Welcome to My Kitchen

Hot weather, when temperatures reach one hundred plus, can slow garden production. Zucchinis seem to be the exception, powering through with regular production, though the skin maybe a little thicker. These hot weather summer squashes are ideal for bread, cake and cookie making, as they are a bit dryer.

Garden to Table Cookbook, by Kayla Butts, is a recent addition to my collection. All the recipes are based on items you would grow in a garden or home orchard. Dark Chocolate Zucchini Bread, a recipe found in the book was a hit at a recent event, garnering many recipe requests.

Dark Chocolate

Zucchini Bread

2 medium zucchinis

3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1/4 cup vegetable or olive oil

1/4 cup plain yogurt

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup dark cocoa powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 8 x 4 inch loaf pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray, or grease well. Set aside.

Remove ends from zucchini and grate enough to make 2 cups over a colander. Using the back of a spoon, press zucchini against the colander to remove any excess liquid.

Transfer grated zucchini to a large mixing bowl. Add sugar, oil, yogurt, eggs and vanilla, mixing just until combined.

In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients and add to the zucchini mixture. Stir until just combined. Fold in half of the chocolate chips.

Transfer batter to prepared pan. Spread batter evenly and top with remaining chocolate chips. Bake bread for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Cool in pan 10 to 15 minutes, then carefully remove loaf from pan. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 1 loaf, about 10 slices.

Note: This recipe works with regular semi-sweet chocolate chips and regular cocoa powder, it just won’t be as dark.

Odessa’s Summer Recreation Cooking Class participants have been learning basic cooking skills while making foods fun to eat, and to share with others.

Don’t over-mix muffin and cake batters or your finish product will sink in the middle, measure ingredients carefully so your batter is not too thick or too thin and a handy hint for those who must leave nuts out of recipes, add 2 Tbsp extra flour to recipes to add the stability lost when you leave out nuts.

Last week the kids used all these tips preparing Carrot Cake Cupcakes and Cream Cheese Frosting. We used Ina Garten’s recipe, leaving out the raisins and the nuts, making it the kid friendly version.

Carrot Cake

Cupcakes

2 cups granulated sugar

1 1/3 cups vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 large eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp salt

3 cups grated carrots

1 cup raisins (optional)

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners and set aside.

In a large mixer bowl combine sugar, oil and vanilla and beat with an electric mixer until smooth, add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.

In a separate bowl combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. With mixer at low speed add half the flour mixture and beat until smooth, then with a wooden spoon, stir in the grated carrot, then the remainder of the flour mixture. Stir in nuts and raisins if using, mixing until just combined.

Fill each paper lined muffin cup 3/4 full. Bake 10 minutes, then reduce oven heat to 350 degrees and bake an additional 30 to 35 additional minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Carefully remove to wire racks to cool completely before frosting.

Note: to make it easier for the kids, we baked ours at 375 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes.

Cream Cheese

Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

3 cups powdered sugar, or more if you want a stiffer frosting

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine cheese and butter in a medium mixer bowl and beat at medium speed until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. Beat in vanilla. This makes a soft frosting, ideal for making fluffy tops on your cupcakes. Add more powdered sugar if you want a stiffer frosting for layer cakes. Yield: about 3 cups frosting.

Ruby red summer beets are at their prime now, and make wonderful, pickled beets. Pickled beets can be kept in the refrigerator for several weeks or water bath canned to enjoy year-round Sweet Pickled Beets from the 1983 edition of the Kerr Canning Book is and easy recipe for beginner home canners.

Sweet Pickled Beets

Small to medium size beets, about 5 pounds

2 cups granulated sugar

2 cups water

2 cups cider vinegar

1 tsp whole cloves

1 tsp whole allspice

1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

Wash and trim beet stems to 1 inch long. Cook beats in water to cover about 15 minutes or until skins can easily be removed. Drain and when cool enough to handle. Slip skins from beets, trim off stems and roots and pack into sterilized pint canning jars, cutting to size as needed.

Meanwhile combine remaining ingredients and heat to boiling. Pour boiling syrup over beets in jars, distributing spices evenly.

Cap jars with fresh lids and rings, screwing on finger tight. Process in boiling water bath 30 minutes for pints or quarts.

Share your favorite summer garden produce recipes by sending them to: Welcome to My Kitchen, c/o The Record Times, P.O. Box 66, Davenport, WA 99122, e-mail drew@cheneyfreepress.com or drop them in the Welcome to My Kitchen mail tin in The Recortd-Times office. Early morning and late evening watering of gardens and flowerbeds is very important on excessively hot days.