Guest guest Posted July 24, 2005 Report Share Posted July 24, 2005 This is my good friend Krista's parent's farm I can't get the woman to use her computer (she got one, was on the I-net for about a month and then stuffed the computer in a box in her garage *lol*), so she doesn't even KNOW this article is out there on the web about her folks! Silly girl *lol* .. but I thought I'd share! *Smile* Chris http://www.alittleolfactory.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ http://www.frontrangeliving.com/cooking/Zweckfarm.htm <http://www.frontrangeliving.com/cooking/images/Zweck.jpg> A COLORADO CENTENNIAL FARM By Niki Hayden Behind a biotechnology factory, down a half mile from a county airport, nestled among a new housing development, situated on a busy road--a 320-acre organic farm dating to 1863 is known as the Zweck farm. Originally given as a grant to a veteran of the Civil War, then a homestead turned dairy, the farm is working on its second century. About 29 years ago, Tom and Connie Zweck changed the dairy into a certified organic farm selling mostly to neighbors. Some are old-time Longmont residents who make a weekly drive. Others are new housing development homeowners who moved to Colorado and settled around the farm. <http://www.frontrangeliving.com/cooking/images/Zweckbarn.jpg> Tom can remember his grandfather and father planting wheat on land that now grows everything from arugula to zucchini in a rich, loamy soil with no history of pesticides. " Tom’s grandmother was able to keep the farm during hard times by selling butter, " Connie says, " In the ’60s, when we started with the back-to-the-earth movement, we figured that organic was the only way to go. Why would you use pesticides? Now we know it’s difficult. We were very small at first, mostly sweet corn and then tomatoes. We kept adding until we have what we have now. " <http://www.frontrangeliving.com/cooking/images/Zweckstand.jpg> FOLLOWING THE PRINCIPLES OF ORGANIC GARDENING " We only grow on about 20 acres, " Tom says, " and we move the crops. " Organic farming requires crop rotation with a variety of crops to cut off the breeding cycle of pests. Most pests and diseases are specific to a single crop. Rotating where they grow is perhaps the most important measure an organic farmer takes to ensure success. That goes against modern farms that specialize in one crop. " You just can’t be organic with a monoculture and few people understand that, " he says, surveying fields of sunflowers, winter squash, peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, sweet corn, basil, onions, melons, zinnias, okra, cucumbers, beans, carrots, cilantro, parsley and potatoes. <http://www.frontrangeliving.com/cooking/images/Zweckconnie.jpg> Organic farming, Connie says, depends on soil fertility. " It’s preparing the soil in the fall for the next year with compost and a green cover crop. Because you have to rotate your crops, well, that can be difficult in a small garden. You have to weed. Every few days, water and hoe, especially when the plants are babies. Hoeing helps to stimulate the roots of the plants. There’s a saying, ‘tickle the earth and the plants will laugh back at you.’ That’s because you get water and nutrients to their roots. If you have clay soil and don’t hoe, it gets harder and you can’t get air to the roots. And don’t overcrowd plants. Beginners often do that. " The Zwecks not only shun pesticides, they don’t use commercial fertilizers. They have a built-in manure factory next door. " We can get composted manure from beef cows. Tom’s brother has a herd. But Tom still thinks our raspberries don’t do as well as when we had baby calves. " A WORKING MUSEUM <http://www.frontrangeliving.com/cooking/images/Zweckpeppers.jpg> At a time when family farms are posting going-out-of-business signs, the Zwecks are the rare farm that survives. In the agricultural world, they’re a working museum. Loyal customers line up each day to see what Tom hauls to the stand. Some come because they want organically grown produce. But most come because they relish the high standards the Zwecks insist upon. Purple black eggplant skins shine with a gloss. Sweet onions pulled from the earth have an outer skin that will squeak when rubbed. Emerald green basil is