Midwest Gardening 2021: Finally Crops and Garden Food

AD-Free Blog

 

Last weekend, the garden started to go into full swing for producing real crops. The first crop was the July 4th tomatoes. Sooo-oo-ooo sweet and delicious. 

oldnewgreenredo

  I highly recommend these for just popping into your mouth. They are similar to Caprese tomatoes you buy at the store. They get to about 2 1/2" across.

oldnewgreenredo

 Our summer squash, zucchini and pickles are really starting up also. Nothing is better than fresh veggies from the garden. 

oldnewgreenredo

Mix that with fresh picked basil or rosemary, dill in pickles...it is just the BEST!

So what's on the menu today. 

oldnewgreenredo

There isn't enough to can....but you can easily stir up some zucchini in stewed tomatoes. 

oldnewgreenredo

Recipe: Zucchini in Stewed Tomatoes

oldnewgreenredo

How about a chicken, vandalia onions, zucchini, and roasted tomatoes with fresh herbs. Just toss your meat choice, veggies with some olive oil and your favorite mix of fresh herbs and bake or grill. Use lemon juice to reduce the sodium in your meals.

oldnewgreenredo

Yellow Squash, Zucchini, tomatoes, onions, herbs, peppers done in a wok. Lightly cook...then seal in bags for freezing. Super in the winter when you crave some fresh garden tastes.

oldnewgreenredo

Too many tomatoes all at once---cut tomatoes in half (cherry or small tomatoes), spray with oil, the pan and the tomatoes. Put in the oven at 250 degrees and bake until they have begun to carmelize or begin to look dry. I bag these in 1/2-3/4 cup measure and freeze in sandwich bags. Add to tomato sauces spaghetti sauce, chilis, bake dishes, the flavor is so intense---just kicks everything up in flavor.

oldnewgreenredo

Our pickles haven't gone nuts yet...but soon.

oldnewgreenredo

Slippery Jims made with those cukes that have gone too large. Sweet and spicy, these pickles are  easy the recipe is HERE:

oldnewgreenredo

Home favorite is fresh sweet or dill pickles.

Fresh Danish (slightly sweet) Dill Pickles: HERE! 

oldnewgreenredo

Family favorite here is our  Refrigerator Dills, courtesy of Hubby's Mom.

oldnewgreenredo

These will stay crispy for a year in your refrigerator...Plant lots of dill for these scrumptious crunchy pickles.

Refrigerator Dills Recipe---so easy----HERE:

Other veggies we are harvesting right now: sugar snap peas for stir fry, Swiss chard is perfect in salads, stir fry, or blanched, and all sorts of lettuces and green onions. 

All these veggies are healthy and good for you. 

Have you ever tried zucchini hash browns are scrumptious!!! Just shred, toss, add chopped onion and peppers if desired, with olive oil or corn oil and fry on the griddle. Great side dish or throw an egg on them for a delicious breakfast almost carb free breakfast.

Our beans haven't blossomed yet, and our pickles will be going nuts with the next rain.

We are watering on a rotating schedule.

What are you 

HARVESTING IN YOUR GARDEN?  

If You enjoyed this post please FOLLOW IT in the upper right hand corner, to get just one email of each new post. 

I will read and happily respond to every 

                    comment and answer every question.

Please Join me at these fine blog parties:

Vintage Charms

Wonderful Wednesday

Vintage Charm

Friendship Friday

Spread the Kindness

All About Home

Please do not use my photos without a link back to this blog without my permission.

Thank you for your cooperation, 
Sandi 

 

oldnewgreenredo

 

Canning Italian Zucchini in Stewed Tomatoes

Ad-Free Blog

Our garden is our Green way of living on a lot 80 x 120. We avoid toxic chemicals, GMO seeds and harmful insecticides. We have well water---so even the chemicals used in processed water are avoided.

Though this year everything is late the garden...IT'S Going CRAZY all at once for a change, except for our peppers, which will be ready next week. Only thing I had to purchase for Mabel and Sandi's Italian Zuchinni in Stewed Tomatoes was the peppers, celery, and onions, and lemon juice.



This is an old family favorite. My mom and I concocted in the 1970's to replace our favorite shelf staple of 'Delmonte' Stewed Zuchinni, as stores weren't carrying it anymore. We used the label ingredients and improvised a bit and this is the version we came up with.



Prepare tomatoes: I use these techniques in my last post: Preparing Garden Tomatoes for Canning



MABEL and SANDI's
Italian Zucchini in Stewed Tomatoes Makes about 7 Quarts or 14 pints.

Stewed Tomatoes:

2 quarts of peeled and chopped tomatoes
1 cup of chopped celery
1 cup of chopped onion
1 cup of chopped peppers (green, yellow or orange)(sweet)
1/8 cup of minced spicy pepper or 1/4 tsp of hot pepper flakes (optional)

hand chop or put in electric chopper
1 head of garlic cleaned
1/4 cup of chopped parsley/cilantro
1/4 cup of chopped fresh basil.
1/8 cup of chopped fresh oregano
(you can use dried herbs if you desire, I've used Italian herb mix in the past)
bring the above ingredients just to a boil, process or move on to adding the zucchini.

(Stewed Tomatoes alone can be hot packed into hot jars and processed in a water bath canner---follow instructions from your favorite canning resource. In each quart jar, I add 2 Tbsp of lemon juice and 1tsp canning salt to each quart, or 1Tbsp lemon juice and 1/2 tsp. canning salt to each pint. This is your preservative, lemon for color and acidity and salt for preservation and flavor.


To make the Stewed Zuchinni add sliced zucchini to the stewed tomatoes. The rest of this recipe MUST be pressure canned!

ADD:
Add 12 cups of cut up zucchini and or summer squash (skins included) I cutaway any large seeds.
Bring to boil and simmer for 30-45 min. until almost totally cooked through (The zucchini will be somewhat transparent.)

Ladle into hot/sterilized jars.

MUST ADD THESE:
for Quarts ADD 2 Tbsp of lemon juice and 1 tsp. salt  (Lemon juice maintains acidic balance, salt is for preserving)  clean rims, add hot seals

Process  for 35 min at 10# in pressure canner -following manufacturer's instructions.

for Pints -ADD 1 Tsp of lemon juice and 1/2 tsp. salt

Process for 30 min at 10# in pressure canner-following manufacturer's instructions.

Flavors mingle and intensify during canning.  Add extra herbs/salt/or even sugar to taste when opened. Always reheat home processed canned goods to boil-temp before eating.

Remove from canner and cover with a few towels to let your jars cool down slowly.

ENJOY fresh tomatoes/zucchini all winter long.

Flavors mingle and intensify during pressure canning.  But, you can always add extra herbs/salt/or even sugar to taste when opened. Always heat home-canned goods to boil-temp before eating.

Great with served with sausage, hamburger, in soup, or served as a side dish with any pasta.

We got 2 quarts and 6 pints from this recipe, being two people the pints are the perfect size.

All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own. I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts or any products shown or anywhere I shop.

Thanks always for visiting. 

I will try and respond to every comment and answer every question.

Sharing at these Ad Free blog parties-with ads not in the middle of the blog (I'm going to try and see if this is possible)

Home and Garden Thursday
Thursday Favorite Things
Friday Favorites
Best of the Weekend
Wonderful Wednesday
Talk of the Town
Pink Saturday
Amaze Me Monday
Share Your Style

Grammy's Grid

Thank you for your cooperation,

 Sandi Magle