SIGH, somehow the thought of a warm, heavy soup in the middle of summer just doesn't do it for me.  But I asked Lovina for a recipe to put on the site this week and this is what she gave me.  In her defense, her garden is bursting with veggies now and this puts some of them to use.  And it is a good soup.  So give it a try!

 

1 pound (2 cups) navy beans, dried
2 1/2 quarts water
1 (1 1/2 pound) meaty ham bone
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small bay leaf
1 cup cubed potatoes
1 cup celery, thinly sliced
1 cup onion, finely chopped
1 cup carrots, cubed
Salt and pepper, to taste

Boil the beans in the water for 2 minutes before removing them from the heat to let stand for 1 hour.

Add the ham bone, garlic and bay leaf to the beans, and cover and simmer them for 2 hours or until the ingredients are almost tender.

Add the vegetables and salt and pepper to taste, and simmer them for 1 hour longer. Remove the ham bone, cut off the meat and dice it to add to the beans. Reheat the soup almost to boiling, then remove the bay leaf.

It is the start of "zucchini season" in most Amish gardens now.  This versatile vegetable will find its way into many soups, stews, breads, and salads over the weeks ahead.  So this will be the first of many of Lovina's zucchini recipes that I'll be sharing:

 2 cups grated zucchini

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 to 3/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon white or cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

Place the zucchini in a kitchen towel, gather up the edges, and squeeze hard over the kitchen sink to remove excess moisture.

In heavy skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and cook zucchini, onion, and garlic until liquid evaporates. Remove from pan and place in mixing bowl; let cool for 30-40 minutes.

Add beaten eggs, Parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup flour and seasonings to make a batter. You may need to add more flour if the batter doesn't hold together when dropped from a spoon.

Heat 1 cup oil in heavy saucepan over medium heat until it reaches 375 degrees F (water droplets will sizzle and evaporate immediately) and, using a 1/4 cup measure, fill it half full of the batter and drop into the heated oil. Fry the fritters for 2-4 minutes on each side until deep golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve warm.

 

I realize broccoli muffins may sound horrible, but they really aren't bad! And if it's the only way you can get your kid to eat broccoli, all the better.  It's broccoli season so Lovina has broccoli recipes coming out of her ears. A friend of hers from church gave her the recipe for broccoli muffins, I think the friend got it from someplace else.  Anyway, they taste good and are a great way to use up broccoli from the garden.  In this same theme, our frequent contributor, LuvM  posted a recipe to one of her favorite lunch-time foods , zucchini pancakes.  If anyone is interested in seeing the recipe, check out her site at: http://squishycutestuff.blogspot.com/

• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup chopped fresh broccoli, blanched
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, mix milk, oil and egg; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in broccoli and cheese.
    Spoon into greased or paper-lined muffin cups. Bake at 400° for 18-20 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Yield: 1 dozen

It's the beginning of broccoli season in the Midwest and many Amish gardeners are harvesting a robust crop.   Broccoli is a versatile vegetable than can be used in many ways: soups, salads, and even more odd items like breads and pies.  Lovina makes a delicious broccoli pie.  Here is the recipe she uses:

10 ounces of chopped fresh broccoli  

1/2 cup diced onion

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup baking mix

1 egg

1 cup milk

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 2 quart casserole dish. Combine broccoli, onions and cheese in prepared dish. In a small bowl whisk together baking mix, egg, milk, salt and pepper. Pour over broccoli mixture. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Yum, this is a good one for any of our celery growers out there to prepare.  Lovina uses this recipe a lot during "celery season."

 

2 quarts celery

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup water

1 /2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon butter

2 teaspoons vinegar

1 /2 cup evaporated milk

2 1 /2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons flour

Boil celery, salt, water, sugar, and butter until soft.  Then add rest of ingredients and cook over low heat for another 30 minutes.

Zucchinis become a staple of many Amish menus during the summer and fall.  Main dish meals made with zucchini are hearty and delicious and economical because often no meat is added.  This is a favorite of Lovina's.

3 cups grated zucchini

1 cup Bisquick

4 eggs

1 /2 cup oil

1 /2 cup Valveeta cheese

1 /2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

small onion

Mix everything together and pour into 2 quart casserole and bake at 350 for 45 to 60 minutes. 

This is a delicious, moist chocolate cake recipe that Lovina uses for some of her children's birthdays.  It's a great alternative to a box cake or store-bought.

 

2 eggs

2 cups brown sugar

1 /2 cup oil

1 /2 cup milk

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

4 teaspoons cocoa

3 /4 cup boiling water

Mix well and bake 30 to 35 minutes at 350.  Let cool and then add frosting.

Ditch the meatloaf and try something different! Lovina uses this simple, delicious recipe for a homemade "ham loaf."

1 cup bread crumbs

1 cup milk

2 eggs

1 /2 cup brown sugar

1 /2 cup pineapple juice

1 teaspoon mustard

2 pounds ham (ground)

1 pound hamburger

Mix well and shape into loaves. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

This is a typical "modern" Amish recipe in the sense that it calls for canned soup and crushed Ritz crackers.  Amish cooks over the past couple of generations have really embraced store-bought soups and saltines of all sorts.  This is a very easy and delicious casserole which Lovina often uses to feed her family.

 

CHICKEN CASSEROLE

2 pounds of cooked chicken, cubed

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

1/2 stick butter

1 1/2 cup crushed Ritz cracker crumbs

Put meat in 8 X 8 inch pan.  Mix chicken soup and sour cream. Pour over meat. Melt butter and mix with crushed crackers and put on top of meat. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

HOMEMADE CEREAL

4 cups oatmeal

2 tablespoons vanilla

1 /2 cup honey

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1 cup wheat germ

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup chopped nuts

1 cup vegetable oil

1 /2 cup water

Toss until evenly coated. Bake 1 hour in 350 degree oven or till golden brown, stirring frequently.  When cool add 1 cup raisins.  Some like to eat this raw by omitting the liquid ingredients.