gathered and placed in a pail of water. Customers lean over a bin to smell the sugary ripeness of the melons and the tassel on the ends of sweet corn is damp. <http://www.frontrangeliving.com/cooking/images/Zweckcustomer.jpg> An elderly man from North Carolina fingers the okra and onions. A woman with a box of cucumbers and garlic asks for dill seed heads for her pickles. A couple picks up a box of sweet corn bound for Kansas. " They’re all out of sweet corn there by now, " the man says. Others are buying six or seven melons for a party. A restaurant chef picks up boxes of tomatoes for sauce. Newly arrived immigrant families choose cilantro and jalapeno peppers for Mexican or Thai food. The Zwecks sell only their own produce. If they can’t grow it to their satisfaction, then they won’t sell it. And if customers once lined up only for sweet corn, that’s changed. " About three-fourths of our customers care about buying organic and appreciate it. I have some of our original customers and they’ve changed. Little old ladies in their 70s now are trying fresh basil. People are open to change. And we are, too. We’re growing okra now. We didn’t think it would grow here, but people from the South kept asking for it. When we put it out, it’s gone in a minute. " A QUEST FOR PERFECTION IN A CHALLENGING CLIMATE <http://www.frontrangeliving.com/cooking/images/Zweckpotatoes.jpg> Behind their farm stand, row after row of vegetables, flowers and fruits grow in mounded beds, water from irrigation pipes dripping into the furrows. Dense clouds of mosquitoes swarm from the lilac bushes. Connie doesn’t dare pick produce without mosquito netting: " Everything is challenging in Colorado, " she says, waving away the insects. But it's not the mosquitoes that make farming in Colorado unpredictable. It's the late spring frosts and early fall snows. " There’s nothing that you can say is perfect, " she says, " It’s mostly the weather. Onions are fairly easy from seed. I would have said potatoes were easy—but not this year. Tomatoes are the hardest. Once you plant the seeds, transplant, cage and stake them. Well, you don’t get much of a crop. " " I wouldn’t be without eggplant, although they are difficult and not a great producer. And then, I love peppers. I used to grow all kinds, but I’ve narrowed it. It got too hard to classify for customers. The trick to growing peppers and eggplant is to not put them out until the cold truly is over. " Eggplant and peppers dress her dinner table regularly. She slathers mayonnaise on each side of sliced eggplant, sprinkles it with Parmesan cheese and broils it. But her favorite collection for the grill is to marinate eggplant, squash, red peppers, onions and tomatillos. She cuts them into flat slices, pops them into a Ziploc bag with a vinaigrette of balsamic vinegar, honey, olive oil and garlic. It’s one of the recipes she recommends to her customers. Connie roasts and freezes her peppers. She says the skin peels off more easily once roasted peppers have been frozen. " I love tomatillos, but they do terribly. They start getting mature and then drop all their fruit. " <http://www.frontrangeliving.com/cooking/images/Zweckmelon.jpg> We wind our way between melons, full and round, their webbing like raised ropey veins around the fruit. The Zwecks keep honeybees to pollinate all their fruit and provide honey for their farm stand. This year a bear raided one hive. It was the first bear in all their years of farming. " There’s no place for him to go, " Connie says ruefully, " we’re surrounded by houses. " Now the hives are barricaded to dissuade him; after all, he was easily frightened away. " I was amazed at how fast he could run when we pulled up in the pick-up truck. " <http://www.frontrangeliving.com/cooking/images/Zweckhoneybox.jpg> CREATING THEIR OWN MARKET The Zwecks once sold to small markets like Wild Oats and Alfalfa’s. Those stores no longer buy from them. Connie still takes fresh basil to Whole Foods, but she finds the markets are less inclined to buy local produce. They’ve shut out the smaller, local farmers who once provided the bulk of organic foods. But the Zwecks have discovered that they can provide a direct link to the customer. There’s no need to them to join a farmers market; people have found