My favorite summer recipes

Activity # 5 of the blog party.

This was actually my idea to Megan :D I love to cook and bake and I thought it would be fun to get other recipes! Megan said we can enter up to three recipes.

Here we go:

~Garden Veggie Soup~

{This is SO yummy! I don't follow a recipe, so I'll try to tell you how I do it.}

Go in your garden and pick veggies that are in season.

Here are some of my favorites:

-Summer Squash

-Carrots

-Onions

-Green onions

-Green beans

-Sugar snap or green peas

-Corn

-Tomatoes

-Garlic

-Celery

-Peppers

Other things you will need:

-tomato juice or tomato paste

(or if you have an abundance of tomatoes, make your own tomato puree. This always tastes really good.)

-Broth

-Salt

-Pepper

Okay, now you want to rinse off the vegetables if you spray anything on your plants ( I hope you don't!). Now dice and chop them all up.

Heat a small amount of oil in a pot until it is just on the verge of smoking.

Add the veggies (not the tomatoes- wait on those).

Saute them for about 4 minutes. You may have to turn the heat down a little so they don't burn it is okay if the vegetables caramelize. There is a difference between burnt vegetables and caramelized vegetables. After 4 or 5 minutes, add the tomatoes. Mix them with the vegetables. Stir on the heat for another minute or so. Add your broth and juice/paste/puree. Add as much as you want-- until it looks like a soup you would eat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Adjust anything and serve hot with fresh bread, really good cheese and a salad fresh from the garden. YUM!!

****************

~Rhubarb Sauce~

{Again, this is something we make without a recipe so I'll have to go by memory!}

Rhubarb

Sweetener (sugar, maple syrup, honey)

Cornstarch (optional. You can add this if you want your sauce to be thicker. Sometimes we add this, other times not. I like it both ways)

Strawberries (optional, only use if in season)

Chop up the rhubarb into pieces about 1/2 to 1/4" wide.

Put it into a saucepan and place over medium heat with some water in the bottom of the pan. not too much water or the sacuse will end up being watery but enough so it does not burn. Slice/chop some strawberries (not a whole lot as this is mainly for the color). Add it too the rhubarb. Take a small amount of cornstarch and pick it with little water. Bring the sauce to a low boil and slowly add the cornstarch. Let it boil until it thickens slightly (you don't want it too thick). Turn the heat down and simmer until the rhubarb is tender and falling apart.

Serve. We like it plain, on yogurt, on icecream-- Anything! Enjoy!

*************

Basic Quiche Crust

{this is SO good! Mama has made it for as long as I can remember.}

~ plenty of dough for a single 9" pie~

1/4 c. Cold Butter

1/2 c. Whole wheat flour

dash of salt

Up to 3T water,milk or butter milk

Cutter butter into flour. Add salt. As you stir with a fork add the liquid-1T at a time; until the dough sticks to it's self readily and holds together. Roll out (use extra flour to prevent sticking) place in pie pan. Fill with:

Quiche Filling

Cheese forms a moisture resistant barrier between the filling and the crust. So: place 1/4-1/3 lb. of cubed or grated cheese on the crust.

Fill with a.) Spinach (1/2 lb. chopped and steamed)-with sautéed onions, dry mustard and nutmeg.

---OR---

b.) Asparagus with tarragon and dill (chopped and steamed of course)

---OR---

c.) your own combination

Add to this: A custard made by combining 3-4 eggs and 1-1/2 cups of milk ( Variations: sour cream or buttermilk instead of milk) Dust with paprika!

Bake 35-40 minutes at 375 OF

ENOJOY!