“There’s room for people my size in them, which is cool,” says the teen from St. Norbert who is growing pumpkins again this year in his parents’ backyard.

These ones are even bigger than the ones he’s grown before. He’ll find out precisely what they weigh when he enters the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth Weigh-Off at Roland’s Pumpkin Fair Saturday, Oct. 3.

“I was interested when I was really young, maybe six,” says Lukes, whose pumpkin-growing know-how is matched only by his exuberance.

He decided to start growing giants after visiting the Roland Pumpkin Fair in 2012.

“I really got serious about growing the giants after I went with my mom and I saw the winning pumpkin.” (It was 1,242.5 pounds.) “Since then I wanted to give it a shot.”

He went home, read everything he could find, built mini-greenhouses and equipped them with heaters. Seed bought via the Internet in 2013 produced a big one — a 519-pounder — but that wasn’t nearly as big as last year’s. It weighed 1,020.6 lbs.

Lukes says he’s eagerly awaiting the weigh-off Oct. 3. “Obviously, every year I’m hoping I have a winner,” he says. “At this point anything can happen.”

October 3 is when giant pumpkin growers from all over the region will roll into Roland to find out who is named the heavyweight champion. Roland has been one of just three western Canadian sites for a GPC weigh-off since 1995 and celebrates its 25th anniversary as a pumpkin fair this year.

It all began as a tribute to a local farmer and giant grower, the late Edgar Van Wyck, who put his town on the map with a world-record-breaking pumpkin in the mid-1970s, spurring local interest in growing the giants.

The weigh-off is lively entertainment for spectators, but a nail-biter for the two dozen or so growers who enter.

Henry Banman of Schanzenfeld earned the all-time-high Manitoba record with a 1,379.5-pounder in 2011 and he placed first in the competition for three years afterward. Minnesota grower Charlie Bernstrom’s 1,297.2-pounder snatched away his winning streak in 2014.

Cutthroat competitiveness is set aside all the rest of the year, though. That’s when growers hold seminars and patch tours, swapping advice in hopes of figuring out how to push out even bigger pumpkins. Banman and other growers have shared seeds and advice with Lukes and the young pumpkin grower has really appreciated the mentoring from his older colleagues.

“It is a big deal to me,” adds Lukes. “It’s really inspiring just to talk and share information, because there’s not a lot of people you can actually talk about giant pumpkins with.”

That’s because growing giant pumpkins is one of those hobbies that will either completely absorb you, or you’ll just give up fairly quickly, says Roland farmer Art Cameron, chair of the Roland Pumpkin Fair and a grower himself. His best was a 1,004.5-pounder that earned him fourth place in 2013. He keeps on trying, says Cameron.

“Some do try it once and then just give up. But if you grow a 200-lb. pumpkin one year, often then you’re just addicted to it. You want to try and grow a bigger one the next year.”

Cameron recalls Manitoba growers once saying they’d never get over 1,000 lbs. Now they regularly do.

Roland’s annual fair easily attracts that many visitors too. There’s always standing-room only in the village arena when the weigh-off begins, with spectators craning to see the massive pumpkins hoisted onto the scales. They “ooh” and “aah” as the weights of the obese oddities are announced. Later, people take selfies and photos of their kids beside them.

First place wins a cash prize worth $1,500 supplied by local businesses, but it’s the prestige as much as the prize money that attracts growers, adds Cameron.

“It’s the same as entering a calf in a 4-H show, or a horse,” he said.

The Great Pumpkin Commonwealth is an international group with members all across Canada and the U.S., as well as Europe, Australia and New Zealand. In 2015, there will be 106 weigh-offs around the world. The world record is currently held by a Swiss grower who produced a 2,323.7-lb. pumpkin in 2014.

Can we do that here some day? Cameron chuckles at the thought. “Not in my lifetime, I don’t think,” he says.

But pumpkin growers will keep trying. Maybe Lukes will find a way.

“It’s really interesting to me because it’s fascinating how quickly they grow,” says the teen. “It’s just a neat experience taking care of a plant.”

The post Pumpkin growers ready to vie for 2015 heavyweight title appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

I was admiring my neighbour’s garden the other day, especially her robust zucchini plants. I noticed some tender, young zucchini squash peeking out from under the foliage.

I could almost taste the warm zucchini bread and muffins you can make. I didn’t plant any zucchini plants this year because I was a little overzealous planting many different vegetables. Zucchini plants take more space than other plants.

