Fresh Salsa-

simpleandsavy.com

from the kitchen of: Christi Jardine- Stake Provident Living Leader 

Here is my favorite recipe for fresh salsa. It is quick and uses up those garden tomatoes. 

A great way to get your kids to eat veggies. Just make up a batch to have on the 

counter when they get home from school!

2 cups of fresh tomatoes* peeled (about 8 small, 4 med. or 2 large)

1/2 cup onion peeled cut into chunks

1/2 cup of green pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into chunks

1/2 teaspoon of sugar

1 teaspoon of salt

1/2 tablespoon of fresh cilantro, or 1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro

6-8 fresh oregano leaves,or 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano

1 T. lime juice or the juice from 1/2 fresh lime

1-2 jalapeno peppers for medium salsa, 2-3 jalapeno peppers for hot.

Place all in the blender and  puree until smooth! Enjoy with chips or on your favorite Mexican dish!

Refrigerate up to one week if it lasts that long!

*At least half of the tomatoes need to be Romas or the salsa will be watery.

**It is also great chunky. To make chunky salsa just finely chop all ingredients and mix in a bowl. Do not puree in the blender.

simpleandsavy.blogspot.com

Check out this great nutrition article by Joseph Crammer, M.D.  

Just another reason to eat our fruits and veggies!

The-pain-of-calorie-rich-malnutrition-in-the-United-States

Vegetable Borscht

 8th Ward Relief Society, Neighbor to Neighbor Cookbook, pg. 53

Borscht is a tradition Eastern or Central  European vegetable soup. It gets it's beautiful red color from beets. If you love vegetables try this soup it is delicious and will give your family a new cultural experience. This is the first time I have tried making borscht and my husband and I loved it! It would be be a fun Valentine's Day soup. This is a large recipe you may want to 1/2 it!

1/4 cup salad oil
3 med. carrots, shredded
1 large potato, diced
1/2 small head of cabbage, shredded
1 med. onion, diced
8 c. water
1 (16 oz.) can of diced tomatoes
1 lb. beets, julienned
3 beef bouillon cubes
2 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
sour cream for garnish (The sour cream makes this soup and you only need about 1 tablespoon!)

In a 5 quart pot heat salad oil. Cook over medium heat, carrots, potato, onion and cabbage until lightly browned stirring occasionally. Add water, tomatoes with liquid, beets, bouillon, sugar, salt and pepper over high heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low: cover and simmer for 35-45 min. until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Serve hot or cold with a dollop of sour cream.

Butternut Squash Bake

simpleandsavy.blogspot.com

from the kitchen of: Christi Jardine

Winter squash are flavorful, nutritious, store well and are great to cook in the winter. Here is one of my favorite simple ways to serve butternut squash.  Give it a try! 

2 T. butter or margarine

1 (3-4 lb.) butternut squash

¼ med. onion, diced

¼ t. of one of the following: thyme, sage, rosemary, marjoram, oregano, basil,

Salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt butter in a 9x9 inch baking pan. Peel the squash with a vegetable peeler. Split in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Cut squash into ½ inch cubes.

Place squash cubes, onion and herbs, salt and pepper in pan with melted butter. Toss to coat with butter.  

Cover with foil and bake for 30-40 min. or until tender when a fork is inserted. Serves: 6-8.

Vegetable Bread

from the kitchen of: Janeel Burningham
(5^th Ward, PL Leader)

 It is very moist and has a colorful confetti look inside.

It is great toasted or with cheese melted on a slice! Enjoy!

