Grilled Green Beans

Last week, I came across a recipe for grilled green beans in a magazine. On Sunday, I decided to try it out; only simplified. I started out with a large handful of green beans; enough for two servings. I trimmed the beans and drizzled garlic infused olive oil over them. I then added about 1 tablespoon lemon juice and a couple of dashes of kosher salt and tossed the beans to throughly coat them. I let them sit and marinate for about 10 minutes. I them put them on the grill in a pan I made from a piece of reused tin foil. The original recipe called for a grill basket, but mine was full of grilled potato wedges. I grilled the green beans on the top rack of my barbecue for about 20 minutes, until lightly browned. They were wonderful!

Garden Vegetable Soups

Summer garden vegetables lend themselves well to fresh soups that can be eaten right away, sent to work as lunches, or frozen for later. I like to make big batches of soup so I can have leftovers. Most of these soups taste better the next day.

Taco Soup: This is a family favorite that is requested by my nieces and nephew every time they visit. I love that the vegetables and spices alone give this soup it's wonderful flavor. It is especially good when served with hot corn bread or quesadillas.

Ingredients:

1 large yellow onion chopped

2-3 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon canola oil

6 cups pureed tomatoes - overripe, slightly mushy, tomatoes provide the best flavor. (If you like, you can also add some chopped tomatoes). Or 2 cans crushed tomatoes plus water to make 6 cups

1 large bell pepper cut into long strips (or the equivalent in other mild peppers that you have on hand).

1 cup fresh chopped green beans or one can green beans

1 crook neck or yellow paddy pan squash, chopped

1 can black beans or 2 cups cooked black beans

2-3 tablespoons dried oregano or one bunch fresh oregano chopped

2-3 tablespoons cumin

1 tablespoon salt

1 cup fresh corn kernels or one can corn

Saute the onions and garlic with the canola oil in the bottom of a 6 quart sauce pan over medium heat until the onions are translucent and slightly brown around the edges. Add the rest of the ingredients. Stir thoroughly. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 30 min or until the green beans are tender. Serve topped with cheddar cheese or sour cream.

Tip: Garden tomatoes can be more acidic then canned. If the soup turns out to acidic, add 1-2 tablespoons of sugar to tame.

Tip 2: Sometimes pureed garden tomatoes can be a little short on flavor when cooked into a soup. If your soup doesn't have a strong tomato base, add one can tomato sauce.

Fresh Garden Chili:

1 large yellow onion, chopped

5-6 cloves garlic, crushed

1-2 tablespoons canola oil

6 cups pureed tomatoes - overripe, slightly mushy, tomatoes provide the best flavor. (If you like, you can also add some chopped tomatoes). Or 2 cans crushed tomatoes plus water to make 3 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed

2 large bell peppers, seeded, deveined, and chopped

2 anaheim peppers, seeded, deveined, and chopped

2 jalapeno peppers; seeded, deveined, and chopped

1 bunch fresh oregano, finely chopped, or 4-5 tablespoons dried oregano

2 bunches fresh cilantro, finely chopped, or 4-5 tablespoons cumin

2 tablespoons salt

2 cups corn kernals or one can corn

Saute the onions, garlic, and canola oil in the bottom of a large stock pot over medium heat until the onion are translucent and slightly brown around the edges. Add the tomato puree, peppers, oregano, salt, and cilantro. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and reduce to medium low heat and simmer for approximately 4 hours until the pinto beans are done. Add corn and simmer for 10 minutes more until corn is done. At this stage, taste the chili and add more spices if necessary.

Serve the chili topped with cheddar cheese, sour cream, shredded chicken, chopped tomatoes, chopped peppers, chopped avacados, pico de gallo, lime slices, or hot sauce. Serve with tortilla chips, tortillas or fresh corn bread.

Tip: Garden tomatoes can be more acidic then canned. If the soup turns out to acidic, add 1-2 tablespoons of sugar to tame.

Tip 2: Sometimes pureed garden tomatoes can be a little short on flavor when cooked into a soup. If your soup doesn't have a strong tomato base, add one can tomato sauce.

Summer Garden Veggie Pastas

There is one dish that my family can't get enough of: Pasta. Over the years, I have come up with some fun and delicious pasta recipes using fresh produce from my garden.

Pomodoro: This fresh and fun pasta sauce is one of my favorites to eat in the summer, especially when I can get fresh tomatoes from the garden still hot from the summer sun.

5-6 medium ripe tomatoes

1 Handful of fresh basil

1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed

salt

olive oil

Finely chop the tomatoes and basil. Mix together with crushed garlic, salt, and a drizzle of olive oil. Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes for the flavors to blend. Serve over hot pasta topped with parmesan cheese.

Pesto:

My basil plants always get out of control this time of year. The answer? Pesto. This fun sauce can be served at room temperature over hot pasta, as a zesty sandwich spread, or as a pizza sauce. I have also added a tablespoon to tomato soup to liven it up. I like to make my pesto with walnuts instead of the traditional pine nut. But, you can use pine nuts if you prefer.

2 cups fresh basil firmly packed

2-4 cloves garlic

1/2 cup walnuts

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1/4-1/3 cup olive oil

salt to taste

Remove large stems from basil and make sure you have a full two cups without stems. Pack basil, garlic, Parmesan cheese and salt in a food processor. Turn on the food processor on high and blend while drizzling in the olive oil. Allow food processor to run until the pesto reaches a smooth consistency. Enjoy!

Tip: I have found that my pesto will stay good in the refrigerator for months. Just allow to come to room temperature before using.

Fired Pasta: This is a family favorite dish inspired by Noodles and Company pasta dishes. This fun pasta works best when fired in a wok, but a large frying pan will do as well.

1/2 medium yellow onion

1-2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tbls. olive oil

6 cups fresh cooked pasta. I have found that penne pasta works best for this.

2-3 cups fresh garden veggies and herds: fresh tomato, fresh basil, fresh oregano, summer squash, eggplant, green beans, peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, olives, or whatever sounds good to you.

1/2 to 1 cup marinara sauce

Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and saute until they are translucent and slightly brown. Add the veggies according to cooking time. Add fresh pasta to the pan with veggies that take about ten minutes to cook. Toss pasta frequently, but allowing the noodles to toast a little. When the vegetables are fully cooked, add some of your favorite marinara sauce and toss to just coat the noodles. Enjoy.

Variations: Instead of adding marinara sauce, try roasted red pepper sauce, red wine vinegar, white wine or champagne vinegar, balsamic vinegar, or cream. Cream is a good complement to marinara sauce. But, don't use cream with vinegar.

Using your fresh garden produce.

Like many of you this August, my garden is running over with fresh produce. I have zucchinis, eggplant, basil, dill, carrots, about 10 types of peppers, green beans, chives, cucumbers, mint, peppermint, crook neck squash, and tomatoes, tomatoes and tomatoes. And that is just in the vegetable garden. I also have two red currant bushes and an apricot tree full of fruit. I have been pulling out old recipes and coming up with new ones to use my garden produce. So, I have decided to tell you what I am cooking to give you ideas on how to use summer's bounty.