them. And it’s not easy. Tearing down the road at a rapid clip, you’ll surely miss their small sign, " Organic produce " or " Honey " . You’ll never see the rows of sunflowers behind the roadside trees, or the marigolds that line their dirt driveway. Even the stand is hidden from view. <http://www.frontrangeliving.com/cooking/images/Zwecksunflowers.jpg> It’s only when you’re parked along the driveway that you see rows upon rows of zinnias. Connie relies on annuals as cut flowers and starts seeds in a greenhouse each winter and spring. Sunflowers, cosmos and zinnias stand in galvanized cans. Each year she tries new varieties but no longer finds the seeds that she likes. " I’m saving some of my own flower seeds because they keep discontinuing the flowers I love. I’ve always had flowers at the market. I love cosmos bouquets, there are so many kinds and I’ve found one bred for cut flowers. " Over the years, Tom and Connie have discovered through trial and error how to grow the best cultivars for their weather conditions and soil. A striped zucchini is the best. Some tomatoes are sweeter than others. Fingerling potatoes are too difficult to dig up, but ruby reds grow to perfection. A smaller eggplant will thrive more easily than the giant cultivars. Their customers give instant feedback; Tom and Connie will try almost anything once. But even if the vegetables didn’t sell, Connie would never abandon her flowers—always annuals, always brightly colored. <http://www.frontrangeliving.com/cooking/images/Zweckflowers.jpg> " My grandfather and grandmother had acres of flowers. My grandfather grew them for my grandmother because she was ill for a number of years. She could look out her window and see acres of color. " Purple cleome, hot red cannas, orange and yellow marigolds, magenta cosmos, giant sunflowers, nearly an acre of sunflowers alone. It’s not too extravagant to plant acres of flower seeds each spring. By mid-summer the fields are streaked in colors. Connie’s reasoning is simple: " I grew up with all those flowers and thought you should always have them. " The Zweck farm is at 10901 Airport Road, outside Longmont. They will be open from June until October 5. Connie’s Chicken with Sour Cream and Poblano Chilies * 1 whole chicken stewed with the meat taken off the bone * 10 cloves of garlic, sliced * 1 tablespoon olive oil * 6 poblano chilies, sliced into strips * 8 oz. sour cream * 2 cups reserved chicken broth * salt and pepper to taste * 2 cups hot cooked rice Sauté garlic in oil. Add strips of poblano chilies and sauté together until tender. Add the chicken and broth, then lastly the sour cream. Serve over hot rice. Serves 6. The following recipes were developed by Front Range Living to use the last of summer squash and green beans. <http://www.frontrangeliving.com/cooking/images/Zwecksquash.jpg> Summer Squash Soufflé * 3 tablespoons of butter * 4 tablespoons of flour * 1 cup hot milk, regular or nonfat * 1 medium zucchini or yellow summer squash or three small squash * 1 tablespoon of olive oil * 4 eggs * pinch, cream of tartar * ½ cup cheese: Asiago, Parmesan, Gruyère or cheddar—any strongly flavored cheese will do Grate the summer squash and sauté slowly in oil. Grate cheese and set aside. Prepare a white sauce by melting butter in a heavy skillet. Add flour to form a paste and slowly stir in the milk. Stir until it forms a smooth sauce. Remove it from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Separate the eggs. Add the pinch of cream of tartar to the egg whites and beat with a whisk or electric beater until stiff. Set aside. Add the egg yolks to the sauce mixture. Add the grated cheese. Fold the sauce mixture into the egg whites taking care not to over mix. Pour into a casserole that holds at least 6 cups. Place in a preheated 400-degree oven for about 30 minutes--or until the soufflé has set and the eggs cooked through. Serve immediately. Serves 4 in small portions, or two as a main entrée. <http://www.frontrangeliving.com/cooking/images/Zweckbeans.jpg> Green Beans with Blue Cheese and Roasted Pecans Julia Child is right. There is one best way to cook whole green beans and it's the French way. Bring a 6-quart pan filled with water to a boil. Add two tablespoons of salt. Slide in your prepared fresh