Veggie Cold Cut Deli Style Sandwiches

The adjustable mandoline slicer is one of my most favorite and heavily used tools in the summer kitchen. In this recipe, it makes short work of turning garden vegetables into thin ribbons and slices. I piled on these “cold cuts” along with a garlic and herb cheese spread. In no time at all, I had a spectacular Veggie Cold Cut Deli Style Sandwich stacked with zucchini, squash, red bell pepper, carrots and radish.


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Veggie Cold Cut Deli Style Sandwiches

Zucchini-Carrot Muffins with Lemon Cream Cheese Icing

These muffins give you a double dose of your veggies – carrots and zucchini – combined with hearty healthy whole wheat flour, wheat germ and pecans. In place of butter or oil, we’re using low-fat yogurt. To give them lightness and lift, the egg white are beaten to stiff peaks and added ever-so-gently at the very end. These muffins have a lot going for them, especially after you add the lemon cream cheese icing.

Now as for the shape, I used a bar cookie pan rather than the standard muffin tin. I love this pan and I use it for everything from perfectly portioned brownies to cute individual size cornbreads.

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Zucchini-Carrot Muffins with Lemon Cream Cheese Icing

Zucchini Pancakes

The key to great zucchini pancakes is the thickness – too thick, and the outside is nicely browned, while the inside is still gummy and undercooked. But spread thin, the pancakes cook up nice and crisp on the outside and cooked through on the inside. I especially liked the addition of the grated onion in this recipe – it made them more potato-pancake like, especially when you serve them with sour cream and chives. Another winning recipe from Barefoot Contessa at Home.

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Zucchini Pancakes

Mediterranean Couscous with Zucchini, Chickpeas & Feta

This is the perfect recipe to kick off the new season — it uses three ingredients from this week’s box: zucchini/summer squash, scallions and parsley. If only we had gotten some of the famous Angelic Organics garlic, this would have been a home run, bases loaded! But a triple play recipe isn’t bad either. The couscous and squash soak up a lot of flavor, so don’t be shy with the seasonings – lots of garlic, lemon, salt and pepper. I really like the extra kick of color that the beautiful purple scallions add.

This salad can be served cold or at room temperature. It’s a great dish to bring to potlucks or picnics and also makes a healthy, satisfying packed lunch.

Click here to download and print a pdf of this recipe:

Mediterranean Couscous with Zucchini, Chickpeas & Feta

Zucchini Bread with a Twist

Last summer I heard a story that summed up zucchini and the problem that plagues all of us: in a small town where people didn’t have to lock their car or house doors, during high zucchini season, people would literally dump bags of them in unsuspecting neighbors’ cars just to get rid of them. Technically, this is probably a “crime”, but a harmless enough one. In any case, it illustrates just how overwhelming it can be to deal with the shear amount of zucchini that a garden (or CSA vegetable box!) can produce.

So what to do?!? When you’re in over your head with zucchini, bake it into bread. I started with a base recipe for a nine-inch loaf and added different flavorings. You can go the savory & sweet Indian route with Curry, Ginger & Raisins. Or try a more decadent version with Macadamia Nuts & Toasted Coconut. And for a fresh, seasonal variation how about Fresh Mint & Lemon. The possibilities are endless as long as you start with a great base recipe and market- or box-fresh zucchini. Experiment and have fun!


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Zucchini Bread

Zucchini, Summer Squash & Fennel Salad

This simple salad is made exactly how it looks – thinly sliced zucchini, summer squash and fennel dressed with lemon, olive oil, salt, pepper and crumbled feta cheese. It couldn’t be easier and it tastes delicious, light and fresh.


ZUCCHINI, SUMMER SQUASH & FENNEL SALAD

The easiest way to slice the vegetables into thin ribbons is with a mandoline. I purchased mine from Whole Foods for about $24.95 – much cheaper than the stainless steel professional models and it works like a charm.

Slice the zucchini, summer squash and fennel on the thinnest setting (or approximately 1/8"). For the dressing, combine equal parts lemon juice and olive oil; add salt and pepper to taste. Toss dressing with vegetables and refrigerate for at least one hour. Before serving, top with crumbled Greek-style feta cheese and freshly ground black pepper.

Eat Green Foods Goat Cheese Sandwich

I stopped by the Green City Market this morning to catch my friends at Eat Green Foods in action making their Goat Cheese Sandwich with marinated zucchini and summer squash. This is a delicious sandwich that is so simple to prepare. Start with good ingredients – a great loaf of ciabatta bread (EGF buys theirs from Red Hen Bread), a good quality goat cheese (EGF recommends Prairie Fruits Farm goat cheese, available at the Green City Market), caramelized onions* and fresh-from-the-farm zucchini, summer squash and mesclun mix. You can’t go wrong.

Start the night before by slicing the squash and zucchini into thin rounds. Or, if they are larger in diameter, slice them into thin half-moons. Marinate overnight in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. The next day, follow these five easy steps to a great sandwich:


Finish off the sandwich with a drizzle of olive oil and some salt & pepper. Many thanks to Eat Green Foods for sharing their trade secrets with us. Enjoy!

* For great step-by-step instructions on how to caramelize onions, view this article posted on RealSimple.com.

Zucchini Fritters

I discovered this recipe late in the season last year when trying to deal with the abundance of zucchini. I’ve been looking forward to using it more often ever since. These come together pretty quickly and they’re delicious and satisfying. The original recipe is from Martha Stewart Everyday Food and you can find a repost of the recipe at Simply Recipes – a great resource for any recipe you can imagine.

Click here to view the full recipe on Simply Recipes.