More Blondies!

Now that school has started, I’m baking more.  I love baking treats and then having on hand for Meeshie’s school lunch.  This a great and simple treat for anyone’s lunch.  It can work well with any other fresh fruit.  I think the only thing to change up would be using white chocolate depending on the fruit choice.  But then I love white chocolate almost as much as I love browned butter.  Feel free to add pecans.  I didn’t, but you could.

Cut these up, wrap them individually and stick them in the freezer.  They’ll be ready to add to lunch.  That’s the beauty of a blondie, or a brownie.  Small effort for a great treat.

Chocolate Cherry Blondies

• 1/2 C Butter
• 1 C Brown Sugar
• 1 Egg
• 1 t Vanilla
• 1/8 t Salt
• 1 C Flour
• 1/2 C Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1 C Cherries, fresh, pitted and chopped

Grease a 8×8 pan.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour and salt.  Melt and brown the butter, let cool.  In a large bowl, add the brown sugar and the butter and whisk until smooth.  Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth.  Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture.  Fold in the chocolate chips and then the cherries.  Pour into prepared pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until set in the middle.

Makes 16 squares.

More Zucchini

We are still enjoying our garden zucchini.  I’m thanking the unusually hot summer.  I usually don’t have zucchini this long, unless I plant additional halfway through the season.    I thought that since we really enjoy the oven roasted tomatoes, why not try the same method with zucchini?  Why indeed.  These zucchini chips have been eaten so fast, they’ve never made it to the table.  Meeshie keeps asking when I plan to make them again.  Soon, sweetie, I promise.

The thinner you cut the zucchini, the crisper they will become.  The crunch is what makes this so irresistible.  These chips are so worth the time needed to make.  Especially since the time element is the hardest part of the recipe.  The time depends on how thick, or thin, you slice the zucchini.  So please be patient.

Are these perfect for an appetizer?  You bet.  Would these taste heavenly as a side to a hamburger, hot dog, sausage, or your favorite sandwich?  No doubt.  Is this a great way to get your child to eat their veggies?  YES!

Oh, and the red baskets?  My husband saw those at Sur La Table at the beginning of summer.  I thought they would just sit in the cabinet unused.  I was so wrong.  We love these baskets!  We use them for lunch and dinner.  We put hamburgers, hot dogs and sausage in them.  We’ve used them for chicken wings.  I bought the double box of waxed paper from Costco and use that as the liner.

Zucchini Chips

• 3-4 Medium Zucchini, sliced thin
• 1-2 T Olive Oil
• Truffle Salt
• Fresh Ground Pepper
• Parmesan

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a large mixing bowl, toss the zucchini with the olive oil, salt and pepper to coat the zucchini evenly.  Lay the zucchini on the baking sheet on a single layer.  Bake in a 200 degree oven for 2-3 hours, flipping the zucchini after an hour and half.  If desired, toss the warm chips with freshly grated parmesan.

My Bumper Crop

Last summer I had the worst luck with zucchini.  Not so this year.  This year my husband and I made the garden larger with a really cool gate.  This year we had room to add more celery, tomato and zucchini.  We also planted some eggplant, which I visit every other day looking for buds.

I know that all of you that plant a garden know that once your fruits and veggies come in, sometimes you need to be creative with your bounty.  And last year as I dreamt about zucchini that never came, I also planned ways to make my zucchini.  Like sauted with olive oil, pepper and truffle salt.  Or in blueberry zucchini bread, (which I’ve also made with cherries instead of the blueberry).  Or as zucchini chips.  And this great dish of kicked up risotto.  You can also make it with brown rice, but we do so love risotto.

So as I shred my zucchini to store in the freezer for bread, I’m dancing around smiling knowing that I may or may not have this wonderful fruit next season.

Zucchini Risotto

• 1 T Olive Oil
• 2 T Butter
• 1 C Risotto
• 2 C Chicken Broth
• 2 T Pesto
• 4 C Shredded Zucchini
• 1 C Parmesan, shredded

Heat oil and butter in large sauce pan.  Add the risotto  and saute until toasted.  Slowly add the chicken broth, allowing the risotto to soak up most of the broth before adding more.  Once all the broth has been added, add the pesto.  Add the zucchini and parmesan.  Stir until well incorporated.  Cover , remove from heat and let sit for five minutes.

Makes 8 servings.

Here’s the inspiration.