Sweet and Hot Curried Zucchini Pickles
· 3 pounds zucchini, ends trimmed, cut into very thin rounds, 1/8-inch thick
· 2 red onions about the size of baseballs, peeled and cut into thin slices
· 3 to 4 colorful chile peppers of your choice, cut into thin rounds
· 1/4 cup kosher or other coarse salt
· 1 cup seedless golden raisins (optional)
· 2 3/4 cups distilled white vinegar
· 3/4 cup sherry
· 1 1/2 cups orange juice
· 2 cups sugar
· 2 tablespoons prepared curry powder
· 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
· 1 teaspoon whole allspice berries
· 1 teaspoon whole cloves
· 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
· 1 piece of ginger, size of your thumb, peeled and sliced into very thin coins
· 1. In a large nonreactive bowl, combine the zucchini, onions, chilies, and salt, and let them stand for 1 hour. Drain and rinse twice to remove the salt, then add the grapes and set aside.
· 2. In a medium nonreactive saucepan, bring all the remaining ingredients except the ginger to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring once or twice to dissolve the sugar. Pour the hot liquid over the squash mixture; the squash should be amply covered or slightly afloat. Add the ginger to the squash mixture, allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate.
· 3. These pickles develop great flavor within a couple hour of refrigeration and will keep well, covered and refrigerated, for 3 to 4 weeks.
AND....... Summer Stir Fry
http://mostlyfoodstuffs.blogspot.com/2011/07/summer-stir-fry.html
by deena from portland, Oregon
Monday, July 25, 2011
A few years back I was discussing the television show The Wire with a friend, talking about its gritty depiction of drugs, police and poverty in Baltimore. My friend observed that it was this amazing, compelling window into a world that she just never, ever, ever wanted to visit. To a limited extent, I feel that way when I read certain blogs.
Like many blog readers, I have a mild obsession with The Pioneer Woman. I linger dreamily over her descriptions of life on a ranch, of storybook romance, of the grown-up fantasy of Little House on the Prairie meets a Viking range and high speed internet (and without the smallpox and scarlet fever). But the recipes? I generally am not going to go there.
Summer Stir Fry
inspired by The Pioneer Woman
serves ~3-4
1-2 Tbsp butter or olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3/4 lb shrimp
2 zucchinis, thinly sliced
3 ears of corn, kernels sliced off (if you have a bundt pan, jamming the ear into the center ring and slicing so that kernels fall into the pan works brilliantly)
juice of 1/2 lime
1 handful basil, thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 avocado, cubed
Heat a large skillet over a medium-high flame. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter or oil, and then the garlic and saute until just beginning to turn golden. Add the shrimp, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are just barely cooked through. Pour the shrimp and garlic out into a large bowl, and set aside.
Add the zucchini to the pan, with additional butter or oil if needed. Sautee until softened and beginning to color. Remove from the pan (you can just add it to the same bowl as the shrimp and garlic).
Add the corn to the skillet, and cook just a minute or two until it turns a darker color but is still crisp. Turn off the flame, and add the corn to the shrimp and zucchini. Season the mixture with the lime juice, basil, and salt and pepper. Mix well, and adjust seasonings as needed. Add the cubed avocado, and stir gently to mix. This is great warm from the skillet, or cold from the fridge.