I think my neighbour will share a zucchini or two to try with the recipe I have included in this week’s column. I noticed the tomatoes in my garden are getting red and some onions are getting large enough to sample, so they will be added to the garden-fresh recipe, too.

As I pondered my future menu, I thought back to a story inspired by one of my children.

“What’s that thing?” my daughter asked as I pulled a zucchini from my purse after returning home from a meeting. She was about eight at the time.

“It’s a zucchini,” I responded. “Remember, we had some last summer.”

“Where did you get it?” she asked. She looked at me a little strangely because I usually do not pack a zucchini in my purse.

“Someone gave it to me. Some years, zucchini grows well, so people have lots of it to share,” I said.

Sometimes they sneak it into your car or on your doorstep. Sometimes they hand a zucchini to you as you are leaving a meeting, and you put it in your purse, I thought to myself.

“It looks like a squash, but it smells like the sea,” she commented while examining and sniffing the zucchini.

“It grows in a garden, not under water,” I told her, although I was a little curious about the aroma she detected. I sniffed it, too. I guess she thought it smelled like seaweed.

“It’s time to make something with it,” I told her.

• More RecipeSwap: Have you tried quinoa yet?

She gamely put on her apron and went to the sink to wash her hands. I was pleased. We pulled out our bowls and measuring cups and made muffins. She washed and then grated the zucchini.

“This is really fun,” she said. Cooking with kids not only teaches them skills, such as measuring and following directions, it makes some good memories, too.

A native vegetable of the Americas, zucchini has had several names through the years. Early American colonists called it “squash” based on several Native American words. Italians named it “zucchino” and the French named it “courgette.”

Zucchini also was known as vegetable marrow or Italian marrow. It can be served raw, boiled, baked, fried, steamed or stuffed. It’s used in numerous quick-bread recipes as creative cooks experiment with bounteous zucchini.

Zucchini is about 95 per cent water. A 1/2-cup serving has about 15 calories, plus it contributes some fibre, vitamin C, potassium, B vitamins and beta carotene to the diet.

Zucchini’s mild flavour makes it useful in a variety of foods from salads to dessert. When selecting zucchini in a garden, farmers’ market or at the store, choose zucchini that is heavy for its size with a narrow diameter.

Smaller zucchini are tenderer and can be sliced for use in soups and lasagna. Zucchini’s mild flavour allows blending with ingredients such as tomatoes, cheese and onions.

Mature zucchini is tougher and has large seeds. After removing the seeds, zucchini can be grated and used in bread, muffins and other foods. Rinse zucchini under running water just before you plan to use it in a recipe. Use fresh zucchini within a few days for best quality.

Here’s a recipe retrieved from the national “More Matters” program of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The program reminds us that most people need to eat more fruits and vegetables. You can have this vitamin C-rich recipe ready to eat in about 20 minutes from garden to table. I like to sprinkle it with Parmesan cheese.

Skillet Zucchini with Chopped Tomatoes

• 1 tsp. olive oil or canola oil
• 1 c. chopped onion
• 4 small (6-inch) zucchini, thinly sliced
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• Freshly ground pepper
• Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

In a large, non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium heat; add onions and cook, stirring until softened. Add zucchini and cook for two minutes. Add tomatoes and cook for three to five minutes or until zucchini is tender-crisp. Season to taste with pepper and add a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese if you wish.

Makes four servings. Each (1-cup) serving has 70 calories, 2 grams (g) of fat, 12 g of carbohydrate, 3 g of protein, 15 milligrams of sodium and 70 per cent of the daily recommendation for vitamin C.

And a second recipe because you’ll always have one more zucchini…

Beefy Zucchini Casserole

I selected this recipe from the Peak of the Market website where you can find loads more ideas for using the abundant vegetables coming into season right now.

This meaty casserole will help use plentiful zucchini and it’s an easy dish to prepare for feeding a hungry crew at harvest. — Lorraine

• 1 zucchini, sliced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 2 c. cooked rice
• 1 kg lean ground beef, cooked and crumbled
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup

In a large casserole, place a layer of zucchini. Place half of onion, half of tomato, half of rice and half of ground beef. Pour half of the soup over the top. Repeat layers beginning with zucchini. Bake in preheated 350 F oven for 1 hour.