 


2 PACKAGES ACTIVE DRY YEAST        ½ CUP FINELY CHOPPED RED CABBAGE

½ CUP WARM WATER                              ½ CUP FINELY CHOPPED ONION

4 CUPS MILK, SCALDED                          ¾ CUP GRATED CARROT

4 TABLESPOONS SUGAR                         1/3 CUP FINELY CHOPPED CELERY

4 TEASPOONS SALT                                  ¼ CUP FINELY CHOPPED GREEN PEPPER

4 TABLESPOONS BUTTER                        ¼ CUP FINELY CHOPPED, PEELED CUCUMBER

3 EGGS, BEATEN                                        1/4 CUP ALFALFA SPROUTS    

13 TO 14 CUPS FLOUR                              1 CLOVE GARLIC, FINELY CHOPPED                                                        

• Combine hot milk, sugar, salt and butter.  Cool to lukewarm. Stir in beaten eggs. Add 6 cups of the flour, softened yeast and beat until well blended. Add finely chopped and grated vegetables.  Blend well. Add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough: mix well.  
•  Place dough in greased bowl, turning once to grease surface.Cover and let rise in warm place until double; about 1 ¼ hours.  Punch down.

• Cover and let rise again until double.  Punch down; divide into four portions. Shape each into a smooth ball; cover and let rest 10 minutes.

• Shape into loaves.  Place in 4 greased 9x5x4 inch loaf pans or make rounds and place on cookie sheets.  Cover and let rise until almost double.  
• Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until done.

• Brush tops of hot loaves with butter, if desired.  Makes four large delicious loaves. 

Freezer Tomato Sauce

adapted from: American Profile.com

16 medium to large ripe tomatoes

½ cup torn fresh basil leaves

6-8 garlic cloves, thickly sliced

2 tablespoons white balsamic or red wine vinegar

1 t. sea salt

Coarsely ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 357 degrees. Core tomatoes and cut an X in the bottom of the tomato.
Place X side up on a baking sheet along with sliced garlic. Roast tomatoes 20-30 min.
until skin begins to pull away at the X. Remove pan from the oven and let tomatoes cool.

Remove skins from tomatoes and coarsely chop tomatoes and garlic in a bowl using a knife
or kitchen scissors. Add basil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Mix well.

Place in freezer containers or bags. Freeze for up to 6 months. Makes about 12 cups,

depending on the size of the tomatoes.

Pico de Gallo

Adapted from:  Heloise

1 c. coarsely chopped tomato

¼ c. coarsely chopped onion

1 T. finely chopped cilantro

1-3 fresh Serrano or jalapeno peppers,  minced (more if you like it hot!)

½ t. salt

Mix the ingredients together, and sprinkle with salt. The fresher the better, but it will keep in the refrigerator for a day or so.

*Pico de Gallo is great served over enchiladas, tacos, burritos, etc. It is a great way
to use up all of your garden tomatoes this time of year.

Pico de Gallo is also called "salsa fresca". It can also often contain lime juice
or apple cider vinegar, cucumber, radish or mango. The red, white and green
colors of this sauce are the colors of the Mexican flag. -(info. from Wikipedia)

Vitamin Filled Veggies

Nutrition Information for Vegetables:

·         Most vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories. None have cholesterol. (Sauces or seasonings may add fat, calories, or cholesterol.)

·         Vegetables are important sources of many nutrients, including potassium, dietary fiber, folate (folic acid), vitamin A, and vitamin C.

·          Diets rich in potassium may help to maintain healthy blood pressure. Vegetable sources of potassium include sweet potatoes, white potatoes, white beans, tomato products (paste, sauce, and juice), beet greens, soybeans, lima beans, spinach, lentils, and kidney beans.

·          Dietary fiber from vegetables, as part of an overall healthy diet, helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower risk of heart disease. Fiber is important for proper bowel function. It helps reduce constipation and diverticulosis. Fiber-containing foods such as vegetables help provide a feeling of fullness with fewer calories.

·          Folate (folic acid) helps the body form red blood cells. Women of childbearing age who may become pregnant should consume adequate folate from foods, and in addition 400 mcg of synthetic folic acid from fortified foods or supplements. This reduces the risk of neural tube defects, spina bifida, and anencephaly during fetal development.

·         Vitamin A keeps eyes and skin healthy and helps to protect against infections.

·         Vitamin C helps heal cuts and wounds and keeps teeth and gums healthy.

