Both last nights meal and this evenings were inspired by a book my mom gave me called "Cooking Under the Arch - Cherished Recipes and Gardening Tips from the Rigorous High Country of Alberta's Chinook Zone".
It's just got really simple ideas on how to use the fruits and vegetables from your garden.
Last night, I made something called "Zucchini Ratatouille". Here's the recipe as written in the book:
These vegetables are straight from your garden, not dolled up with eggplant or mushrooms, though there is no law against those.
Cut in chunks into a baking dish: Zucchini, potatoes, carrots, onions, tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil, fresh or dried oregano, garlic, salt and pepper. Cover and bake at 180C for 45 minutes. Top with cheddar or mozzarella and parmesan. Bake uncovered a few minutes until melted.
I followed this recipe pretty closely... the only thing that I found way off was the time! I had to leave it in there for almost 2 hours until the potatoes were cooked. I also added some sweet potato and cooked chicken from the night before. May I also add... the oregano and zucchini were from my garden! The potatoes and carrots were from someone elses garden. The joys of summer! This was a fantastic meal and great leftovers for lunch.
This evening I had to hang up my ring and get dirty! I made a completely original recipe that I am very excited about. It's all natural and completely gluten free. Drum roll please....
Feta Stuffed Turkey Meatloaf with Herbs
1 package of ground turkey
1 egg
1tbsp cornmeal (approx.)
fresh garlic, chopped
1/2cup grated zucchini
fresh rosemary, parsley, oregano, basil all chopped into small pieces
fresh ground black pepper
feta
organic ketchup
Mix the first turkey, egg, cornmeal, garlic, herbs, zucchini and pepper together in a bowl with your HANDS. Spray the inside of your loaf pan with olive oil or cooking spray and put half of the mixture in the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle some feta on top and cover with the remaining turkey mixture. Top with a squiggle of ketchup and cook for 50 minutes to an hour at 350F.
To accompany the meatloaf, I made garden potatoes mashed with loads of fresh dill and skim milk.
From the "Cooking Under the Arch" cookbook I made some honey glazed carrots. All that consists of is adding a little honey and margerine to your cooked carrots. These carrots were from our garden too!
JASON'S REVIEW: A+. Would eat again. Everything.
MY REVIEW: I am so pleased with my meatloaf!! Using fresh herbs makes a huge difference - so flavorful. The only thing I would do differently next time is sprinkling a little feta on top as well as in the middle. The honey glazed carrots basically tasted like candy.