Serves: 6

The post Prairie fare: prolific zucchini has many uses appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Growing pumpkins is sometimes a bit of a challenge during a cool summer because they demand a high number of heat units but this year was hot and sunny and many pumpkins ripened right on the vine. Immature pumpkins will stop growing once the vines are frozen and they do not store well and may rot instead of turning orange. Mature pumpkins that are still green when harvested, however, will ripen and turn orange, but the best pumpkins are those that have turned bright orange on the vine, have a hard skin and are fully ripened.

There are many, many varieties of pumpkins, and when choosing seed in the spring, the choice can be a bit overwhelming. One category is often called pie pumpkins because they have a fine texture to their flesh. They make good pie filling because the flesh is not stringy or tough — it purées into a smooth filling. Pie pumpkins are not too large, and they ripen relatively early on the vine.

Another type of pumpkin is the large exhibition type — the huge giants that are grown for competition to see who can grow the largest one. They can weigh hundreds of kilograms and often appear lumpy and misshapen because they grow so large and so quickly that their size causes them to sag and change shape under their own weight.

Competitors often feed these pumpkins special food, water the plants several times a day and shelter them from the elements with some kind of cover. They are often placed on a bed of straw or other material to keep them clean and to protect their shells from being marked; these giants take more effort to grow than the average gardener is willing to expend.

Another category of pumpkins is called jack-o’-lantern pumpkins. Slightly larger than many of the pie pumpkins, these have the classic pumpkin shape, with a bright-orange colour and smooth ribs all the way around.

Unique decorative and specialty pumpkins have gained in popularity over the last few years so that now you can grow pure-white pumpkins, “blue pumpkins” or even multi-coloured pumpkins. These can contribute colour and interest to autumn displays.

Mini-pumpkins are used to create displays for both the interior of the home and for the outdoors. My favourites are a miniature orange ribbed pumpkin called Jack Be Little and a white version called Baby Boo.

Pumpkins need lots of sun, water and rich soil. They also take up a lot of space in the garden. Minimize the space taken up by planting them next to the corn and let the vines ramble through the corn while at the same time keeping the coons at bay.

The post A good year for pumpkins appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

“The demand is good, but there will probably be too many pumpkins to be used up this year,” said Larry McIntosh, CEO of Peak of the Market. “Right across Canada, everybody had a good crop.”

High temperatures and drier conditions this year seemed to favour both pumpkins and squash, he said.

“Everything I hear sounds like a record crop in Manitoba, not just for our growers, but for growers in general,” said McIntosh.

At times, getting pumpkins to turn their trademark orange can be a challenge. Not so this year, said George Schwabe of Schwabe Pumpkins north of Winnipeg.

The third-generation vegetable grower said even his often hard-to-ripen butternut squash were mature and ready to pick ahead of schedule.

“We also grow a lot of unusual pumpkins, a lot of multi-coloured ones, and some of them get into the 120 days and over,” he said. “Some years that means cutting it close.”

After a few years of wet weather and unpredictable conditions, Schwabe welcomed this summer’s hot weather, even if he did a little irrigating along the way.

“The fields we could irrigate, we did, but we got rain when it mattered the most, so I really can’t complain,” he said.

Over the last 10 years, Schwabe has expanded his pumpkin patch from one acre to 15, making fall vegetables the focus of his business. He described pumpkins as a great way to increase the “fun factor,” adding they are far more pleasant to harvest than cucumbers.

“When we’re selling them, we set up a huge display and we get all the kids coming in that are so excited,” he said. “It’s great.”

Wins again

Henry Banman was also pleased with the way the weather treated his pumpkin patch this year, although he’s not looking for the same qualities as other pumpkin growers.

“I had heard that you could grow giant pumpkins, so I tried it, and ever since I was hooked,” said the competitive pumpkin grower.

The enthusiast from Schanzenfeld took first place in the Roland Pumpkin Fair’s pumpkin weigh-off Oct. 6 with a pumpkin that tipped the scales at 1,242.5 pounds — just slightly under his record-breaking 1,379.5-pound entry last year.

“We’ll see how it goes this year,” he said in an interview before the weigh-off, adding he leaves his pumpkin on the vine until the day before it’s weighed — even if it’s snowing.

Although pumpkins are the star attraction, the fair includes weigh-offs for other produce including watermelon. Roland Pumpkin Fair chair Art Cameron had the biggest watermelon at 167 pounds.

