More Fresh August Recipes

Sweet corn, cabbage, beans, beets, onions, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, and so much more can be found at the local Farmers Markets and food stands. Be sure to check out one close to you and get in on all that fresh, locally-grown produce.

Canning season has begun! In no time, it will be in full swing. If you have a favorite canning recipe that you would like to share, we would love to hear from you! Recipes, with photo (and a short story/history), if available, can be submitted to ads@thedrummer.com.

Crab Stuffed Avocado

3 T. mayonnaise

1 T. fresh lime juice

1/4 c. finely chopped tomato

1 T. chopped cilantro

1-2 T. minced jalapeno, or to spiciness level

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. kosher salt, or to taste

8 oz regular lump blue crab meat

2 med. Haas avocados

Black pepper to taste

In a medium bowl, mix to combine the mayonnaise, lime juice, tomato, cilantro, jalapeno, cayenne, and salt.

Drain any excess water from the crab meat, then gently fold it into the dressing. Be careful not to overmix, or you may break up the lumps in the crab.

Cut the avocados in half and remove the pits. Season the avocado halves with salt and pepper.

Divide the crab salad between the four avocado halves and serve promptly. 4 servings

Ranch Potato Salad with Bacon and Eggs

1 very lg. russet potato, about 1 lb., baked, peeled & diced small, about 1/2” in size

3 eggs boiled, peeled & chopped

3 slices cooked bacon, chopped or sliced small

1 T. reserved bacon grease

1/3 c. mayonnaise

1 tsp. vinegar

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. dried dill

1/2 tsp. dried parsley

1/2 tsp. dried chives

1 green onion, sliced very thinly

Combine the potatoes, eggs and bacon in a bowl and set aside. Whisk together the remaining ingredients, except for the green onion.

Pour the dressing over the potato mixture and toss well to coat. Add the green onions and toss lightly. Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve.  4 servings

Balsamic Roasted Beets

3 beets peeled & diced (about 3 c.)

1 T. olive oil

½ tsp. sea salt

1 T. balsamic vinegar

1 T. honey (pure maple syrup for a vegan version)

Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease a large baking sheet or dish, set aside.

Peel and cut 3 beets into 1” cubes. Toss beets with 1 T. olive oil and ½ tsp. sea salt. Spread onto a greased baking dish in an even layer.

Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. After 15-20 minutes, stir and bake for 10 minutes more or until beets feel soft to the touch.

Mix together balsamic vinegar and honey. After 30 minutes (or when beets are soft to the touch), remove beets from the oven and add the honey/vinegar mixture to the baking dish. Stir until all the beets are evenly coated.

Return to the oven for 10 minutes, stirring once half way through. Roast until the balsamic/honey mixture coats the beets (and isn’t runny). Remove from the oven and serve warm or store and serve later over your favorite salads.  6 servings

Simple Sweet Corn Pudding

1/4 c. sugar

3 T. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. table salt

6 lg. eggs

2 c. heavy cream

1/2 c. butter, melted

6 c. fresh corn kernels, or frozen whole corn substitute

Vegetable cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°. Stir together sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.

Whisk eggs together in a large bowl; whisk in cream and melted butter. Gradually add sugar mixture, whisking until smooth; stir in corn. Pour mixture into a lightly greased (with cooking spray) 13- x 9-inch baking dish.

Bake at 350°F for 40 to 45 minutes or until mixture is deep golden and set. Let stand 5 minutes. 8-10 servings

Grilled Vegetable Foil Packs

2 ears fresh sweet corn, husks removed, each cut into 4 pieces

4 sm. (new) red potatoes (about 1/2 lb.), each cut in half

2 carrots, cut diagonally into 1 to 1-1/4” chunks

1 med. zucchini, cut into 1” chunks

1 med. onion, cut into thin wedges

1/4 c. butter, melted

2 T. Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Heat grill. In large bowl, combine corn, potatoes, carrots, zucchini, and onion. In small bowl, combine all remaining ingredients; mix well. Pour butter mixture over vegetables; toss to coat. Cut four 18x12-inch pieces of heavy-duty foil. Wrap each packet securely using double-fold seals, allowing room for heat expansion.

When ready to grill, place packets, seam side up, on gas grill over medium heat or on charcoal grill 4 to 6 inches from medium coals. Cook 25 to 35 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

To serve, open packets carefully to allow steam to escape. 4 servings

Chicken Fajitas

1 lg. onion peeled, halved, & sliced into thin half-moons

3/4 c. chicken broth

12 oz. fajita seasoning (1 pkg.)

2 T. pickled jalapeño rings w/some of the pickling juice

2 lbs. frozen chicken tenders

1 lb. frozen bell pepper strips (4 c.)

