A Happy Harvesting Saturday

Mid August usually marks the beginning of reaping what we sowed way back in May. The garden is in full production which means zucchini is ALWAYS a bumper crop. Not to mention green tomatoes. With our cool summer this year, tomatoes are plentiful but they’re not ripening on the vine. It’s just been too cool overnight. Eggplant’s looking good too. So I started out this morning with green tomato relish.

You need green tomatoes, onions, and sweet peppers. I use an assortment of green, red and yellow peppers. Grind it all together, sprinkle with salt and let it sit a little over 2 hours. Into a big pot goes mustard, drained vegetables, brown sugar, tumeric and vinegar. Cook it all together for approx 2 hours until its nice and thick, then ladle it into hot sterilized jars. And while all that was cooking, I started on all my zucchini.

 

If you’ve never tried this version of mock apple pie, this recipe is awesome! My boys have no clue they’re not eating real “apple” pie and please don’t give out my secret or I’ll never get rid of my zucchini!

You peel, seed and slice zucchini and cook it together with lemon juice for about 20 minutes. Can you honestly say those don’t look like apples?!

Add the cinnamon, sugar and nutmeg…

Make the crust while your “apples” are cooking and pat it into the pan.

Add your apples sprinkle with reserved crust and pop it into the oven.

Sorry the glare from the kitchen window makes it look like the topping isn’t browned, but believe me, it’s done. I’ve given you the full recipe below…

 

ZUCCHINI CRISP

8 C. peeled, seeded, thinly sliced zucchini 2/3 C. lemon juice

1 C. sugar 1 t. cinnamon ¼ t. nutmeg

4 C. flour 1 ½ C. butter Dash salt

1 ½ C. sugar

Combine zucchini and lemon juice in saucepan. Cook for 20 min. Add 1 C. sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Cook 10 minutes more. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, mix flour, 1 ½ C. sugar and cut in butter like a pie crust.

Reserve ½ cup crust mixture.

Pat 2/3 crust mixture into bottom of 13 x 9 baking pan.

Add ½ C. reserved crust mixture to zucchini mixture, stirring until thickened.

Spread zucchini over crust. Sprinkle remaining crust mixture over top zucchini.

Bake at 375 for 30-45 minutes or until lightly browned.

Serve warm or cold.

Bake Time & Temp: 375, 30-45 min

I’ve given you the recipe as it was given to me but I do not use the entire crust batter as I personally feel there is just way too much! I only use about 2/3 of it.

And don’t tell anyone it’s zucchini!! It’ll be OUR secret… (Grandpap Joe, you need to send your lovely wife up to get you some before my boys get home!)

 

My finished jars of green tomato relish…

The sweet sound of pinging in the background while I’m typing this makes it a happy Saturday! Hope yours is too!