According to Statistics Canada, 6,895 acres of pumpkins were planted in 2010, with an estimated farm gate value of $15.3 million.

The post Bumper pumpkin harvest expected appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

I cannot throw away clothing just because I’ve grown tired. If I’m absolutely to the point of hating an item, then I can at least give it to a second-hand store, or — if it’s not good enough for that — it hits the ragbag.

My frugality doesn’t end with clothing but also extends to food. During the summer, this includes garden produce, and in this I am greatly helped by my husband who plants and looks after a good-size garden. We often have an excess of green beans, tomatoes, cucumbers and, of course, zucchinis, and I HATE to throw out food. If I can’t give away any extra vegetables, we have to eat them, or put them away for later use. I try to freeze enough beans and corn, and can enough tomatoes to last the winter. I’ll even make a few pickles or some jars of relish or salsa.

But when it comes to zucchini, I’m sometimes defeated. Before long, we’ve eaten zucchini cake, muffins, cookies, “zucchini cutlets,” mock apple pie, and just ordinary fried or barbecued zucchinis. My freezer is filled with grated zucchini for baking and for soup thickener, and sliced zucchini for casseroles and soups. Fortunately, some of my neighbours welcome zucchini — at least for a while, though eventually they all declare “Enough!” Only then do I occasionally resort to throwing an overgrown zucchini on the compost pile — not a total waste, after all.

It’s not just garden produce that I can’t throw out — when it comes to any kind of food, I absolutely hate the idea of waste. When I lived on the farm, leftover meals were the norm, and if we didn’t eat it, the dog would. Now, living in town, and without a dog, I still keep all the leftovers — and thus I have become a maker of soup. I may serve leftovers (or “planned-overs,” as I prefer to call them) on a second day. But after that they go into the soup pot — or they are frozen in small containers for a “sometime later” soup.

I rarely follow any soup recipe. Of course, I use chicken and turkey carcasses for big soups but I create a lot of smaller ones too, with a day or two’s worth of leftovers. They’re always a mixture and always different. Whatever meat remains is cut into small pieces — even a single sausage will do, or half a pork chop brought back from a restaurant meal — and whatever vegetables, pasta, rice or barley are left over, with a few fresh vegetables, noodles and spices added, if I think they’re needed. Leftover soup goes into the next day’s soup! A hamburger-based soup can easily mix with a chicken- or sausage-based one. It makes for some interesting flavours.

In my early adult years, before I was married, I boarded at a couple of different homes. One of these — I’ll call her “Mrs. Trying-to-be-Thrifty” — was even more frugal than I am today — or at least she intended to be. Her refrigerator was always full of leftover bits of this and that, but it seemed to me that she rarely used them. The leftovers would sit there and sit there, gradually drying up or turning various shades of green. We never got food poisoning, because she never did use them. Sometimes, the second boarder and I actually sorted through the items, when our landlady was out of the house, and threw out some of the older ones.

Fortunately, I don’t have that problem. I make soup frequently, every second day or so, so the tidbits of leftovers seldom accumulate. Though I do admit that on occasion, my husband has been known to comment that there are a lot of small containers in our refrigerator, and it might be starting to get that “Mrs. Thrifty” look.

If you see me coming, some July or August, be prepared for zucchini or other vegetables. And if you come for lunch, even in summer, be prepared for soup!

The post Waste not, want not — and yes, that includes zucchini appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

And he wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Ternier is the owner of Prairie Garden Seeds based in Humboldt, Saskatchewan and has made a living growing and selling seeds for the last 30 years.

“Saving seeds is storytelling,” he told participants at the Growing Local conference in Winnipeg.

The story behind Ternier’s melon seeds begins around 1930 when his father’s hired man helped himself to a couple of their neighbour’s musk melons grown from seeds brought from Russia. The melon’s seeds then entered into the Ternier family garden.

Some 50 years later, the son of the original grower mentioned he no longer had any of the melon seeds, and Ternier was able to return the favour.

“The great thing about seeds is the more you give them away, the more you have,” he said. “It’s protection against crop failure, against mice or insects.”

Ternier still sells melon varieties, but his most popular seed is for Simonet sweet corn.

“It was bred by a man in Edmonton and it’s really, really well adapted to growing on the Prairies,” he said

Homesteader peas, first brought to Canada by British settlers, have also stood the test of time.

