OutBoise Magazine - August 2015 | Page 44

44  |  OutBoise Magazine  | NEWS Food corner Welcome to August! Here we are in August! Well past the halfway point of the year, and the garden is starting to yield some of its fruits. I always look forward to one of the fun plants: zucchini. With a single plant able to yield an unholy amount of produce, we have to find a way to use this harvest. With that in mind, this month I decided to go with zucchini as my prime target. The first recipe I chose was crock pot zucchini soup; this hearty soup brings all the comforts of the upcoming fall harvest into summer. Using tomatoes, bell peppers and zucchini, it brings a colorful variety to the table. Incorporating spicy Italian sausage, it brought out more of the savory Crock pot Zucchini Soup 1 ½ lbs. of spicy Italian sausage 2 cups of celery in ½-in pieces 2 lbs. of zucchini cut into ½-in slices 2 (28 oz.) cans of diced can tomatoes 2 green bell peppers cut into ½-in slices 1 cup of chopped onion 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon white sugar 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon dried basil 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning ¼ teaspoon garlic powder Optional Parmesan cheese as topper or to taste First in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook and stir sausage in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, drain and discard of the grease. Next mix in the celery with the cooked sausage; cook and stir until the celery is softened. Combine the sausage mixture, Zucchini, tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, salt, sugar, oregano, basil, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning in a crock pot. Cook on low for 4-6 hours, and garnish with Parmesan cheese is optional. OutBoise.com | Issue 10.1 | August 2015 by Jerry Nabarrete-Stuart side of the rich veggies. The second recipe, blueberry zucchini cake with a lemon butter cream frosting, is a wonderful addition to any party. While looking like a professional cake, it was relatively simple with few ingredients. Variations on this cake can include raspberries and just about any berries out there. This is a thicker cake with a texture closer to bread. I hope you the readers enjoy this month’s recipes. I’m always looking for new unique recipes to try out, or maybe family heirloom recipes. Nothing wrong with trying something new, bon apétit!