Monthly Archives: June 2017

Easy Baked Zucchini Quesadillas

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Folks, it’s zucchini time.  We’ve been eating lots of zucchini lately and since National Sneek Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbors Porch Day isn’t until August, I’ve been experimenting.  The good news is that this abundant veg makes a delicious cake, and it also goes really well with…. cheese!  This is more of an idea/method than a recipe.  You will need some zucchini, some onion, maybe garlic, cheese of your choice, and tortillas.

Chop the onions first and saute in olive oil over medium heat until they are translucent.  Add the garlic if you’re using it, then the zucchini.  Cook the veg all together to desired doneness.  I like my squashes very well done, so this step took a while.  I also love to have leftovers, so I made a LOT.

Meanwhile, preheat the broiler in the oven and slice or shred your cheese.  Place tortillas on baking sheets and cover with cheese and the cooked zucchini mixture.  I took a picture of my tortillas spread with cooked veg and slices of cheese, but it was not a photogenic phase of the preparation process.  Place the pans in the oven and broil until the cheese is melted, then remove the pans and carefully fold the tortillas to ‘close’ the quesadillas.  Return pans to oven and broil until the tortillas are puffed and lightly browned.  Take the pans back out of the oven and flip the quesadillas, then brown the other side.  This only takes a few minutes per side, so keep an eye on it.  Serve with rice, beans, and fresh avocado!

Cool Cucumber Soup

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‘A garden to walk in and immensity to dream in – what more could he ask?  A few flowers at his feet and above him the stars.’ – Victor Hugo

This is the time of year when gardening is a pure pleasure.  It is that magical time in between spring and summer when everything is still lush, green, and full of promise.  Flowers are blooming, bees are busy doing their work, and the first of my favorite summer vegetables are coming in.  Cucumbers are absolutely the best when they are small and fresh off the vine.  My son loves pickles, so most of ours go into mason jars, but this year I tried something new.

Refreshing cucumber soup is so easy to make!  Just remember to blend the soup and chill for at least 8 hours before serving.  After a long rest in the refrigerator, the soup will be creamy and thick and delicious.  This soup is a wonderful appetizer since it is so light, or you can serve it with some sourdough bread sliced thin.  Absolutely yummy.

Cool Cucumber Soup

2 cups cucumber – peeled, seeded and roughly chopped

1/4 cup sweet white onion or scallion – roughly chopped

juice from 1/2 lime or lemon

3 Tablespoons plain greek yogurt

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

fresh dill to taste – about 1 large piece

1/4 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper

You will need about 4 or 5 small to medium cucumbers for this recipe, but the amounts do not have to be exact.  Wash, peel and seed the cucumbers.  To get the seeds out, slice them into long quarters and slide the knife down on an angle (see the picture above).  Place all the ingredients in a blender, food processor or smoothie maker and blend until everything is very well incorporated and smooth.  Pour the soup into a container, cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.  Serve cool with a garnish of fresh dill.  Let me know if you try this recipe!