green beans. Cook seven to ten minutes or under just tender to the bite. Remove from the stove and plunge the beans into cold water. Set aside. * 1 pound green beans, cooked * 1 tablespoon olive oil * 2 tablespoons of crumbled blue cheese or feta * 2 tablespoons of roasted, chopped pecans. Place nuts in a 350-degree oven for five minutes to roast. Mix the olive, cheese and nuts together. Drizzle all over the green beans. Serve immediately. Baked Eggplants in a Crust of Breadcrumbs This is a quick and easy way to serve small, tender eggplants. They can be part of tapas party as well as a companion to a meal. * 3 small eggplants, any kind * 1/2 cup flour * 1 egg, beaten * 1 or 2 cups of fresh breadcrumbs, French or Italian white loaf * 4 Tbs. olive oil * 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese * 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese Cut off the tops of eggplants and slice down the middle. Cut off a sliver of eggplant skin on the rounded sides. Dredge the eggplant slice in flour, then dip in egg, then in breadcrumbs. Sauté in the olive oil until each side is brown and crusty. Place eggplant in a baking dish, cover with foil, and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. In the last five minutes of baking, sprinkle the grated cheeses over each slice. Serves three to four. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 24, 2005 Report Share Posted July 24, 2005 Thank you I'll be making a trip out there maybe next weekend. > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > http://www.frontrangeliving.com/cooking/Zweckfarm.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 25, 2005 Report Share Posted July 25, 2005 Oh, I want to live there.......Lets take a bus and move. Evelyn www.alternasense.com<http://www.alternasense.com/> - Christine Ziegler<chrisziggy houstonorganic <houstonorganic > ; < > Cc: OGII <OGII > Sunday, July 24, 2005 12:37 PM Article: COLORADO CENTENNIAL FARM This is my good friend Krista's parent's farm I can't get the woman to use her computer (she got one, was on the I-net for about a month and then stuffed the computer in a box in her garage *lol*), so she doesn't even KNOW this article is out there on the web about her folks! Silly girl *lol* .. but I thought I'd share! *Smile* Chris http://www.alittleolfactory.com<http://www.alittleolfactory.com/> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ http://www.frontrangeliving.com/cooking/Zweckfarm.htm<http://www.frontrangelivin\ g.com/cooking/Zweckfarm.htm> <http://www.frontrangeliving.com/cooking/images/Zweck.jpg<http://www.frontrangel\ iving.com/cooking/images/Zweck.jpg>> A COLORADO CENTENNIAL FARM By Niki Hayden Behind a biotechnology factory, down a half mile from a county airport, nestled among a new housing development, situated on a busy road--a 320-acre organic farm dating to 1863 is known as the Zweck farm. Originally given as a grant to a veteran of the Civil War, then a homestead turned dairy, the farm is working on its second century. About 29 years ago, Tom and Connie Zweck changed the dairy into a certified organic farm selling mostly to neighbors. Some are old-time Longmont residents who make a weekly drive. Others are new housing development homeowners who moved to Colorado and settled around the farm. <http://www.frontrangeliving.com/cooking/images/Zweckbarn.jpg<http://www.frontra\ ngeliving.com/cooking/images/Zweckbarn.jpg>> Tom can remember his grandfather and father planting wheat on land that now grows everything from arugula to zucchini in a rich, loamy soil with no history of pesticides. " Tom's grandmother was able to keep the farm during hard times by selling butter, " Connie says, " In the '60s, when we started with the back-to-the-earth movement, we figured that organic was the only way to go. Why would you use pesticides? Now we know it's difficult. We were very small at first, mostly sweet corn and then tomatoes. We kept adding until we have what we have now. " <http://www.frontrangeliving.com/cooking/images/Zweckstand.jpg<http://wwwfrontra\ ngeliving.com/cooking/images/Zweckstand.jpg>> FOLLOWING THE PRINCIPLES OF ORGANIC GARDENING " We only grow on about 20 acres, " Tom says, " and we move the crops. " Organic farming requires crop rotation with a variety