“When I came back to the family farm in 1977, there was a lot of homesteader pea seed around that my mother had been saving, it’s a good seed to start with and we still sell it,” the seed saver said.

But diversity is on the decline as fewer seeds are saved locally.

During the 1800s, most people saved seeds from one year to the next, resulting in many local and regional varieties well suited to microclimates, Ternier said.

“Now, with the advent of fairly large seed companies … it means most people lost interest in seed saving,” he said. “So all of the regional varieties tend to disappear, as large multinational seed companies only offer seeds that are fairly well adapted over a wide range of growing conditions.”

If that trend is going to be reversed, people need to start saving their own seeds once again, he said.

However, seed saving does take some work, planning and knowledge. Ternier said beans are a good staring point, because they are self-pollinating and simple to dry.

Beet seeds are some of the most difficult to save, needing to be planted a mile away from other crops to avoid cross-pollination. Cross-pollination can also be an issue with pumpkins, squash and zucchini.

Tomatoes have a very low risk of cross-pollination, but seeds are covered in a waterproof membrane best removed by a fermentation process that takes three days to complete, Ternier said.

“Sulphuric acid is used in commercial seeds, but it has to be timed right down to the second and I really don’t recommend trying that method at home,” he added.

People commonly ask Ternier about the possibility of planting seeds from items purchased at the grocery store, which he says is possible if you’re prepared for some unexpected results.

“If you’re planting seeds from a hybrid, different traits will come out,” he said.

Over the years, many people have sent the seed grower new and old varieties to try out, so many that he is still playing catch-up on his two acres of seed land.

“Seed growing or gardening in general is really labour intensive,” Ternier said. “The limitations on how much you grow all depends on how many pairs of hands you have.”

The post Fermenting tomato seeds the short road to removing membrane appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Things are coming up orange for pumpkin producers this year, despite a wet beginning for some.

Not a bad crop at all, a little light though, said Trevor Schriemer of Schriemer Family Farm near Otterburne. But considering we had so much hot and dry weather, not bad at all.

Schriemer began growing pumpkins four years ago, and planted 45 acres of the crop this year.

We were very fortunate here in the southeast, we weren t affected by all the flooding, he said. The water just seemed to skirt by us every time, and for that we are very thankful.

This will be an average to above-average year for pumpkins, said Larry McIntosh, president and CEO of Peak of the Market.

Pumpkins are oranging up nicely and the crop looks good, he said.

McIntosh said it s a similar story for squash production, which has also overcome a wet start.

I would say it s going to be an average squash crop as well this year, said McIntosh. The lead-up to Christmas is a big time for squash sales, so we re just starting the sales period now, but it looks promising.

Pumpkin and squash producers in other areas of the country have not been as fortunate.

On the East Coast of Canada and the U.S. they ve had lots of problems because of the hurricane that went through, said McIntosh. There are some shortages in the East, Quebec and Ontario.

However, no pumpkin or squash shortages are anticipated in Western Canada.

Meandher Creek Pumpkin Patch near Oak Lake experienced a bumper pumpkin crop this season.

The crop was really good this year, it was a combination of weather and our using drip irrigation and mulch, said owner Judy Podobni . (Pumpkins) love the heat and the water, as long as it is well drained.

She said there were some concerns about excess moisture early in the season, and they moved part of their pumpkin patch to higher ground. But those worries faded as the weather turned hot and dry.

We also got some hail, which left some of the pumpkins with a few scabs on the one side, added Podobni. Pumpkins are a very resilient crop though.

That s key, she noted, because crop insurance is not avai lable to pumpkin producers.

Podobni grows 73 varieties of pumpkins, gourds and squash. Besides selling pumpkins, the farm also offers children s activities and family events.

shannon.vanraes@fbcpublishing.com

———

On the East Coast of Canada and the U.S.,they ve had lots of problems because of thehurricane that went through.

LARRY MCINTOSH

The post Pumpkins Perk Up After Wet Spring appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Ever so gently, members of the Roland Fire and Rescue Department Ken Dhoore (left) and Jaun Friesen lower the biggest pumpkin Roland has ever seen onto the scale at the Oct. 1 Roland Pumpkin Fair.

This monster weighed in at a whopping 1,379.5 pounds, handily beating out the other 20 entries and securing the $1,000 first prize for grower Henry Banman of Schanzenfeld. The fair, which is an official member of the Giant Pumpkin Commonwealth, has been weighing pumpkins since 1991.

