Garden Soup - Local Ingredients Only

Day One:

2 Quarts canned tomatoes, pureed
1 small onion, minced
3 cups cut up potatoes
3 cups sliced carrots
1 patty pan squash, peeled and seeded, cut up
1 green zucchini, large shredded
and a sprinkling of seasoned salt from the store.

Day Two took the leftovers and added:
Another quart of tomatoes, pureed
1 lb. ground beef , scramble fried first
1 cup green peppers, cut up
more onion
and a sprinkle of chili powder with a bit more seasoned salt.

Both were really good and I would have added beans to the second night for a bit of a chili taste but I didn't grow any this year and wanted to see what I could cook using only local stuff.

Bruschetta in a Jar

from Tomatoes by Bernardin

9 cups chopped plum tomatoes about 3 1/2 lbs.
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. dried basil
2 Tbsp. dried oregano

Wash, seed and chop tomatoes into 1/2 inch pieces; measure 9 cups; set aside.

Combine garlic, white wine, wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, water, sugar and spices in a deep stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a full oil, reduce heat. Boil gently, covered, 5 minutes.

Lightly pack tomatoes into hot jars leaving 3/4 inch headspace. Add hot liquid to cover tomatoes. Using nonmetallic utensil, remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rim. Center lid and apply screw band.

Process in boiling water canner 20 minutes. I do everything in a pressure canner so I process the pint jars at 5 lbs. for 15 minutes.

Makes about 7 250ml jars.

I did 9 jars and stretched the liquid by filling each jar about 2/3 with the recipe and the remainder with boiling water.

Banana Chocolate-chip Muffins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, pre-grease muffin tins.

Mash up a bunch of old bananas, minimum of 3, and measure how many cupfuls you have.

For each cup of mashed banana add in order mixing after each addition:

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. of baking soda dissolved in 1 Tbsp. hot water
1 1/2 cups white flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Then add chocolate chips 1/2 cup for each cup of mashed banana.

Scoop into muffin tins, 2/3 full. Bake for 18 minutes, check for doneness, bake longer if necessary, pullout sooner if needed.

Grandpa's Playdough

Sift together in a medium pot:

1 cup white flour
1/4 cup salt
2 Tbsp. Cream of Tartar

In a bowl mix together:

1 cup water
2 tsp. food colouring
1 Tbsp. veg. oil
2 tsp. flavouring ( to make it smell pretty)

Add liquids to the pot, stir well then cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 3-5 minutes. When the playdough forms a ball in the pot turn it out onto a well floured counter and knead about 1 more cup of flour into it til it isn't sticky anymore.

This needs to be stored in an airtight container in the fridge when not being used.

(We've used this for party favours, the children just love it. Nothing like root beer scented playdough!)

Zucchini Pancakes (serves 8)

6 cups grated zucchini
6 eggs
1 onion, minced
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
pinch of oregano

Combine zucchini, eggs,onion. Mix dry ingredients together separately and then add to zucchini mixture. Drop by large spoonfuls onto hot griddle or fry pan. Serve warm with butter or freeze for later.

Oven Roasted Potatoes (serves 8)

leftover baked potatoes, cut into bite sized bits, about 4 lbs.
1/3 cup veg. oil
seasoning salt
pepper
garlic powder
1 onion minced

Toss bits of potato with oil and seasonings. Spread in two 10x15 pans, bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Stir frequently.

(When we make baked potatoes we do the whole 10 lb. bag and serve the leftovers like this the next day.)

Veggie Butter

2 cups softened margarine
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. dill weed (the green part, not the seeds)
1 tsp. thyme
2 green onions chopped
1 or 2 small tins of garlic tomato paste
1 large clove garlic well minced
salt to taste

Mix altogether well. Put into small containers and freeze till needed. Wonderful on toast, fresh out he oven bread, and on cheese and alfalfa sprout sandwiches.