil is beautiful in this salad.)

Heat 3 Tablespoons olive oil in a skillet and sauté corn kernels for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix with the remaining ingredients. Serve cold or at room temperature.

White Bean Salad with Zucchini and Parmesan

Recipe from Everyday Food Magazine and Husband-Tested in Alice Wootton’s Kitchen

Here's an easy recipe to make that is delicious and full of good-for-you fiber. This makes a very nice side dish, but if you're trying to watch your meat intake, this salad makes a great vegetarian dinner. The cannelloni beans are very filling. They can be found at Lost River Market & Deli. I always keep a few cans of these beans in my pantry because they're great to add to any kind of salad or soup. Of course, you'll be able to get the local required for this recipe at Lost River Market & Deli or the Orange County HomeGrown Farmers Markets. Be sure to use fresh lemon zest and juice. Lemon zest is the outer yellow skin of the lemon. The white pith just beneath the zest is very bitter, so be sure not to get any of that in the salad.

2 cans (15.5 ounces each) cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed
¾ pound zucchini (about 2 small), trimmed, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced on the diagonal
4 ounces green beans, trimmed, blanched and sliced into bite sized pieces on the diagonal
2 ounces fresh Parmesan cheese, crumbled (about ½ cup)
½ cup fresh basil leaves, torn (purple basil is really pretty in this salad)
grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Coarse Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

· Place all beans, cheese and basil in a large bowl and combine gently.
· In a small bowl, whisk the zest, lemon juice and oil together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour over salad, toss to combine and serve.

Per Serving: 205 Calories; 7.7 gm Fat; 11.2 gm Protein; 24 gm Carbohydrates; 6.7 gm Fiber

Zucchini and/or Yellow Summer Squash Casserole

Recipe from Miriam B. Loo’s Family Favorites Cookbook and husband-tested in Alice Wootton’s Kitchen

I don’t usually make casseroles, but this one is addictive and I can’t help myself. (Well, actually, I help myself to plenty of it when it’s around!) This recipe came from a cookbook that my son gave to me on my birthday with the help of my mother-in-law when he was only 6 years old, and I can tell you that I’ve made this every year ever since. It’s quite colorful if you use a mixture of zucchini and yellow summer squash, which you’ll find plenty of this time of year at Lost River Market & Deli and the Orange County HomeGrown Farmers Market. This is perfect for those times when you’re asked to bring a “covered dish” to a party. You won’t have leftovers, so if you want some for lunch the next day, you better make two batches! It’ll keep for a couple of days in the fridge and can be reheated in the microwave. To make ahead, just cook, drain and chill the veggies. Mix and chill the soup & sour cream. Just before you’re ready to bake, assemble the all the parts and you’ll be good to go.

2 lbs. squash, sliced
¼ cup chopped onion
1 can cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup
1 cup dairy sour cream
1 cup shredded carrots
1 8 oz. package seasoned stuffing mix
½ cup butter, melted
Kosher salt, to taste

Bring water to a boil. Add a bit of salt. Place squash slices and chopped onion in the boiling salted water. Cook for about 3 minutes or until squash is crisp tender and brightly colored. Drain. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the chicken soup and sour cream. Add the shredded carrots, squash and onions. Add salt to taste. In another bowl, combine the stuffing mix with the melted butter. Spread half of the stuffing/butter mixture in the bottom of a 12” x 7” x 2” baking dish. Spoon the vegetable mixture on top of the stuffing, then sprinkle the top of the vegetables with the rest of the stuffing mixture. Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes until hot and bubbly and the top is brown and crisp.

Serves 6

Zucchini Spiced Bread

Recipe from Everyday Food Magazine and Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Last year after the Zucchini 500 Races at the Orange County HomeGrown Farmers Market (Orleans, IN) we were swamped with zucchini. I brought lots of zucchini home from the market, ran them through my food processor shredder blade and put the zucchini in the freezer for my fall baking. Rather than heat up your kitchen with the oven during the heat of the summer, freeze the zucchini, making a note on the freezer container to check this blog for the recipe this fall. The bread is moist and full of flavorful spices! Your house will smell divine while the bread is baking. (And, you'll be heating your house with the oven on!) One of the best things going at Lost River Market & Deli is the bulk spice section where you will find a whole host of spices. (You can even reuse your spice bottles/containers. Just give your container to one of the friendly checkers and they'll weigh it for you. Then head back to the spice section, scoop out what you need and pay for just what you added to your container.) Store your spices in a dark place so that they last longer. I keep mine in a large drawer with dot labels on top of the lids so that I can see at a glance what spices I have.