Nutrition source information is from: www.choosemyplate.gov

Zucchini and Summer Squash Bake

From: Michele Higginson (Stake PL Leader)

3 small zucchini
3 small summer squash
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 clove garlic--minced
1/4 c chicken broth or water
4 T fine bread crumbs
4 T butter--cut in pieces
                                                        4 T Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Wash and trim squash to 1/2 inch pieces.  Put squash into 2 to 2 1/2 quart greased baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Combine chicken broth and garlic and pour over squash.  Dot with butter and sprinkle with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 min.

Vegetable Tips:

by Christi Jardine- Stake Provident Living Leader

• When washing greens from your garden, such as spinach or lettuce, fill a large bowl with cold water and place greens in water making sure to submerge them. Let sit for 5-10 min.  Agitating occasionally.  The garden dirt and sand will sink to the bottom of the bowl. Remove the greens from the bowl and rinse and drain in a colander. The greens will not crunch with dirt and sand!
• When storing greens such as spinach and lettuce, wash thoroughly and lay on a towel or paper towel to partially dry. (Or if from your garden use the method above.) Place in a plastic container or a Ziploc bag lined with a paper towel. This will keep the greens crisp and ready to use for a week or more.
• Most vegetables should be stored in the refrigerator to preserve freshness and nutrients.
• Bell peppers store best in the refrigerator vegetable compartment without plastic bags or wrap.  When only part of a bell pepper is used, seed and core the rest and return to the crisper as is. When ready to use again, the edge of the pepper may be trimmed off. Peppers stored in plastic bags rot quickly.
• Root vegetables, winter squash, onions, and eggplant should be stored at 60 degrees.
• Tomatoes store best at room temperature. If your are not ready to use them when they are very ripe they will store in the refrigerator for several more days, but if are left at room temperature will spoil.
• When making a large batch of spaghetti sauce from garden tomatoes, enjoy some for dinner and then freeze the remaining sauce in loaf pans for several hours. When frozen remove from pans by letting thaw for a few min. Then place in freezer bags. Regular loaf pans make about 1 quart of sauce; just right for a family dinner. Mini loaf pans make about the right amount for pizza sauce. These spaghetti sauce “bricks” stack great in the freezer, and area great make ahead meal.
• When boiling or steaming vegetables remember this rule: if the vegetable grows underground (carrots, potatoes, beats, etc.); place water and prepared vegetable in the pot and then bring to a boil. If the vegetable grows above the ground (spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, artichokes); bring the water to a boil and then add prepared vegetables to the pot. The above ground vegetables will retain better color and texture if they are cooked this way.
• Microwaving vegetables is fast and simple. Place prepared vegetables in a microwave safe dish and add a few tablespoons of water, cover. Microwave until vegetable is cooked. 
• Do not cover broccoli while cooking. It will cause the broccoli to go gray/green. Follow the rule above for cooking above ground vegetables and your broccoli will stay bright green and be much more appealing.
• Baking: When baking squash, wash and clean out the seeds. Place face down in a baking dish and add water. Then the squash can be cooked without foil and will be moist and delicious.
• Grilling: Vegetables are great grilled. Vegetable shish kabobs are a great way to handle them on the grill.
• Corn on the cob can be grilled or cooked over hot coals by peeling the husks back without removing from the cob. Clean silks off of the cob and pull husks back up to cover the cob. Soak in water for an hour and then grill or throw it on the coals. Cook for 3-5 min. and rotate until corn is cooked.
• Roasting vegetables adds great flavor. Try some:

1-      Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2-      Cut vegetables up in chunks.

3-      Place in a bowl and sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss.

4-      Place on a baking dish or cookie sheet, only 1 layer high. Do not pile vegetables up. They will not evenly brown this way.

5-      Place in the oven and roast for 10-12 min.

6-      Remove from the oven and flip them over. Return to the oven and roast for another 5-10 min.

7-      Remove from the oven and serve.

Source information for roasting vegetables is from:

http://www.salon.com/food/francis_lam/2010/03/12/how_to_master_roasted_vegetables

Source information for “Vegetable tips”:

1-      Betty Crocker Cookbook

2-      Personal experience.

