Using Fresh Vegetables and Herbs by Kalani Allred

There is something extremely gratifying about harvesting vegetables and herbs from your garden and feeding them to your family. Here are some ideas for how to feast on the bounties from your very own garden.

HERB BUTTER
combine softened butter with finely chopped herbs and also a little grated cheese if desired. Form into a "log" shape, roll in plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze until ready to use. These herb butters can be used to top bread, pasta, roasted potatoes, or grilled meats. Some nice combinations of herbs to be used in herb butters include:

Garlic & chives
Parsley, Black Pepper, & Parmesean
Thyme & Rosemary

BRUSHETTA
2 large tomatoes, diced
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped basil
2 TBSP. olive oil
1 TBSP. balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper to taste
combine all ingredients; chill until ready to serve. Serve on toasted baguette slices.

CORN & TOMATO SALSA
2 large ears of corns, removed from cobs (or 1 cup frozen corn)
1 large or 2 medium tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 tsp. chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
combine all ingredients; chill until ready to serve. Serve with tortilla chips or with tacos.

CLASSIC PESTO
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup grated Parmesean cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
combine basil, pine nuts, garlic and Parmesean in a food processor--pulse until smooth. While processor is running, drizzle in the olive oil. Add salt & pepper, then pulse again to incorporate. Serve with pasta, stir into mashed potatoes, as a bread spread, or as a dip for veggies or bread sticks.

ROSEMARY SKEWERS
Strip leaves from the woody ends of several sprigs of rosemary. Use the rosemary sprigs as skewers for pieces of boneless & skinless chicken. Grill as usual--the rosemary imparts its flavor to the chicken as it cooks.

ZUCCHINI PATTIES
1 1/2 cups grated raw zucchini
1/4 cup finely-diced onion
1/4 cup grated Parmesean cheese
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
2 TBSP. mayonnaise
1 tsp. fresh oregano, chopped (or 1/4 tsp dried oregano)
salt and pepper to taste
1 TBSP. butter (for frying)
Press moisture out of grated zucchini (paper towels work well for this). Combine zucchini with all other ingredieints except butter. Whisk to combine. Melt butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Spoon batter (about 2 heaping tablespoons per patty) into skillet. Flatten patties slightly with spatula and cook until nicely browned on both sides. Serve warm with marinara sauce or ranch dressing if desired.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP
1 medium butternut squash, halved & seeded
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and cut into wedges
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
3 large carrots, peeled & cut into large pieces
3 or 4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 TBSP. olive oil
salt, pepper, and garlic salt
dash cayenne pepper
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 TBSP. butter
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Cut each half of cleaned squash into 2 or 3 pieces, place on a large baking sheet along with onions, potatoes, carrots, and garlic. Drizzle vegetables with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt, pepper and, garlic salt. Cover with foil and bake for about one hour or until fork-tender. Allow to cool slighty. Scoop cooked squash into a large pot, discarding the skin. Add other vegetables along with the broth. Using a potato masher or the back of a large spoon, break the vegetables into small pieces. Cover pot and simmer for about 20 minutes. Puree using an immersion blender, or in a food processor or blender in small batches, until smooth (if using a food processor or blender, be very careful when pouring hot soup to and from the pot). Stir in butter and adjust seasonings, adding more salt & pepper and a little cayenne pepper if desired. For a thicker soup, stir in a few TBSP. of instant potato flakes. Serve hot.