You most likely have some favorite recipes that you like to cook with June’s wonderful produce. I certainly do but I also like to try out new ideas. My weekly CSA share began on Memorial Day weekend and so I have plenty of June produce to experiment with at this time. Here are a few of my ideas. Give them a try.

Green Peppers

Shrimp and Bell Peppers in Orange Sauce

Ingredients

1 pound Gulf shrimp (wild caught), peeled and deveined
2 bell peppers, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 large sweet onion, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Directions

Preheat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the peppers and onions to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes or until tender. Remove the vegetables to a bowl.

Add the shrimp to the pan. Cook about 3 minutes. Turn the shrimp over when one side turns pink. Cook the second side. Push the shrimp to one side of the pan.

Whisk the cornstarch and orange juice together. Add the honey.

Pour the mixture into the pan. Turn the heat up slightly. Bring the liquid ingredients up to a boil. Turn the heat back down to medium-high and push the shrimp into the sauce.

Add the peppers and onions. The sauce should have thickened and the shrimp should be completely cooked.

Corn on the Cob

Fresh Corn and Ricotta Cakes

Makes 8 cakes

Ingredients

2 cups fresh corn kernels
½ cup ricotta cheese
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup chopped chives
1/3 cup self-rising unbleached flour
Olive oil
Fresh ground pepper, to taste

Directions

In a medium bowl combine the corn, chives, ricotta, eggs, flour and a pinch of black pepper.

Cover the bottom of a large skillet with a thin layer of olive oil. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, drop the corn mixture into the skillet. Do not crowd the cakes in the pan.

Cook the cakes on both sides until golden brown. Season with sea salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve with sour cream or a tomato salsa, if desired.

Basil

Pizza With Basil Pesto and Ricotta

Ingredients

1 lb pizza dough, at room temperature
1/2 cup prepared basil pesto
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 plum tomatoes, sliced thin
7 oz fresh mozzarella balls, sliced

Directions

Place the sliced tomatoes on paper towels to remove some of their moisture.

Oil a large pizza pan and stretch out the dough to fit the pan.

Spread the basil pesto over the dough.

Spread the ricotta over the pesto and layer the sliced tomatoes over the ricotta.

Place the pizza in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes. Take the pizza out of the oven and top with slices of fresh mozzarella. Return the pizza to the oven and bake for 10 minutes more or until the cheese melts and the crust is cooked.

Remove the pizza from the oven and let rest about 5 minutes before cutting into slices.

Blueberries


Blueberry Cheesecake Pie

8 servings

Topping Ingredients

1 pint blueberries, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup water

Crust Ingredients

1 1/2 cups amaretto cookie crumbs or crush your favorite cookies
1/3 cup butter, melted

Filling Ingredients

2 cups (Two 8 oz packages) cream cheese, at room temperature
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

To make the topping:

In a small sauce pan combine the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice and water. Place the pan over medium high heat. Stir until the mixture comes to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook the blueberry mixture for 20 minutes or until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon.

Let the blueberry sauce cool to room temperature and store in the refrigerator until the cheese pie is ready.

To make the crust:

Select a pie pan whose inside top dimension is at least 9 inches and whose height is at least 11/4 inches. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Make the crust by stirring together the butter and cookie crumbs. Press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of the pie pan, making a thicker layer on the bottom than on the sides.

To make the filling:

Beat together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth.

Set the pie pan on a baking sheet and pour the filling into the crumb crust.

Place the cheesecake in the oven. Bake for 35 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the crust 1 inch from the edge reads between 165°F and 170°F. The filling won’t look entirely set in the center.

Remove the cheesecake from the oven and set it on a rack to cool. Once the cake is cool, refrigerate it, covered, until completely chilled.

Just before serving, spoon a little of the blueberry topping over the cheesecake and cut into slices.

Zucchini

Yogurt-Zucchini Bread 

Ingredients

1 cup walnuts (4 ounces), chopped and toasted
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup coarsely grated zucchini (about 1 medium zucchini)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Place the grated zucchini on a paper towel to drain while you prepare the other ingredients.

Butter and flour a 9 x 4 1/2-inch metal loaf pan.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a medium bowl, mix the 3/4 cup sugar with the eggs, vegetable oil and yogurt. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients along with the grated zucchini and toasted walnuts and stir until the batter is evenly moistened.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the top with the 2 tablespoons sugar.

Bake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes or until the loaf is risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the loaf cool on a rack for 30 minutes before unmolding and serving.

The zucchini loaf can be wrapped tightly in plastic and kept at room temperature for up to 4 days, or frozen in plastic and foil for up to 1 month.


Posted by in Basil pesto, berries, Cheese, cheesecake, corn, Desserts, Fish, Fruit, onion, orange, Pancakes, peppers, pie, Pizza, shrimp, tomatoes, Vegetables, yogurt, zucchini Tags: