I already shared the story about my zucchini crop this year,  so now it’s a perfect time to share a zucchini recipe.

I was thinking of posting a Zucchini Bread recipe, but I have been baking a lot lately, so a vegetarian dish sounded more appealing to me.

My sister might like this recipe as well, since she just told me that she is contemplating becoming a vegetarian.

I could be a vegetarian most of the time, but I think I occasionally would miss my poultry and pork dishes.

My mom loved zucchini sauteed with butter, onions, garlic, and some Italian spices.

Today I will share this yummy recipe for Zucchini Casserole with tomatoes, cheeses and Italian spices.

One recipe fills a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium zucchini (8 inch long), sliced into thin discs (1/8 inch thick)
• 3 large tomatoes, sliced into thin discs (1/8 inch thick)
• 1/4 cup onion, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. dry oregano
• 1/2 tsp. dry basil (1/4 cup fresh, chopped)
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1-1/2 cups Cheddar Cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
• 2 Tbs. butter (or canola oil)
• 1/2 cup Italian Seasoned bread crumbs

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the Cheddar Cheese, Parmesan Cheese, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper.
2. Set aside.
3. Grease the casserole dish, or spray with a  cooking spray.
4. Divide the sliced zucchini and sliced tomatoes into two equal parts.
5. Arrange the first half of the zucchini slices in the casserole dish, covering the whole bottom.
6. Sprinkle 1/4 of the cheese mixture over the zucchini layer.
7. Arrange the first haft of the sliced tomatoes over the cheese sprinkled zucchini.
8. Sprinkle 1/4 of the cheese mixture over the tomato layer.
9. Repeat the zucchini, tomatoes, cheese, layers again.
10. Set aside.
11. In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter, over medium heat.
12. Add the chopped onions and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent (2 minutes).
13. Turn off heat.
14. Add the seasoned bread crumbs, and mix until the butter is totally absorbed and onions are mixed in.
15. Preheat the over to 375 degrees F.
16. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture evenly all over the top of the casserole.
17. Cover with aluminum foil.
18. Bake for 20 minutes.
19. Uncover and bake for 20 minutes longer.
20. Let it cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Best served fresh, while the topping is nice and crunchy.

Still great the next day, but the bread crumbs become soft as they begin to absorb the moisture from the veggies.

Enjoy, and share your comments.

Last year I did not have good experience with growing my squash and zucchini.  They were overcrowding the rest of my garden plants, so I transplanted them to a different location, and they did not like that at all.

This year I had a better plan, and gave them more growing room in my newly expanded garden patch.

I planted four zucchini plants and four squash plants, but one of my zucchini plants is different from the rest.  It has two tone leaves, and bears same kind of two tone zucchini, as you see in this picture.

This is my “odd” zucchini plant with spotted leaves, and it is a much bigger plant than the regular zucchini plants.

A close up view of the spotted zucchini leaf.

These are my regular zucchini, from seeds in same packet as the spotted one…go figure.

These are my Summer Squash plants; blooming already, but not producing yet.  They had a late start, but it is worth the wait.

I love  zucchini and squash with sauteed fresh garlic and onions.

This year I planted some corn, for the first time.  Hopefully the birds will let them grow to maturity.

I planted the one that is mixed with yellow and white corn on the same cob….should be yummy!

My granddaughter loves getting out the sweet peas out of the pods,  and eating it fresh.  Very sweet tasting little morsels they are!

Please share your gardening experience with all of us.

Gardening season is coming to an end.  I have picked off the remainder of my free tomatoes and free peppers, as well as basil leaves and chives, and created a quick and simple meal out of my fresh veggies.

Nothing can be simpler than some pasta and stir-fry veggies, so that is what I decided to prepare.

Serve 2-4.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup of  green peppers, sliced julienne style
• 1 small zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 Tbs chives, chopped
• 1 Tbs of fresh basil leave, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced (used my favorite garlic chopper)
• 1 Tbs low sodium soy sauce
• 2 Tbs olive oil, for frying
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 cups of cooked pasta

Directions:

1. Cook your favorite pasta per package directions (one cup of uncooked pasta should be enough for this recipe).
2. Wash your veggies, and dry off on a paper towel.
3. Cut up your veggies (cut peppers in half, remove stems and seeds).
4. Heat up a frying pan with the olive oil.
5. Add onions, and cook until translucent looking.
6. Add peppers and zucchini, and cook 3 minutes.
7. Add tomatoes, and cook another minute.
8. Add chopped basil, minced garlic, chives, salt and pepper.
9. Turn off the heat.
10. Fold in a little bit of olive oil into your pasta, so it does not stick.
11. Place pasta on a serving platter, or individual plates, and top off with veggies.

If you like you may sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top of veggies, and serve it with garlic bread.

With all the frequent rain showers we experienced lately in our area, my garden is in its glory, and thriving.

If you love gardening, as I do, you will agree that no matter how much, and how often, you water your garden, it does not measure up to one good rain fall, and the plants just seem to grow in front of your eyes soon afterward.

This season’s  harvest already began in my garden, and, with great pleasure, I was able to pick some baby red beets, dill, chives, summer squash, zucchini, green beans, and basil.

My raspberries produced about a pint of fruit this year, and today I was able to pick a few blueberries already.  I am very excited about having fresh berries and herbs from my garden, and to share them with my granddaughter.

Don’t you just love the freshness of these veggies and fruits…..and best of all….I know these have not been sprayed with any chemicals.

Tip: If  you wonder what can one  do with red beet leaves, I have a recipe coming up in my future posts.