Nonstick cooking spray
1 large zucchini
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan with cooking spray, and set aside. Grate zucchini on the large holes of a box grater (to yield 1 3/4 cups); set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together sugars, oil, vanilla, and eggs.
Into a small bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, and stir to combine well. Stir in grated zucchini.
Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes; invert onto a wire rack, then reinvert, top side up. Cool completely before slicing.

**Cooks who wrote in to the website where I got this recipe said they added chocolate chips and nuts to the batter. Sounds like a yummy idea to me!

Alice's Chicken in the Garden Soup

Recipe from Alice's Kitchen

This soup is a great way to use all the bounty from a summer garden. The lime juice may sound like a strange addition, but I think it really brightens the taste of the soup and makes the soup especially delicious. Serve this soup with fresh lemonade, mint iced tea or even margaritas. Af fruit sorbet would make a perfect ending to this meal. All of the ingredients can be found at Lost River Market & Deli.

Ingredients
4 peppers, chopped (a mixture is nice…green or red bell, poblano & banana pepper)
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 large white onion, chopped
4 - 5 cloves of garlic
1 heaping Tablespoon cumin seeds
2 - 3 Tablespoons peanut oil
1 fresh bay leaf or Kaffir leaf, optional
6 - 8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
meat and juices from a roasted chicken **
kernels cut from 4 - 6 ears of fresh sweet corn
4 – 5 fresh tomatoes, chopped
½ cup or more of fresh cilantro, minced
juice of 1 or 2 limes
1 or 2 avocados, peeled and cut into cubes
freshly grated Monterey jack pepper cheese
tortilla chips
lime wedges

Heat a very large stockpot and add the cumin seeds. Toast the seeds until fragrant. Add the peanut oil. Add the peppers, onion and garlic. Sauté a few minutes. Drop in the bay leaf or Kaffir lime leaves. Add the broth. Bring to a boil. (You can stop at this point, cool the pot and then either refrigerate or freeze for later.) Add the chicken and its juices. Add the sweet corn and tomatoes. Simmer 5 – 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaf or Kaffir lime leaves. Add the juice of one lime.
Serve the soup topped with grated pepper cheese, chopped cilantro, avocado, tortilla chips and a wedge of lime. (To make soup even heartier, serve over cooked rice.)

*If you wish, instead of using a roasted chicken, you can just put a whole chicken in a large pot. Add water and broth to cover. Add some black peppercorns, a couple of carrots and celery sticks and a large onion. Bring it to a boil, then cover and simmer until chicken is done. Remove the chicken and let cool. Strain the broth. Remove the meat from the chicken bones and tear into bite-sized pieces. Use the broth and chicken for the above recipe.

Beet Salad with Beet Greens & Feta

Recipe from Bon Appetit Magazine 

Husband-Tested in Alice Wootton’s kitchen

Good cooks never discard the nutritious beet greens. Here, the greens are combined with roasted beets, capers and feta in a Greek-inspired salad. This was my very first experience with fresh beets years ago. This is a great salad to introduce yourself and your family with fresh beets and beet greens. Capers and feta really make this salad especially nice. The salad is pretty to look at too! Find the ingredients for this nutritious salad at Lost River Market & Deli and Orange County HomeGrown Farmers Markets.

