Cooking two perfection SUMMERTIME and the garden is pro- ducing. It’s all very well to pre- serve garden produce by freezing excess or making pickles, canning and drying it, but first of all, enjoy it fresh, right from the stem or vine or ground. Heck, we waited all year, through ‘the snows of December and the icy winds - of January for this opportu- nity to pluck a fresh tomato, or pull a sweet carrot from the garden. Enjoy it. ~~ Sure, there's usually an overabundance of some- thing, and that’s when we _ Share or save it for those ©" 6old, dark days that are upcoming. In the meantime, eat up - those summer squash like -- zucchini, which one day are ‘two inches long and the next . two feet. Here are some sugges- - tions for wonderful ways to ”, get the best from your har- vest while it’s fresh. “We also have some excel- ~Jent roadside stands and. market gardeners who sell from their back doors, great produce stores and vast dis- plays of fresh vegetabies in supermarkets, so if you haven’r grown it yourself, . enjoy what others have : grown for you. : Stuffed Zucchini Gi zucchini is called by the : delightful’ name, little shoes, : - Or papoutzakia.. “It-can be prepared differ- ent ways, but I think this is ~. “the most delicious. Even the NEWS photo Mike Wakefield SUMMER is the time to eat fresh vegetables from your own back yard or picked up from market gar- deners or roadside stands. 1 large aucchini 1 onion 2 cloves garlic 1 Tbsp. parsley ‘l tsp. tarragon '% tsp. thyme % tsp. nutmeg salt. and. freshly-ground pe ae ground beef 3 Tbsp. white wine 1 c. white sauce. 1 c. swiss cheese Pre-heat oven to 350 F, The size of the zucchini _- _ dictates how many you need, but I gencrally use-the ones - that have suddenly mush- . roomed into foot-long beau- ties. Cut it in half lengthwise and scoop out the pulp inside, leaving a firm shelf to Pick out any large seeds and compest them, then coarsely chop the pulp. Chop the onion and smush ‘garlic cloves. Gather fresh herbs, including chervil, chives or lemon balm if -available as well as tarragon and parsley. Heat a wok or large fry- pan on medium-high heat, with a drizzle of oil or dab of butter, and add onion, garlic and lean ground beef. Cook, stirring, until meat has lost its, pink and juice has: mostly evaporated. Add chopped zucchini pulp.to the pan, pushing the - meat mixture away from the I Joint us August 19th as we celebrate Julia Child’s birthday! It’s our biggest one day event of the year—everything in-store is =k Off! Tools & Techniques 3 The Store For Cooks 250-16th Street ¢ West Vancouver e Tel (604) 925-1835 www. ‘thestoreforcooks. com SOP REET ANS EO This side dish has a Mediterranean flavour. It varies with how fresh the herbs are, and whether they're fresh lit- tle carrots out of the garden, or larger versions. This actually helps revive mature ones, incidentally. 4-6 carrots 1 Tbsp. butter 3 green onions 1 Tbsp. parsley 1 tsp. oregano 4 tsp, thyme 4 tsp. sugar 1 Tbsp. white wine 2 Thsp. water salt and pepper to taste middie, then the chopped herbs, salt and pepper to taste, and wine. Stir and cook for a few minutes until the mixture is still moist, but Not too wet. Meanwhile prepare the white sauce. I make it in the microwave while cooking the filling. Grate the cheese, . combining swiss and moz- zarella or other cheeses if desired. Assemble by setting the shells in a baking pan large enough to hold thein. Salt lightly, then mound filling in each. Divide white sauce, pouring over the filling, then ‘ sprinkle grated cheese over it Pour a thin layer of water into the bottom of the pan to steam the zuke, then put into the oven. Bake for about half an hour or until the cheese is melted and browned slightly. To serve, cut into slabs after it’s been out of the oven for a few minutes. It’s a complete meal. Serves at Wednesday, August 16, 2000 —- North Shore News - 19 livinareom The joys of | summertime’ S fresh produce (Herbed Carrots lengthwise. Serub carrots and cut into two-inch pieces. If they're thick ones, cut in half Meit butter in a het frypan with a tight lid. Add carrots. Turn in the butter until they begin to brown. Add the areen onions, herbs, sugar and wine. Mix togeth- er and add the water, then cover tightly and reduce heat to low for 15-20 minutes until there's very little liquid left and the carrots are tender. Sprinkle vith fresh chopped parsley before serviny. Serves four. feast 4. Pasta with Fresh Vegetables This is infinitely variable, depending on what is fresh- est or most abundant in either your garden or the produce manager's. © Combine two to three cups — in total — of veg- etables from the list of sug- gestions below: whole baby carrots baby onions, or chopped walla walla cr red onions sliced mushrooms cauliflower and/or broccoli, lorets ; peas or sugar (snow) peas cut-up asparagus spears sliced zucchini sweet pepper slices chopped green onicns cherry tomatoes .. basil, cut into strips - _ chopped parsley 1 tb. pasta Ke. cream BUY 1 DOZEN. GET 1 DOZEN Free - Rog. $2.25 doa Westiynn Bakery 1199 LYNN VALLEY RD., LYNN VALLEY CENTRE 2 Tbsp. parmesan salt and freshly-ground Pepper . While the pasta, fettucci- ° ni, rotini or another shape, is’ cooking according to pack- . age directions, sauté the veg- etables you’ve chosen. To your frypan or. wok,” with’a drizzle of olive oil,’ add the vegetables that.can - take the most cooking first,- working your way down to the green onions and toma-" toes which can be added at ~ the very last second. - Then dump in the cream | and grated parmesan cheese (fresh i is best, but dried is fine), and bring it just to _ bubbling. Drain the pasta. and lightly combine tt with’ the sauce and vegetables.’ Garnish with fresh herb: Serves 4 — If ‘you have questions t ask or red: pes to share, contacts: Phyl and Jude: at: 15922 McNaughton. Rd. Kelowna, : BCY Viz 282. © Offer valid Avg 7 23/2000. 985-1622 Receive $2.00 offa order of” _ 590 or more with this coupon "OF OUR WAREHOUSE - 119 PHILIP AVE; N. VAM