Italian Green Beans

From: Christi Jardine (Stake Provident Living Leader)

This is a fast and tasty side dish!

Green beans- fresh precooked* or canned enough to cover the bottom of a 9x9”  baking    dish

2-4 fresh tomatoes sliced

1 tsp. of Italian seasoning

¼-1/2 c. grated mozzarella or Parmesan cheese

Place green beans in the bottom of a baking dish. Cover with sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Cover with cheese. Microwave for 2-5 min. until beans are hot and cheese is melted. Serves: 4-6

Preserving Your Garden Produce

It is a great time to bottle, freeze, dry, or pressure can your garden fruits and vegetables! Utah State University Extension Service is a great source for up to date food safety information when preserving vegetables and fruits.   Here is their website: 

           

extension.usu.edu

There are a variety of publications in pdf format that will be helpful. Here are just a few:

• Principles of Boiling Water Canning
• Timetables for Canning at Altitudes of 3,000 to 10,000 Feet   
• Avoiding Common (Major and Minor) Canning Mistakes
• Bottling Salsa in a Boiling Water Bath
• Principles of Pressure Canning
• Vegetable Canning Methods in the Pressure Cooker
• Preserving Pole and Bush Beans
• Preserving Zucchini
• And many more.  The “Preserving” publications have specific bottling, freezing, pickling and drying information that is safe and up to date. This is a great resource!

Recipe of the Week: Baked Sweet Potato Fries

from: Heather Whitworth, Alpine School District FACS teacher

1 large or 2 medium sweet potatoes

2 T. Olive Oil

2 tsp. Greek Seasoning or Seasoning Salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 T. Parmesan Cheese (from the can) or if using fresh or grated Parmesan you may want to put it in a blender or food processor to make it a little finer so it will stick to the sweet potatoes.

Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch strips or wedges. 

Combine the olive oil, seasonings and Parmesan cheese in a large bowl. Toss in the sweet potatoes coating each piece well.

Transfer the seasoned sweet potatoes to a large baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees until fork tender on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside, about 20-25 minutes. Be sure to turn them over half way through the cooking process. 

Serve with the Rockin' Sauce (see below).

Rockin' Sauce

1/4 c. Barbeque Sauce
2 T. Mayonnaise
1/2 t. Dijon Mustard
1/4 t. Italian Seasoning
1/4 t. salt
Pinch of pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and blend together until smooth. Serve with baked sweet potatoes.

Mango Tomato Salsa

From: Sandra Cannon (3^rd Ward, PL Leader)

This is a great blend of flavors. It is great served with chips or amazing on your favorite Mexican dish!

4 tomatoes
1 mango
1 avocado
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 jalapeno
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic  pressed
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. lime juice

Chop, mix and serve.

Local Farmers Markets and Fruit Stands:

Here are the times and places of the closets Farmers Markets in our area! Take advantage of the delicious and nutritious, local fruits and vegetables. 

Holladay Harvest Festival Days

in front of Holladay City Hall (4580 S. 2300 E.)
Saturdays – August 20 through September 10
4:00 – 8:00 PM

Murray City Park, 200 E. 5200 S.
Fridays and Saturdays 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
July 29-Oct. 29, 2011
(801) 233-3010

Pioneer Park, 379 S. 300 W.

Saturdays 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
June 11-Oct. 22, 2011

Tuesdays 4-8 p.m.
August 9-Oct. 25, 2011

The Gateway Mall - Salt Lake City
Wednesdays - 4-8PM
July 7 to September 1

South Town Farmers Market
10400 South State Street
Sandy, Utah
August 3-October
Friday & Saturday, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

 Park City at The Canyons Resort Parking Lot

Wednesdays, 12 p.m.-5 p.m.

June-October

Brigham City Fruit Stands

Highway 89,  Brigham City

Find Farms and Orchards where your family can pick your own fruit and vegetables at:

www.pickyourown.org/UT.htm

*Share fruits and vegetables with your neighbors and ward members.  Have sisters bring excess produce to your week day Relief Society Classes to share!