GRANPA LOVES SUMMER BARBECUE COOKING

Summer barbecuing is so tasty. Last night steak barbecued with some corn on the cob cooked with the  husk. Accompanying the steak and corn a Greek salad using some romaine lettuce from the garden. Tonight chicken legs on the barbecue with grilled eggplant using the new grill accessory bought by Barb. Used the remainder of some meat sauce, making a few rigatoni along with fried zucchini pieces and peppers- picked fresh from the garden for our meal. Of course we eat outside as much as possible. Barb works inside all day so wants as much of the outdoor life as possible. I like to annoy Barb as soon as we eat asking what should we have for dinner tomorrow. She always reminds of the story of her first trip to Italy in 1991. My cousin Maria Pia was a great cook and would spend hours cooking the evening meal. At one of Barb's first meals, everyone was eating the delicious food, not commenting on it but talking about what would be for dinner the next day. Well it's an Italian thing, what can I say?

PIZZA ITALIAN STYLE FOR A SATURDAY NIGHT

Real Italian pizza can include anything. Tonight I am making 2 pizzas one with swiss chard from the garden and the other with zucchini slices. Healthy-yes? Buy some pizza dough from an Italian place like Grande Cheese locally. There are many recipes for making your dough if you want! Spreading it on a greased pizza pan or cookie sheet works before putting the ingredients on the dough! Watching my weight lately, fresh veggies are good! Barb will take some pictures I am sure. Saturday night with pizza and salad  is a good meal. Barb likes a glass of wine with her meal!

ITALIAN VEGGIE MIX-VEDURE ENSIEME

A good and easy way to enjoy some vegetables is my "veggie mix". It is a fun dish to use eggplant if you are not a fan of eggplant.

INGREDIENTS

Eggplant.
Zucchini.
Red pepper.
Potato.
Frozen tomatoes or canned tomatoes.
Olive Oil. Garlic. Salt. Pepper

DIRECTIONS

Chop and dice all the vegetables to have them ready.
Fry some diced garlic-clove or two in olive oil in the pan.
Put the chopped veggies in the pan to cook.
Add the tomatoes. I like to use my frozen ones from the summer-peeling off the skin when warm. But you can use canned if you want.
The juice from the tomatoes gives it the moisture needed.
Salt and pepper to taste.


The dish is ready when you have your veggies cooked as much as you like. The dish for me is mushy so the veggies are well cooked.
It can be eaten as a lunch or side dish. With some crunchy bread of choice it is a tasty non-meat dish.
An added note-other veggies of choice can be added like carrots, onions, green peppers etc. It is a good way to use any vegetables that are starting to soften or have bruised spots. Of course if you find you have added too much oil, just drain before eating.
#italianveggiemix#granpalovestocook#vedureensieme#potatoinaveggiemix#waystouseeggplant#waystousesucchini#redpepperinaveggiemix

ZUCCHINI-ZUCCHINA-MAKE THOSE ZUCCHHINI FLOWERS

Zucchini is a great green vegetable. Good for the Diabetic person! It can be bought year round now. The best zucchini can be grown in your summer garden. Barb told me it can also be called a courgette as it is known in Britain and perhaps the USA.

Anyone who has grown zucchini has the experience " what do I do with all of them?"

It can be sliced fresh and used in a veggie platter with your favourite dip.

The zucchini can be sliced in small strips and fried in oil and garlic used as a vegetable for the dinner.

Many recipes use a variety of vegetables and zucchini is a good one to add.

If you are growing zucchini, it starts as a yellow flower that grows into the long vegetable. Pruning the zucchini plant is important and the flowers can be used.

 I am writing about two of my favourite dishes today.

ZUCCHINI CASSEROLE

INGREDIENTS

Several zucchini.
Tomato sauce. Precooked. See my basic sauce or use a canned or jar of sauce of choice.
Eggs.
Milk.
Bread crumbs (optional).
Garlic.
Parmeasean cheese.
Garlic bud or tow.
EVOO- tablespoon.

DIRECTIONS

Wash the zucchini well.

Slice into long pieces.

Layer between clean tea towels or paper towels adding salt on each layer. The zucchini is very moist and this helps to take out the moisture.

Leave for a couple of hours.

Mix the egg and milk together.

Put bread crumbs on a plate.

Put the zucchini slice in the milk/egg mixture, roll and flip in the bread crumbs.

Fry in heated pan, flipping to cook well.

Layer in an oven dish putting the cooked tomato sauce on each layer. Salt and pepper to taste.

Top with parmesean cheese to taste and bake in the oven at 350 degrees F. until done. One-half hour to an hour.

Lately to save on calories and time, I usually make it now without the frying of the zucchini.

I simply use the zucchini pieces, layering with  the tomato sauce in an oven dish. Salt and pepper to taste. Of course, topping with the parmesean cheese, then bake.

It can be served straight out of the oven. However, if you let it sit before serving, the zucchini will absorb the sauce so it is not as runny.

When serving, cut into squares to suit the number of people you are serving.

Adolph's style-  if you use a large pan, you can make enough for more than one meal. Barb often takes a piece for her lunch the next day.

A fun summer recipe is the next one.

FRIED ZUCCHINI FLOWER

This is a fun dish to make. My children Natasha and Sonya used to love eating their Nonna's Zucchini "fish" as she would call them.

INGREDIENTS

Zucchini flowers.
Egg.
Milk.
Flour.
Vegetable oil.

DIRECTIONS

Pick flowers from different plants as part of the pruning. Making sure to leave many behind so the zucchini will grow.

Wash the flowers well. Be careful when you pick them. One time when I picked flowers at dusk, they had closed up. I had put them in the sink in cold water. When Barb was helping me wash them, there was a buzzing as a bee was trapped inside one. Good thing it did not sting her as she is allergic to bee and wasp stings!

Dip the flower into some flour that was placed on a plate.

Dip a flower at a time into the bowl of the egg'/milk mixture.

Shake excess then fry in a heated pan with some vegetable oil of choice. Flip to make sure each side is done almost a little crispy.

Eat when warm.

If too oily, pat dry the oil with a papertowel.

There can be other uses for the versatile zucchini. I need to think and will probably add some other ideas in a summer post!!
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