I want my family to BEG me to cook them something from the garden.

[Gardening with Rabbits]

My family has NO interest in gardening. They like can green beans. They like chocolate pie and cookies. They are not impressed with rhubarb. They do like garden tomatoes and lettuce in salads. I would like to have some really nice recipes. I get recipes off the internet, but what is your favorite way to fix, cook, bake, etc. these:
Pole beans
Cabbage
Asparagus
Collards
Swiss chard
Mustard
Bell peppers
Summer squash
Cucumbers
Kale
Tomatoes - like maybe stewed or???
Rhubarb *** REALLY looking for something special
Blackberries
Raspberries

 

[journey11]

My kids beg me to make Scalloped Cabbage.

• 1 med. head of cabbage, cut up
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 c. uncooked macaroni or fusilli pasta
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 2 tbsp. flour
  
• 6 oz. velveeta
• 1/2 c. milk

Preheat oven to 375*. Place cabbage, onion and pepper and 1/2 c. of water in a large pot with lid, salt and pepper to taste. Steam until partially cooked, still firm. Prepare macaroni as per box directions. To make sauce, melt butter in a medium sauce pan, stir in flour and cook for a bit until bubbly. Add milk and cheese, stir until melted and slightly thickened. Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray. Drain cabbage thoroughly, add cooked macaroni and combine, then spread in pan. Pour sauce evenly over top. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly and slightly brown.


We also love Tomato Pie.

• 2 cups of Bisquick Mix
• ½ to 2/3 cup of water
• Tomatoes (about 4 or 5 good-sized)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup shredded cheddar
• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• 1 cup of mayo
• Oregano

Combine biscuit mix and water. Knead a few times on lightly floured surface. Spread out in a 9x13 pan.

Peel tomatoes if desired, slice and layer on top of dough, overlapping a bit. Salt and pepper the tomatoes.

Mix together shredded cheddar, onion, and mayo. Spread over top of the tomatoes. Sprinkle with oregano.

Bake at 350º for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. Cook time may vary if you use any pan or baking sheet size other than the 9x13. Allow to cool a few minutes before serving.


Summer Squash Casserole is an old favorite recipe I got from my dad. I make this several times a year.

• 4 c. yellow squash, sliced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 c. sour cream
• 2 c. carrot, shredded
• 1 8oz. pkg. Pepridge Farm herb seasoned stuffing mix
• 1 stick of butter or margarine, melted
• (Low fat option: replace butter with either 3/4 c. chicken broth or 1 chicken bullion cube, crushed and dissolved in 3/4 c. water. I use then only 2 tbsp. of butter to keep casserole from sticking to pan.)
• 1 ½ c. shredded cheddar cheese

In a large pan, bring salted water to boil. Add squash and onion, return to boil and cook 5 minutes. Drain well. In a large bowl, combine soup and sour cream, stir in carrot, and then fold in squash and onion. Pour package of stuffing mix into a 13x9x2” baking dish. Drizzle with melted butter (or chicken broth), then fluff with a fork until well moistened. Spread stuffing evenly in bottom of the dish. Spoon on veggie mixture. Top with cheddar cheese. Bake at 350° for about 30 minutes, or until cheddar is lightly browned.


And for Kale, collards or mustard, one of my favorite ways to eat them is so simple. I take a large bundle of kale and steam it in a large pot with about a 1/2 c. of water and salt to taste. I simmer it for about 20 minutes (may have to add more water if steam escapes). Then I toss in a quart jar of black-eyed peas and cook a couple more minutes until heated through. I don't know what it is about kale and black-eyed peas, but I think I could eat the whole pot myself. I don't add any fat or bacon grease or anything, but you could if you want.


The only way we eat Asparagus these days is to lay it out on a cookie sheet, lightly drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt, then roast at 425* until done (I like for the tips to get a little crispy, which might be a bit overcooked by some standards.)


We had Rhubarb Crisp over vanilla ice cream the other day. That was also quite yummy.


I haven't had breakfast yet, so this thread is making me super hungry!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Chard, kale, or about any cooked greens. I boil it until it is soft, then drain the water out, even pressing it a bit. This causes it to clump tightly together in a solid ball, hard to separate.


I lightly sauté some chopped onions and minced garlic in a little oil, not a lot of oil. Don’t overcook it or the onions or garlic can burn later but you probably need to cook them some, depending on how you like your onions and garlic. I then tear off small pieces of the cooked greens from that solid ball and toss them in the sauté pan, on medium but not high heat. I constantly stir as I add more of the greens until all the greens are added. I than stir in some paprika and cook, stirring constantly, until it is dried out. You are not really cooking the greens, just drying them out and finishing off the onions and garlic. You can add salt and/or pepper while drying them if you wish.


After they are dried, I add honey, vinegar, and mustard, then stir that in using two forks to make sure everything is well separated and well mixed.


I hope you are not one of those that needs precise measurements because I’m not good at that. The greens will really shrink down in volume when you cook them so I can’t even tell you how much of those to use but be generous with how much you start with. I may use a tablespoon or more of paprika, two tablespoons of honey, one of vinegar, and maybe a half tablespoon of mustard, but you may find you like different proportions. If you don’t like one of these ingredients, leave it out.


I stole the general recipe from Hattie, who used to be a regular on here.

 

[journey11]

That sounds mouthwatering, @Ridgerunner . I'm going to have to try that. Are you using yellow mustard or dry mustard powder, btw?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I use yellow mustard but any other mustard would do. Just depends on your tastes.

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

The scalloped cabbage sounds good and I am making it, but I doubt DS will eat it. They MIGHT like tomato pie and they are going to get some LOL.The asparagus I have cooked a lot of different ways, including the above. I guess DD and I are the only ones that are going to like asparagus. The rhubarb crisp I make. DH will eat it and DD, but they are not asking for it or really gobbling it up. I did taste some rhubarb bars at a church picnic once and I wish I could get that recipe. I will be bringing in some collards and kale soon and I will be trying the above. I can get even DS to eat kale. I am not sure about collards, but the above sounds wonderful. There is ONE thing they do ask for and that is kale soup, the sausage, white beans, potato. Even my brother eats it and SAYS it is good. That is what I am looking for things they enjoy and not just swallow or push aside. I guess when I think of mustard greens or collards, I am thinking of soup or greens in a liquid with onions and SOMETHING I am just not sure what I am thinking of. I like sauted things like above and that might be the recipe that will get them to try greens. They better. I have A LOT of greens. lol Thank you! All sounds wonderful!

 

[journey11]

Ooh, I've had those rhubarb bars before too. Yum! That is one recipe I do not have. Hopefully someone here has it and can share.