Once zucchini season gets into full gear, one of the most requested recipes is zucchini bread. Chef Robert Robert Gerstenecker demonstrated this particularly delicious version at the Morningside Farmers Market this year.
Vegetables
Chinese-style Steamed Eggplant
Another recipe from SeriousEats.com.
Curried Pickled Zucchini and/or Okra
Love this idea for a differently flavored pickle. Make it with the rounds of zucchini or the tiny little okra in today’s box, or both! The original idea came from seriouseats.com.
Sausage and Peppers
This idea from Seth Freedman of Forage & Flame, market chef for the East Atlanta Village Farmers Market, is so simple it almost doesn’t need a recipe. But it’s a nice reminder of a classic combination.
Nicoise Salad with Poached Egg and Smoked Paprika
Yes, here’s another reason you need to have smoked paprika in your pantry. This recipe from Carvel Grant Gould of Canoe uses a pinch of smoked paprika. Once you try it you’ll see why our chefs all like to incorporate small amounts into their food.
Fried Okra with Spicy Red Pepper Sauce
Does everyone know how to roast peppers? A quick way for just a few peppers is to do them right on the burners of your stove (if your stove is gas, of course). Just crank up the burner and put the peppers right on the grate. Turn them (with tongs!) as they char and blister. When most of the pepper has blackened, drop it into a paper bag and close the top. The peppers will steam and when they’re cool enough to handle, you can easily remove the skins. And the bonus is that your house smells like roasting peppers – yum.
Don’t have any smoked paprika in the pantry? Well, get some. It’s an amazing seasoning. In the meantime, regular paprika will do, or just skip it for today. You can find it at most grocery stores.
Sesame Okra
Last week, Mary Moore of Cook’s Warehouse, demonstrated two okra recipes at the Morningside Farmers Market. So glad to share them with you here.
Turkish Chicken and Okra Casserole
This recipe comes from Andrew Scrivani by way of The New York Times in September 2011. It’s adapted from Ghillie Basan’s recipe in “Classic Turkish Cooking.” Smoked paprika makes its first of three appearances today.
Spiced Apple Cupcakes
I hate it when I don’t remember a recipe’s provenance. But this one is too good not to share. Dust the cupcakes with a little powdered sugar, or gild the lily and mix up a maple buttercream frosting (2 sticks of butter, a few tablespoons of maple syrup and enough powdered sugar to make a spreadable frosting, all whirled up together in your food processor).
Okra Soup
This Charleston recipe appeared in the May 2011 issue of Saveur. I could eat it by the gallon.