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon minced garlic

7 medium-large beets (about 3 inches in diameter) with greens

1 cup water

2 tablespoons chopped drained capers

3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 3 ounces) (blue cheese or goat cheese make great substitutes)

Preheat oven to 375°F.  (See Note)  Whisk oil, vinegar and garlic in small bowl to blend. Season dressing generously with salt and pepper.
Cut green tops off beets; reserve tops. Arrange beets in single layer in 13x9x2-inch baking dish; add 1 cup water. Cover; bake until beets are tender when pierced with knife, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Peel beets while warm. Cut beets in half and slice thinly. Transfer to large bowl. Mix in capers and 1/4 cup dressing. Season with salt and pepper.
Cut stems off beet greens; discard stems. Wash greens. Transfer greens, with some water still clinging to leaves, to large pot. Stir over high heat until just wilted but still bright green, about 4 minutes. Drain greens; squeeze out excess moisture. Cool; chop coarsely. Toss greens with the remaining dressing and add to the beets. Toss gently. Sprinkle with the feta cheese.

Note:  When the weather is hot, don’t use the oven to cook the beets.  Just place the beets in a saucepan and cover with water.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Cook until beets are fork tender.

Peach Ice Cream

Makes 1 quart

The local peaches are in so it's time to celebrate this delectable fruit and make ice cream!
You can get local peaches grown on Carl & Teri's French Lick farm at Lost River Market & Deli. This recipe is tried, true and perfectly wonderful. When I first made this years ago, I thought it strange that you don't peel the peaches, but leaving the skin on really punches up the peach flavor in the ice cream. It's really easy to make to with no cooking involved, so the kids can help!

3-4 large ripe peaches, sliced but not peeled
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
Fresh mint sprigs, for garnish (optional)
1. Combine peaches, lemon juice, and 1/2 cup sugar in a nonreactive bowl. Let sit for 2 hours, covered. Stir occasionally.
2. Lightly mash peaches with potato masher. Stir in milk and vanilla; let stand for 1/2 hour.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat egg and egg yolk at high speed until light in color. Gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, beating until incorporated. Lower speed and add cream, then peach mixture; mix to blend. Pour into ice-cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. (If using a hand-cranked ice-cream maker, first chill shell of the machine for 24 hours in the freezer.) Serve in goblets and garnish with fresh mint sprigs.

Emeril's Caribbean Chicken

Recipe from Everyday Food Magazine and Husband Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Our friend, Andy, had a birthday a couple of weeks ago, so we had him and his wife, Linda, over for a nice lunch. We used local chicken bought at Lost River Market & Deli along with all of the other ingredients for this dish and the side dishes. Because I thought this would be a bit spicy, I served a cool creamy cole slaw (recipe on this blog) and a green salad using local produce. The marinade flavored the chicken nicely, but we didn't find it spicy hot at all, so don't be afraid of the jalepenos. For a special treat because it was a birthday dinner, I served the Chantilly Merengues with Pastry Cream with Cognac (recipe on this blog) topped with raspberries and blueberries from our garden along with gooseberries we got at the Orange County HomeGrown Farmers Market which are also available at Lost River Market & Deli. We are so fortunate to have these wonderful sources of our local bounty right here in Orange County!



Serves 4-6 people

4 scallions, ends trimmed, cut into thirds
2 to 4 jalapeno chiles (or to taste), stems and seeds removed if you wish it to be milder (use gloves)
6 garlic cloves, peeled
3-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons light-brown sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin-pie spice
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 whole chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds), giblets and liver discarded (I used 4 chicken breasts bone in plus 8 chicken legs.)
Vegetable oil, for grates
Coarse salt
In a food processor, combine scallions, chiles, garlic, ginger, lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, pumpkin-pie spice, and thyme; puree into a thick paste. Set aside.
To butterfly chicken: Using a knife or poultry shears, cut out the backbone. With a heavy pot, crack breastplate so the bird lays flat. Place butterflied chicken in a gallon-size resealable plastic bag. Rub reserved paste over chicken, and seal bag. Refrigerate for 12 hours (or up to 1 day).
Heat grill to medium-low; lightly oil grates. Wipe chicken with paper towels to remove excess paste, and season with 1 tablespoon coarse salt. Place, skin side down, on grill and cook, turning occasionally, until lightly charred and an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of a thigh (avoiding bone) registers 165 degrees, 35 to 40 minutes (if browning too quickly, move to a cooler part of grill). (It took about 5 minutes longer on our grill.) Let rest 5 minutes before serving.