Place the onion slices in an Instant Pot. Add the broth, half the seasoning blend, and all the pickled jalapeño rings with their juice and stir well. Set the pot’s rack (with its handles up) or a large, open vegetable steamer in this mixture.

Set half the chicken tenders on the rack. Sprinkle them with half the remaining seasoning blend (that is, a quarter of the original volume). Top with the remaining chicken tenders and sprinkle with the remaining seasoning blend. Top everything with the bell pepper strips. Do not stir or toss. Lock the lid onto the pot.

Optional 1 Max Pressure Cooker: Press Pressure cook on Max pressure for 12 minutes with the Keep Warm setting off.

Optional 2 All Pressure Cookers: Press Poultry, Pressure Cook or Manual on High pressure for 15 minutes with the Keep Warm setting off.

Use the quick-¬release method to bring the pot’s pressure back to normal. Unlatch the lid and open the cooker. Use kitchen tongs, silicone cooking mitts, or thick hot pads to remove the rack or steamer from the pot, letting the chicken fall into the sauce below. Stir well.

Press the button for SAUTE, set it for High, More or Custom 400°F. Set the timer for 15 minutes.

As the sauce comes to a simmer, use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken tenders and the vegetables to a serving platter. Boil the sauce, stirring often, until reduced to a glaze, about 10 minutes. Turn off the SAUTÉ function and pour the sauce over the chicken and vegetables before serving. 6 servings

Tips:

•For an 8-quart Instant Pot, you must either use 1-1/4 cups broth or increase all the ingredients by 50 percent. (The sauce will take up to 5 minutes longer to reduce in step 6.)

•This recipe delivers only the chicken and vegetables for fajitas. You’ll also need warmed flour or corn tortillas; peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced avocados; shredded Monterey Jack, Cheddar, or Swiss cheese (or even a purchased Tex-Mex blend); minced scallions/green oniona; sour cream; and/or stemmed, minced fresh cilantro leaves.

•If you want to make your own seasoning blend, skip the packet and mix the following in a small bowl: 1 tbsp. chili powder, 1 tbsp. mild smoked paprika, 1 tbsp. ground cumin, 1 tbsp. dried oregano, 1 tbsp. dark brown sugar, and 1 tbsp. table salt.

Fish Tacos

1-1/2 lbs. mahi-mahi filets

1/4 c. dry white wine

2 T. lime juice

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 T. vegetable oil

1 lime, quartered

12 sm. corn tortillas, warmed

Romaine or Iceberg lettuce, shredded, for garnish

Pico de Gallo salsa, for garnish

1 avocado, pitted and cut into thin slices, for garnish

Sour cream or crema, for garnish

Quick cold-water rinse, pat fish dry and combine in a nonreactive bowl (stainless steel, glass, or ceramic-lined) with the white wine, lime juice and garlic. Set aside to marinate about 10 to 15 minutes.

When fish is ready, remove it from the marinade, pat dry, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Heat oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, place fish skin-side down in skillet. Cook until opaque and firm to touch, about 3 minutes per side.

Flake the fish, squeeze one of the lime wedges over the top, and toss to coat. To make a taco, stack 2 tortillas on top of each other and fill with fish, lettuce, salsa, a few avocado slices, and a dollop of sour cream. Repeat to make 6 tacos total.

Peach Crumble

Peach Filling:

2 lbs. firm, ripe peaches (6 to 8 peaches)

1/4 c. packed light brown sugar

2 T. cornstarch

1 T. fresh lemon juice

Pinch kosher salt

Crumble Topping:

1 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 c. raw pecans, roughly chopped

1/4 c. packed light brown sugar

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

Pinch kosher salt

6 T. unsalted butter, melted

Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

For the peach filling: Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and fill a large bowl with lots of ice and cold water. Cut a small “X” into the base of each peach with a paring knife. Gently lower the peaches into the boiling water with a slotted spoon or tongs, then cook until the skin starts to peel away from the flesh, 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer immediately to the ice-water bath. Once cool enough to handle, peel the peaches and discard the skin. Remove the pit and cut flesh into 1/2-inch-thick wedges. Transfer to another large bowl, then toss in the brown sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and salt. Transfer to a 2-quart oval baking dish (or 9-inch square baking dish.)

For the crumble topping: Whisk the flour, pecans, brown sugar, ginger and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the butter, then stir until the flour mixture is completely moistened and forms lots of clumps.

Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the filling. Bake until the filling is bubbling at the edges and the topping is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Let sit 15 minutes before serving each portion with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. 6 servings

Quote of the Week:

“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man. True nobility lies in being superior to your former self.”

~ Ernest Hemingway