New Ways - Same Produce!

Summer is in full swing, and it is time to liven up your meal plan with a few new recipes.  Take advantage of the local farmers market and find some new ways to use the current produce in your next meal.

Let us know if there is something you would like us to put in our column, or if you have a recipe to share, please submit to ads@thedrummer.com.

Key West Flank Steak

Prep : 20 min.+ marinating

Grill time: 15 min. + standing

Makes: 4 servings

1 lg. red onion, sliced

1 c. minced fresh cilantro

1/4 c. white wine vinegar

1/4 c. Key lime juice

3 T. extra virgin olive oil, divided

6 Key limes, halved

1 beef flank steak (1 lb.)

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

In a small bowl, combine onion, cilantro, vinegar, lime juice and 2 T. oil until blended. Pour 1 c. marinade into a large bowl or shallow dish. Add lime halves. Rub steak with remaining oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add to bowl; turn to coat. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade.

Drain steak, discarding marinade and limes in bowl. Place reserved marinade in a food processor; process until chopped.

Grill steak, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from heat until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a thermometer should read 135°; medium, 140°), 6-8 minutes per side. Baste occasionally with reserved marinade. Let stand 10 minutes before thinly slicing steak across the grain.

Layered Grilled Corn Salad

Prep: 25 min. + chilling

 Makes: 10 servings

10 med ears sweet corn, husks removed

1/4 c. olive oil

1 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. coarsely ground pepper

3/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

2 lg tomatoes, finely chopped

1 med red onion, thinly sliced

12 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

1 c. zesty Italian salad dressing

Brush corn with oil. Grill corn, covered, over medium heat 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned and tender, turning occasionally. Cool slightly.

Cut corn from cobs; transfer to a small bowl. Stir in salt, pepper and pepper flakes. In a 2-qt. glass bowl, layer a third of each of the following: corn, tomatoes, onion and basil. Repeat layers twice. Pour dressing over top; refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Garden Pasta with Bocconcini

Level: Easy

Total: 30 min

Prep: 20 min

Cook: 10 min

Yield: 6 servings

For the dressing:

1 clove garlic

1/2 c. cherry tomatoes (preferably mixed colors)

3 T. red wine vinegar

1/4 c. fresh basil

1/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil

salt and ground pepper

For the salad:

8 ounces campanelle or fusilli pasta (about 4 c.)

1 sm. zucchini

1-1/2 c. halved cherry tomatoes

1 c. halved bocconcini (small mozzarella balls)

1/4 c. pine nuts or slivered almonds, toasted

1/2 c. fresh basil, thinly sliced

Salt and ground pepper

Make the dressing: Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil; add the garlic and cook 2 minutes. Remove the garlic and place in a blender with the cherry tomatoes, vinegar and basil; puree until smooth. With the motor running, add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Make the salad: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente (about 2 minutes less than the label directs). Drain and rinse under cool water; shake off the excess. Transfer the pasta to a bowl and toss with the dressing.

Shave the zucchini into strips with a vegetable peeler or mandoline; halve the strips crosswise and add to the pasta. Add the tomatoes, bocconcini, pine nuts and basil and toss. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately or refrigerate, covered, up to 6 hours. (Bring to room temperature before serving.)

Roasted Potatoes and Onions - Easy and Delicious

Prep: 15 mins

Cook Time: 40 mins

Total Time: 55 mins

Servings: 6

2 lbs. potatoes, sliced into 1/2 inch thick pieces

1 onion, halved and each half cut into quarters

1/2 c. canola oil

1/2 c. olive oil

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 envelope onion soup mix

1 T. chopped fresh rosemary, or more to taste

1 T. freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 450° F (230° C).

Combine potatoes and onion in a roasting pan; cover with canola oil and olive oil. Add garlic, onion soup mix, rosemary, and black pepper; stir until potatoes and onion are evenly coated. Cover roasting pan with aluminum foil.

Roast in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil and continue to roast until potatoes and onion are browned and edges are crispy, 15 to 30 minutes.

Notes: For really crispy potatoes, remove the foil after 10 minutes. For softer potatoes, keep the foil on the entire cooking time. Softer potatoes can be whipped or mashed to make incredible mashed potatoes.