of crops to cut off the breeding cycle of pests. Most pests and diseases are specific to a single crop. Rotating where they grow is perhaps the most important measure an organic farmer takes to ensure success. That goes against modern farms that specialize in one crop. " You just can't be organic with a monoculture and few people understand that, " he says, surveying fields of sunflowers, winter squash, peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, sweet corn, basil, onions, melons, zinnias, okra, cucumbers, beans, carrots, cilantro, parsley and potatoes. <http://www.frontrangeliving.com/cooking/images/Zweckconnie.jpg<http://www.front\ rangeliving.com/cooking/images/Zweckconnie.jpg>> Organic farming, Connie says, depends on soil fertility. " It's preparing the soil in the fall for the next year with compost and a green cover crop. Because you have to rotate your crops, well, that can be difficult in a small garden. You have to weed. Every few days, water and hoe, especially when the plants are babies. Hoeing helps to stimulate the roots of the plants. There's a saying, 'tickle the earth and the plants will laugh back at you.' That's because you get water and nutrients to their roots. If you have clay soil and don't hoe, it gets harder and you can't get air to the roots. And don't overcrowd plants. Beginners often do that. " The Zwecks not only shun pesticides, they don't use commercial fertilizers. They have a built-in manure factory next door. " We can get composted manure from beef cows. Tom's brother has a herd. But Tom still thinks our raspberries don't do as well as when we had baby calves. " A WORKING MUSEUM <http://www.frontrangeliving.com/cooking/images/Zweckpeppers.jpg<http://www.fron\ trangeliving.com/cooking/images/Zweckpeppers.jpg>> At a time when family farms are posting going-out-of-business signs, the Zwecks are the rare farm that survives. In the agricultural world, they're a working museum. Loyal customers line up each day to see what Tom hauls to the stand. Some come because they want organically grown produce. But most come because they relish the high standards the Zwecks insist upon. Purple black eggplant skins shine with a gloss. Sweet onions pulled from the earth have an outer skin that will squeak when rubbed. Emerald green basil is gathered and placed in a pail of water. Customers lean over a bin to smell the sugary ripeness of the melons and the tassel on the ends of sweet corn is damp. <http://www.frontrangeliving.com/cooking/images/Zweckcustomer.jpg<http://www.fro\ ntrangeliving.com/cooking/images/Zweckcustomer.jpg>> An elderly man from North Carolina fingers the okra and onions. A woman with a box of cucumbers and garlic asks for dill seed heads for her pickles. A couple picks up a box of sweet corn bound for Kansas. " They're all out of sweet corn there by now, " the man says. Others are buying six or seven melons for a party. A restaurant chef picks up boxes of tomatoes for sauce. Newly arrived immigrant families choose cilantro and jalapeno peppers for Mexican or Thai food. The Zwecks sell only their own produce. If they can't grow it to their satisfaction, then they won't sell it. And if customers once lined up only for sweet corn, that's changed. " About three-fourths of our customers care about buying organic and appreciate it. I have some of our original customers and they've changed. Little old ladies in their 70s now are trying fresh basil. People are open to change. And we are, too. We're growing okra now. We didn't think it would grow here, but people from the South kept asking for it. When we put it out, it's gone in a minute. " A QUEST FOR PERFECTION IN A CHALLENGING CLIMATE <http://www.frontrangeliving.com/cooking/images/Zweckpotatoes.jpg<http://www.fro\ ntrangeliving.com/cooking/images/Zweckpotatoes.jpg>> Behind their farm stand, row after row of vegetables, flowers and fruits grow in mounded beds, water from irrigation pipes dripping into the furrows. Dense clouds of mosquitoes swarm from the lilac bushes. Connie doesn't dare pick produce without mosquito netting: " Everything is challenging in Colorado, " she says, waving away the insects. But it's not the mosquitoes that make farming in Colorado unpredictable. It's the late spring frosts and early fall