Zuppa Toscana

I grew kale in my garden this year for the first time. This sent me on the hunt for some kale recipes. I found this Olive Garden copycat Zuppa Toscana aka Tuscan Soup, and had heard of before but never tried it. I used spicy sausage and left the peel on the potatoes. My entire family enjoyed this soup, which means it gets added to the blog. With some focaccia bread on the side, mmmmm!!!

Zuppa Toscana

lecremedelacrumb.com

1 pound spicy or mild Italian ground sausage

4 TBSPs butter 

1/2 white onion, diced

1 TBSP minced garlic

6 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

4/5 yellow potatoes, washed and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 tsps salt or to taste

1 tsp black pepper

2 cups heavy cream

4 cups chopped kale

Chopped bacon and grated parmesan cheese for topping, optional

1. In a large pot, sauté sausage 5-6 minutes until browned. Use a slotted spoon to transfer sausage to a plate and set aside. Remove any grease that is left.

2. In the same pot, add butter and sauté onions over medium heat until translucent. Add garlic and sauté for another minute until fragrant. Add chicken broth, water, potatoes, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil.

3. Boil until potatoes are tender, check with a fork at about 10 minutes. Stir in kale and heavy cream. Add sausage. If you want to remove some of the grease, see my note at the bottom. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Serve garnished with bacon and grated parmesan cheese if desired. 

Note: Sausage is greasy and the spicy variety leaves an orange layer that hangs out at the top of the soup. I removed some of this fat with a gravy separator. I scooped the top layer as best as I could with a ladle, poured it into my gravy separator, and let it sit for a few minutes to let the grease rise to the top. Then poured the liquid back in. I added a picture of it below.

Another note: When recipes call for chicken broth, I usually substitute water and chicken bullion which works well in this soup.

Rustic Strawberry and Peach Galette

 Summer is almost over, but there's still time for summer desserts! You only need a few ingredients for this recipe. It's pretty much like a pie but an easier version with less filling. You can substitute other fruit like blackberries or blueberries and make your own creation. We like it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Rustic Strawberry and Peach Galette

adapted from sallysbakingaddiction.com

1 pie crust (store bought or my recipe here)

2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

2 fresh ripe peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced

2 TBSPs sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg beaten

1. Mix the peaches and strawberries together in a medium bowl. Add the sugar and vanilla, tossing well to coat the fruit. Set aside and allow the mixture to soak as you roll out the crust.

2. Preheat oven to 425°F (190°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.

3. On a lightly floured surface, roll the pie dough into a 12-inch circle. Trim the rim of the circle to make a clean cut if desired. Transfer dough to the prepared baking sheet.

4. Spoon the fruit (not the juices) into the center of the dough, leaving a 2-3 inch border all around.

5. Gently fold the edges of the dough over the fruit, overlapping the dough as necessary. Press gently to seal the edges. Pour most of the reserved juices over the fruit, leaving about 1-2 TBSPs behind. Too much juice and the dough will become soggy. Brush the crust with the beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar.

6. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until the crust is golden brown, Remove from the oven and allow to slightly cool before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature. Tart tastes best on the same day it is baked. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Sweet Zucchini Relish

I plant zucchini every year, and this year I planted 3 different varieties. Even after making lots of chocolate zucchini cake, zucchini bread, fried zucchini, cheesy zucchini rice, and zucchini casserole, I have extra. I decided to try zucchini relish and I'm so glad that I did. We have used it on hot dogs, in tuna salad, and even in meatloaf. Here's the recipe. :)

Sweet Zucchini Relish
adapted from manmadediy.com 
12 cups zucchini, shredded
4 cups white onions, shredded
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 carrot, shredded
5 TBSP pickling salt
5 cups of sugar
2 1/2 cups vinegar
1 TBSP dry mustard
1 TBSP corn starch
3/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 TBSP red pepper flakes, optional
10-8 oz jars with screw bands and lids

1. Mix the veggies and pickling salt in a large bowl. Let sit at least 12 hours (or overnight). Drain the veggies in a colander; wash under cold water, then drain again thoroughly. Set aside.
2. In a large pot add sugar, vinegar, mustard, corn starch, turmeric, celery seed, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Add veggies to sauce and cook over low/medium heat for 25-30 minutes.
3. While relish is cooking, heat water in water bath canner or large pot to boiling. Place lids with rubber seal in a small bowl and add 1 cup of boiling water. Add empty jars and screw bands to the pot and boil for 10 minutes to sterilize. Remove jars and screw bands from pot and dry them with towel. When relish is ready, ladel it into the clean jars. Leave 1/4 - 1/2" of space at the top. Wipe jar rims and threads with a clean damp cloth. Cover with lid and screw bands on tightly. Place the filled jars into the canner. Water should cover jars by 1-2 inches. Bring to boil and process for 10 minutes. Carefully remove each jar and set aside for 12-24 hours to cool. Check tops of jars to make sure they have sealed by pressing middle of lids with finger. If lids do not spring back they have sealed properly. If they do spring back, refrigerate the jars. Makes about 10-8oz jars.

Fried Zucchini

If you are growing zucchini in your garden, then I hope you are making this!! Even if don't have an abundance of zucchini, this is a fun fried side dish. I planted 3 varieties of zucchini in my garden this year and we tried them all fried. This is the way I like to bread and fry mine.

Fried Zucchini

2 medium zucchini about 1 ½ lbs
2-3 cups of canola oil (you want it to be about 2 or 3 inches deep in your pan)
3/4 cup flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups Italian bread crumbs

1. Heat oil in pan or deep fryer to 350 degrees.
2. While oil is heating up, wash zucchini and slice into ½ inch slices.
3. In a shallow dish like a pie pan, add flour. Set aside.
4. In a separate shallow dish, whisk eggs. Add milk and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
5. Combine Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs in another shallow dish. Set aside.
6. Dredge zucchini in flour, dip in eggs, then cover in bread crumbs. Make sure to really cover the zucchini slice each time. Pack the bread crumbs on a little if you need to. Repeat with remaining slices.
7. Fry zucchini a few at a time cooking 2-3 minutes per side. Remove to paper towel lined plate.

Gray and Cocozelle Zucchini

BLT Quiche

I love quiche and love trying different add-ins! It's technically BST, but I'm sticking with the L because it makes more sense. This is my regular quiche recipe with the addition of bacon, spinach, and tomatoes. I used a little chopped fresh spinach from my garden and a few cherry tomatoes halved. I have tried all different kinds of cheese in my quiche and I like using the pizza blend. It has some swiss, which is a typical quiche cheese, but it also has some provolone and mozzarella and I think it works really well. 

BLT Quiche
1 9in. deep dish prepared crust (like Pillsbury crust, or make this Quick Pie Crust)
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups half and half
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese, pizza blend 
1/4 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 cups loosely packed spinach, roughly chopped
10-20 cherry tomatoes, halved

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prick bottom and sides of crust with fork. Cover crust with foil, poke a few holes in it, then press it onto the crust. Bake the crust for 8 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the the crust looks dry but not brown, about 4 minutes more. Remove from the oven; reduce the temperature to 325 degrees.
2. While crust is baking, in a medium bowl combine eggs, half and half, salt, pepper, cheese, bacon, and spinach. Stir to combine. When the crust has finished baking, pour egg mixture into the crust. Top with cherry tomatoes, cut side up.
3. Bake until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. If the edges are browning too quickly, cover them with strips of aluminum foil. Cool 15 minutes then serve.