Sauté bell peppers on the stovetop for 10 minutes before serving them on top of roasted veggies.

Stir with a large spoon every 15 minutes if you don’t want pieces seared to the pan.

Sour Cream Peach Kuchen

Prep: 15 min.

Bake: 45 min.

Makes: 12 servings

3 c. all-purpose flour

1-1/4 c. sugar, divided

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 c. cold butter, cubed

2 cans (29 oz each) sliced peaches, drained or 13 small peaches, peeled and sliced

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Topping:

4 lg egg yolks

2 c. sour cream

2 to 3 T. sugar

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1/4 c. sugar, baking powder and salt; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press onto the bottom and 1 in. up the sides of a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish.

Arrange peaches over crust. Combine cinnamon and remaining sugar; sprinkle over peaches. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine egg yolks and sour cream. Spread evenly over peaches. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over top.

Bake 30-35 minutes longer or until set. Serve warm or cold. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Chocolate-Zucchini Cake

Level: Easy

Total: 1 hr

Prep: 30 min

Cook: 30 min

Makes: 6 to 8 servings

Unsalted butter, for the pan

1-1/2 c. all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan

1/2 c. plus 1/3 c. semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg or allspice

1-1/4 c. sugar

1/2 c. plus 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

2 lg eggs

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 med zucchini, grated and squeezed dry

1 tsp. honey

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch-square cake pan. Dust the pan with flour, tapping out the excess.

Toss 1/2 c. chocolate chips with 1 T. flour in a small bowl. Whisk the remaining flour, the cocoa powder, salt, baking soda and nutmeg in a medium bowl; set aside.

Beat the sugar, 1/2 c. olive oil, the eggs and vanilla in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until smooth and pale, about 3 minutes. Add the flour-cocoa mixture; beat on low speed until combined, about 2 minutes (the batter will be thick). Add the zucchini and beat until combined, about 2 more minutes. Fold in the flour-coated chocolate chips with a wooden spoon.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely.

Make the glaze: Combine the remaining 1/3 c. chocolate chips, 1 tsp. olive oil and the honey in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on medium-high power in 30-second intervals, stirring, until the chocolate is melted. Spread over the cake, then cut into pieces.

Homemade Chipwiches

Active 45 mins;

Total 60 mins;

10 ice cream sandwiches

For the Cookies:

1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened to about 65°F

1/2 c. light brown sugar

2 T. malted milk powder

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. baking soda

Pinch nutmeg

1-1/2 cups minus 1 T. all-purpose flour

1 T. vanilla extract

1/4 c. milk

1/4 c. bittersweet mini chocolate chips

For the Filling:

1 quart of vanilla ice cream

Additional mini chips, as needed

Make the Dough: Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 350°F. Combine butter, brown sugar, malted milk powder, salt, baking soda, and nutmeg in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low to moisten, then increase to medium and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Pause to scrape the bowl and beater with a flexible spatula, then resume beating on medium low.

Add the flour all at once, followed by the vanilla, then drizzle in the milk to form a soft dough. Scrape the bowl with a flexible spatula and continue mixing for a few seconds more. Off the mixer, fold the dough a few times from the bottom up to ensure there are no streaks of unmixed dough, then stir in the mini chips.

Portion the Dough: With a cookie scoop, divide dough into 2 T. portions, and arrange on a parchment-lined half sheet pan, leaving at least 2 inches between each cookie to account for spread. With moistened fingers, gently press each portion into a flat disc, about 1/2 inch thick, and sprinkle a few extra mini chips on top. Bake until the cookies are puffed and lightly golden all over, but still a little soft, about 18 minutes. Cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and freeze until needed.

Form the Sandwiches: Pour reserved mini chips into a small dish. Sandwich the portioned ice cream between two frozen cookies, then roll the exposed edges in mini chips to coat. Freeze in an airtight container at least 1 hour. Serve, or wrap each in plastic and return to the airtight container to freeze up to 1 month.

Quote of the Week:

“Friendship is a plant of slow growth and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation.”

~George Washington