snows. " There's nothing that you can say is perfect, " she says, " It's mostly the weather. Onions are fairly easy from seed. I would have said potatoes were easy-but not this year. Tomatoes are the hardest. Once you plant the seeds, transplant, cage and stake them. Well, you don't get much of a crop. " " I wouldn't be without eggplant, although they are difficult and not a great producer. And then, I love peppers. I used to grow all kinds, but I've narrowed it. It got too hard to classify for customers. The trick to growing peppers and eggplant is to not put them out until the cold truly is over. " Eggplant and peppers dress her dinner table regularly. She slathers mayonnaise on each side of sliced eggplant, sprinkles it with Parmesan cheese and broils it. But her favorite collection for the grill is to marinate eggplant, squash, red peppers, onions and tomatillos. She cuts them into flat slices, pops them into a Ziploc bag with a vinaigrette of balsamic vinegar, honey, olive oil and garlic. It's one of the recipes she recommends to her customers. Connie roasts and freezes her peppers. She says the skin peels off more easily once roasted peppers have been frozen. " I love tomatillos, but they do terribly. They start getting mature and then drop all their fruit. " <http://www.frontrangeliving.com/cooking/images/Zweckmelon.jpg<http://wwwfrontra\ ngeliving.com/cooking/images/Zweckmelon.jpg>> We wind our way between melons, full and round, their webbing like raised ropey veins around the fruit. The Zwecks keep honeybees to pollinate all their fruit and provide honey for their farm stand. This year a bear raided one hive. It was the first bear in all their years of farming. " There's no place for him to go, " Connie says ruefully, " we're surrounded by houses. " Now the hives are barricaded to dissuade him; after all, he was easily frightened away. " I was amazed at how fast he could run when we pulled up in the pick-up truck. " <http://www.frontrangeliving.com/cooking/images/Zweckhoneybox.jpg<http://www.fro\ ntrangeliving.com/cooking/images/Zweckhoneybox.jpg>> CREATING THEIR OWN MARKET The Zwecks once sold to small markets like Wild Oats and Alfalfa's. Those stores no longer buy from them. Connie still takes fresh basil to Whole Foods, but she finds the markets are less inclined to buy local produce. They've shut out the smaller, local farmers who once provided the bulk of organic foods. But the Zwecks have discovered that they can provide a direct link to the customer. There's no need to them to join a farmers market; people have found them. And it's not easy. Tearing down the road at a rapid clip, you'll surely miss their small sign, " Organic produce " or " Honey " . You'll never see the rows of sunflowers behind the roadside trees, or the marigolds that line their dirt driveway. Even the stand is hidden from view. <http://www.frontrangeliving.com/cooking/images/Zwecksunflowers.jpg<http://www.f\ rontrangeliving.com/cooking/images/Zwecksunflowers.jpg>> It's only when you're parked along the driveway that you see rows upon rows of zinnias. Connie relies on annuals as cut flowers and starts seeds in a greenhouse each winter and spring. Sunflowers, cosmos and zinnias stand in galvanized cans. Each year she tries new varieties but no longer finds the seeds that she likes. " I'm saving some of my own flower seeds because they keep discontinuing the flowers I love. I've always had flowers at the market. I love cosmos bouquets, there are so many kinds and I've found one bred for cut flowers. " Over the years, Tom and Connie have discovered through trial and error how to grow the best cultivars for their weather conditions and soil. A striped zucchini is the best. Some tomatoes are sweeter than others. Fingerling potatoes are too difficult to dig up, but ruby reds grow to perfection. A smaller eggplant will thrive more easily than the giant cultivars. Their customers give instant feedback; Tom and Connie will try almost anything once. But even if the vegetables didn't sell, Connie would never abandon her flowers-always annuals, always brightly colored. <http://www.frontrangeliving.com/cooking/images/Zweckflowers.jpg<http://www.fron\ trangeliving.com/cooking/images/Zweckflowers.jpg>> " My grandfather and grandmother had