Basil and Mint Patty Pan Bake

Patty pan squash comes in a fun shape like a flying saucer and tastes like a squash or zucchini. Baby patty pans are 2-3 inches in diameter and can be eaten raw or cooked. It is small enough to be cooked whole. It can also be halved and stuffed or chopped up for salads, sauteing, roasting or grilling. Bigger patty pans may need to be peeled and sliced as they get harder as they get more mature.

 

 

 

<Ingredients>

5-6 Medium Patty Pans, sliced

1/2 cup melted butter

1 bunch basil, minced

1 handful mint, minced

salt to flavor

<Directions>

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees

2. Layer the patty pans and herbs and butter in a small baking dish and bake for 30 minutes.

This is great hot or cold!

Green and Red Crostinis

The green crostini modified and Adapted from Crostini with Zucchini Pesto

Ingredients for GreenCrostini(Zucchini Pesto)(enough for 4 crostinis)

1 zucchini, grated

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup basil, shredded

4 sprigs Italian parsley, finely minced

1 Tbsp nutritional yeast

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp freshly grated lemon zest

A handful of sun gold tomatoes, quartered

salt

pepper

‘Puccini’ Pumpkin Soy Gratin

This dish was inspired by a recipe from the Brown Rice Cafe In Tokyo.

Ingredients(1-2)

2 ‘Puccini’ Pumpkins, cut in half and de-seeded

A pinch of nutmeg

Olive Oil-for coating the pumpkin

Half an Onion- finely minced

2 Shitake Mushrooms from Spain Farm-finely chopped

Half Cup Cooked Chickpeas

1 cup soymilk

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 tsp cooking wine

6Tbsp flour

Dried thyme, oregano, marjoram  to taste *optional, can be substituted with your choice of herbs

Salt and Pepper to taste

Chinese Style Thai Bottle Gourd Stir Fry

The same gourds that made the complex of birdhouses  “Swallow Astoria” over on Lyle’s land, is edible when they are still green and small. Delicious as fritters or in stir fry, curry or soup.

We had this dish with fried eggs! I bet it's great with chicken or fish too!

Summer Fun with Leeks and Squash

A leek dish inspired by Angelina of Angelina’s Kitchen

I don’t think I had ever eaten a leek til I moved to the states. There are many varieties of green onions and scallions in Japan but not leeks. The first few times I had it, I only ate the white part. The green stuff just looked too tough to eat. Then we started growing them and Angelina wanted some for her kitchen. I asked her how she normally prepared leeks and I was blown away that she cooked the whole thing. When a leek is super fresh, the green part is tender enough to eat steamed. So don’t you throw away the green part! It is the best part!