Years ago we shared our home with my in-laws. We also had a
large garden that all of us tended to. Dolly and I would spend lots of time
cooking and canning. My children have great memories of the same. I also need
to be thankful to my mother-in-law. When we were moving, she asked if I wanted
some of her canning jars. I took them and am so grateful. I think of her each
time I fill one.
The last of both the stir fry and snap peas are coming fast
and furious. Blanching and then vacuum packing for the freezer is a great way
to store these so they keep their “snap”.
This will be the week for relish and some pickles. Zucchini is coming and coming. I will
have to start giving some away soon. I prefer zucchini relish over the cucumber
relish. It isn’t as bitter. This is when my food processor and kitchen aid come
in handy. I would be lost without them this time of year.
We had some of turnip this week. They were still on the
small side. But I love them that way. The greens were just as good. I did the
greens up with bacon they way an old family friend, Mrs. Floyd, used to do
them. Joe was surprised and
devoured it all. Of course, bacon goes good with everything.
The blueberries are out in full force. I picked 17 gallons
of them yesterday. Froze two packages for pies this winter and made jam with
the rest. My granddaughter LOVES
Nonni’s jam. So I need to keep not only our house but her supplied throughout
the year. I ended up with 10 pints and 29 half-pints.
I began my parmesan frying today. For those that like
eggplant parmesan, I would suggest that you also try it with zucchini. It is
usually in the garden earlier and it will hone your skills so when the eggplant
is ready, you are. I’ve had
several people ask me to divulge my method of “putting up the “parm”. I will go through this process at least
6 times during the summer and fall getting all the “parm” in the freezer.
I make a homemade sauce. But you can use canned if you like.
So get your sauce ready first.
My hint – when making your sauce, remove the center green
part of your garlic. That is the part that gives you garlic breath for days. By
using the remaining part of the clove, you will still get the great garlic
taste in your sauce.
Then get your large bowls and pans ready. In one you want to
put 3 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of black pepper. In the
other you want to crack 12 to 15 large eggs; whip them up and add freshly
chopped Italian parsley. Get a
large cookie sheet and triple line it with paper towels. Keep that roll handy
because you will need it.
I fry mine outside. It keeps the kitchen cooler and cleaner. You can use an
electric frying pan or fryer. I
use my wok. The side burner on your gas grill also works well. But you will want
to use a cast iron pan on the side burner to retain heat and protect your grill cover with aluminum foil. I put one of the puppy training
pads down on my deck and set up my wok right there. I heat Crisco vegetable oil and 10% olive oil to 425*F. This
will give you good flavor and still get good browning.
I used two over sized zucchinis. One was around 20 inches
long and the other was around 15 inches.
Wash and cut them in hefty ¼ inch slices. If you are using eggplant, you
will want to also peel it.
You want to begin your ‘double dipping’. Dredge some slices
in the flour bowl and then in the egg bowl. Carefully place in the hot oil
using long handled metal tongs. Let brown on one side. This should take around
3 minutes. If it takes longer, your oil is not hot enough and the
zucchini/eggplant will absorb more oil (which you don’t want). Using those
tongs, flip them over and brown the reverse side. When done, place on the
cookie sheet alternating rows of zucchini and paper towels.
Enjoy with a salad or on a fresh Kaiser roll.
And you’re saying what did you do with the rest of the
zucchini? I layer it between wax
paper and place it in freezer bags. It freezes great! I was able to freeze enough for 1 large and 2 small dishes. There
is nothing like fresh “parm” on a night you’re in a hurry or in the dead of
winter when zucchini and eggplant prices are off the charts!
Note – when using your frozen zucchini, you will want to
thaw the pieces you need first. Zucchini has a high water retention so place
them on a plate lined with paper towels.
So here is an easy list of ingredients and things you will
need that you can print out for yourself.
2 over sized zucchini or 4 large eggplant
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
12-15 large eggs
1/8 cup of chopped Italian leaf parsley
Crisco oil
Olive oil
Paper towels
Long handles utensils
Deep fryer or wok
Puppy training pad or a few layers of newspaper
Aluminum foil (if you are using your gas grill burner)