acres of flowers. My grandfather grew them for my grandmother because she was ill for a number of years. She could look out her window and see acres of color. " Purple cleome, hot red cannas, orange and yellow marigolds, magenta cosmos, giant sunflowers, nearly an acre of sunflowers alone. It's not too extravagant to plant acres of flower seeds each spring. By mid-summer the fields are streaked in colors. Connie's reasoning is simple: " I grew up with all those flowers and thought you should always have them. " The Zweck farm is at 10901 Airport Road, outside Longmont. They will be open from June until October 5. Connie's Chicken with Sour Cream and Poblano Chilies * 1 whole chicken stewed with the meat taken off the bone * 10 cloves of garlic, sliced * 1 tablespoon olive oil * 6 poblano chilies, sliced into strips * 8 oz. sour cream * 2 cups reserved chicken broth * salt and pepper to taste * 2 cups hot cooked rice Sauté garlic in oil. Add strips of poblano chilies and sauté together until tender. Add the chicken and broth, then lastly the sour cream. Serve over hot rice. Serves 6. The following recipes were developed by Front Range Living to use the last of summer squash and green beans. <http://www.frontrangeliving.com/cooking/images/Zwecksquash.jpg<http://www.front\ rangeliving.com/cooking/images/Zwecksquash.jpg>> Summer Squash Soufflé * 3 tablespoons of butter * 4 tablespoons of flour * 1 cup hot milk, regular or nonfat * 1 medium zucchini or yellow summer squash or three small squash * 1 tablespoon of olive oil * 4 eggs * pinch, cream of tartar * ½ cup cheese: Asiago, Parmesan, Gruyère or cheddar-any strongly flavored cheese will do Grate the summer squash and sauté slowly in oil. Grate cheese and set aside. Prepare a white sauce by melting butter in a heavy skillet. Add flour to form a paste and slowly stir in the milk. Stir until it forms a smooth sauce. Remove it from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Separate the eggs. Add the pinch of cream of tartar to the egg whites and beat with a whisk or electric beater until stiff. Set aside. Add the egg yolks to the sauce mixture. Add the grated cheese. Fold the sauce mixture into the egg whites taking care not to over mix. Pour into a casserole that holds at least 6 cups. Place in a preheated 400-degree oven for about 30 minutes--or until the soufflé has set and the eggs cooked through. Serve immediately. Serves 4 in small portions, or two as a main entrée. <http://www.frontrangeliving.com/cooking/images/Zweckbeans.jpg<http://wwwfrontra\ ngeliving.com/cooking/images/Zweckbeans.jpg>> Green Beans with Blue Cheese and Roasted Pecans Julia Child is right. There is one best way to cook whole green beans and it's the French way. Bring a 6-quart pan filled with water to a boil. Add two tablespoons of salt. Slide in your prepared fresh green beans. Cook seven to ten minutes or under just tender to the bite. Remove from the stove and plunge the beans into cold water. Set aside. * 1 pound green beans, cooked * 1 tablespoon olive oil * 2 tablespoons of crumbled blue cheese or feta * 2 tablespoons of roasted, chopped pecans. Place nuts in a 350-degree oven for five minutes to roast. Mix the olive, cheese and nuts together. Drizzle all over the green beans. Serve immediately. Baked Eggplants in a Crust of Breadcrumbs This is a quick and easy way to serve small, tender eggplants. They can be part of tapas party as well as a companion to a meal. * 3 small eggplants, any kind * 1/2 cup flour * 1 egg, beaten * 1 or 2 cups of fresh breadcrumbs, French or Italian white loaf * 4 Tbs. olive oil * 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese * 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese Cut off the tops of eggplants and slice down the middle. Cut off a sliver of eggplant skin on the rounded sides. Dredge the eggplant slice in flour, then dip in egg, then in breadcrumbs. Sauté in the olive oil until each side is brown and crusty. Place eggplant in a baking dish, cover with foil, and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. In the last five minutes of baking, sprinkle the grated cheeses over each slice. Serves three to four. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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