6-8 med. to large navel oranges
6-8 small sweet potatoes
2 tbl. butter
2 tbl. orange concentrate
1 tbl. grated orange peel
1/4 tsp. cardamon
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 c. of real maple syrup
salt & pepper to taste
Cut tops off oranges, scoop out pulp, chop pulp. Boil sweet potatoes till tender, peel, and roughly mash. Add orange pulp, seasonings, orange peel, mix and stuff back into oranges. In glass casserole pan, arrange oranges, melt butter and mix in orange concentrate, salt & pepper to taste. Drizzel over oranges and bake 45 minutes at 375 degree or until top’s begin to brown…
Excellent with Northwestern Rock
Salada.

Enjoy!

Blanch green tomatoes, peaches and bell peppers in hot for 2 min., peel off skin, remove seeds, slice thin. Sprinkle tbl. of sea salt over tomatoes and bell peppers let stand over night, drain off liquid – reserve. In deep stainless steel soup pot, skin ginger and slice, pour in reserved tomatoe and pepper liquid with just enough water to just cover ginger – bring to hard boil for 1 minute then to simmer and cook an hour. Combine sugar, vinegar and spices with ginger, cook at a simmer for another 1/2 hour. Add all other ingredients except apples, tomatoes and simmer another 2 hours, then add apples and tomatoes simmering for another hour (stirring constantly). Spoon carefully into hot prepared canning pint jars while hot and seal. Label date and allow to mature till around Thanksgiving/Christmas, give as gifts and use during holidays…ot other if any left.

4 medium green tomatoes, sliced thinly
2 tbsp berbere spice blend or chili powder spice blend
1/2 c cornstarch
4 large egg whites beaten
canola oil for frying
Garnish with lime wedges or lime juice, salt and cilantro leaves.
Heat 1 inch of oil in a deep skillet to 350 degrees. In a shallow dish combine cornstarch with spice blend. In second shallow dish whisk together egg whites. Dredge tomato slices in cornstach then egg whites. Fry in batches for 4 minutes turning halfway through cooking until golden brown, drain on paper towel lined plate. Serve garnished with lime juice, salt and cilantro leaves.
Serves 2-4 as an appetizer.

1 tablespoons olive oil (whatever oil you have on hand works)
1/2 pound steak, cut into small cubes (preferably grass fed)
1 pound zucchini
1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 cup snow peas
1.5 inch piece ginger, minced
1 14.5 ounce can light, unsweetened coconut milk (exact number of ounces really doesn’t matter, and regular coconut milk would be fine–I just used what was available at my grocery store)
1/4 cup lime juice
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon Thai red curry paste
handful sliced fresh basil
1 cup brown rice

Cook rice according to package instructions. You can also use white rice or buckwheat, if you prefer. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add steak and cook until slightly browned. Add all vegetables except snow peas and sauté until they begin to soften. Add ginger and stir vigourously. Add coconut milk, lime juice, soy sauce, and curry paste. Stir thoroughly to mix ingredients. Simmer about 15 minutes. Stir in basil and snow peas. Serve skillet ingredients over rice (or other grain).

Here’s the link to the original recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Thai-Tofu-with-Zucchini-Red-Bell-Pepper-and-Lime-231440

Honestly, this can really be changed to fit any dietary preference (can easily be made vegetarian/vegan) or season (except winter, perhaps) by eliminating meat and using different vegetables/grains. I have so many veg friends, and friends and family members with food allergies, that I love any recipe that is easily adaptable.

Corn Pancakes

corn scraped from 2 cooked ears
1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder

1 egg
3/4 cup yogurt
2 TBSP melted butter

Saute the onion in a little olive oil until soft and mix with the corn in a large bowl. Mix dry ingredients in a small bowl. Add egg, yogurt and melted butter to corn and onion. Mix well and add dry ingredients. Cook on a buttered or oiled medium hot griddle, flipping once.

Cornelian Cherry Syrup

Harvest cornelian cherries (cornus mas) and pick off the stems. Cover with a little water, bring to a boil, and simmer for half an hour. Put the cooked fruit into a clean pillowcase and squeeze the juice; mix with remaining cooking juices and measure. Add an equal measure of sugar, and cook until sugar dissolves. Jar this like jam.

Delicious Roasted Root Vegetables
serves 4-6
prep time: less than 10 minutes
baking time: 45-55 minutes
2 sweet potatoes, peeled
2 red potatoes
1 large onion, peeled
3 carrots
1 beet, cleaned and trimmed
1/4 cup olive oil
3- 3 inch long sprigs of thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked peppercorn blend

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Clean and peel the root vegetables; then chop into about 1/2 inch pieces. Place into a 13×9 baking dish (preferably glass). Drizzle with olive oil. Remove the leaves from the stems of the thyme and sprinkle over the root veggies. Sprinkle with the sea salt and pepper. Lightly toss to coat. Place into the 350 degree oven and bake for 40-55 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. The beet turns it a delightful red color, but if the bright beautiful color isn’t appealing to you, you can replace with turnip, or parsnip, or whatever other root veggies you might have! I love the sweetness of the root vegetables and the beautiful presentation! Enjoy!

Gardens down South often produce an abundance of produce during the summer months. While much is canned and put away for winter it is a treat to use as much as possible while fresh straight from the garden.

4 zucchini
3 red bell peppers
1 large onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 teaspoons salt, divided
2 pounds freshly ground chuck
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Vegetable oil, for brushing grill rack
6 good-quality hamburger buns, split
8-10 fresh basil leaves
Slices of fresh ripe tomato
Soft goat cheese

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high.

Slice zucchini length-wise into ¼ inch slices, slice bell peppers in half and slice onion into ½ rings. Toss cut vegetables with olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt. Grill 6-8 minutes on each side until tender. Remove from heat, peal and slice bell peppers into strips and set aside until burgers are finished and ready for assembly.

Make patties by placing the ground beef and water with 2 teaspoons salt and black pepper in a large bowl. Mix together avoiding over compaction of the mixture. Shape into 6 patties sized to fit buns. Brush the hot grill rack with vegetable oil. Cook patties, keeping covered and turning once until done to personal preference, (for medium cook 5 to 7 minutes on each side). Warm buns by placing, cut side down, on the outer edges of the grill rack during the last few minutes of grilling.

To assemble burgers, place a grilled patty on the bottom bun slice and top with slices of zucchini, bell pepper and onion. Top with chopped basil and slices of tomato. Season slices with salt and pepper, if desired. Spread goat cheese on sliced side of top bun. Add the top bun and serve.

Makes 6 burgers