Photos: Laura Rance

The post In The Land Of Giants appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Here s something to think about next time you re adding sugar to your daily cup of joe; the total amount of sugar consumed daily by most Canadians adds up to about 26 teaspoons per day.

It works out to about one in every five calories consumed coming from sugar, or 21 per cent of our daily energy intake, according to data gleaned from a 24-hour dietary recall for the Canadian Community Health Survey and reported by Statistics Canada last week. The survey asked people to report everything they d ate and drank during a 24-hour period.

The findings have received a lot of media coverage and set off alarm bells about Canadians high sugar intake.

But as a Manitoba registered dietitian points out, we still need more information about where precisely all this sugar is found in our food. That s because those 26 teaspoons represent the sum of both naturally occurring and added sugar in our diet.

Naturally occurring sugar is found in nutrient-dense foods such as milk, fruits and vegetables, and we should

HIGH ROASTED ONIONS

If you grew onions in your garden this year, here s a great recipe to enjoy them as a side dish. The balsamic vinegar will highlight the sweetness.

2 medium onions,

peeled, trimmed, and

halved crosswise

12 whole cloves

1 tbsp. light soy sauce

1 tbsp. canola oil

1 tbsp. molasses

1-1/2 tsp.

balsamic vinegar

1/4 tsp. coarsely

ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 450 F. Coat a foil-lined baking sheet with canola cooking spray. Arrange the onion halves on the baking sheet and pierce evenly with the cloves.

Combine the soy sauce, canola oil, molasses, vinegar, and black pepper in a small jar, secure with lid and shake vigorously until completely blended. Brush one tablespoon of the soy mixture evenly over the onions. Bake 25 minutes, brush one tablespoon of the soy mixture evenly over the onions, bake 5-10 minutes or until richly browned on edges and onions are tender. Remove from oven and, using a flat spatula, remove the onions and place on serving platter, spoon remaining soy mixture evenly over the onions and sprinkle with the sugar and salt.

Serves 4: 1 onion half per serving

This recipe is found on the Manitoba Canola Growers Association website

( www.canolarecipes.ca) be eating more, not less, of these foods, says Portage la Prairie-based certified diabetes educator Karen Graham.

It s what we eat and drink with added sugar, such as soft drinks and juices, cakes and doughnuts, that are the big concern. These foods have very little nutritional value and have become a major source of sugar to our diet in recent years. In consultations with clients newly diagnosed with diabetes, Graham says she regularly finds people consuming 50 to 100 teaspoons of added sugar a day much of it derived from these latter sources.

A simple change more of us could be making to reduce sugar intake would be to drink more water instead of the sweetened drinks we currently consume, she said.

There is currently no dietary recommendation for the intake of total sugar, nor has consensus been reached on consumption of added sugars, the Statistics Canada report notes.

The Institute of Medicine recommends that no more than 25 per cent of total daily energy intake (calories) should come from added sugars. The World Health Organization and the Canadian Diabetes Association recommend a daily maximum of 10 per cent of calories from added sugar.

ZUCCHINI OATMEAL MUFFINS

With more threats of frost last week, I picked the last of the zucchini in the backyard, including a couple as big as dachshunds. Thanks toSandra Ryland of Elphinstonethis week for sending us several great zucchini recipes including this one for a tasty muffin.

2-1/2 c. flour

1-1/2 c. sugar

1 c. chopped pecans

1/2 c. quick-cooking

oatmeal

1 tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

4 eggs

1 medium zucchini

shredded (about 3/4 c.)

3/4 c. vegetable oil

In a mixing bowl, combine first seven ingredients. Beat eggs and combine with zucchini and oil. Pour over dry ingredients, stirring only until moistened. Batter will be lumpy. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake 400 F for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Makes a dozen muffins.

Sendyourrecipesorreciperequeststo:

ManitobaCo-operatorRecipe Swap

Box 1794, Carman, Man. R0G 0J0

or email lorraine@fbcpublishing.com

TORTILLA PIZZA MELT

Manitoba Turkey Producers sent us this recipe earlier in the month for a kid-friendly meal or snack. You ll find more recipes children enjoy on the website at www.turkeyfarmersofcanada.ca/recipes/Kids – Favourites.

1 6-to 7-inch whole

wheat tortilla

1 tbsp. ketchup or pizza

sauce

1/8 tsp. Italian seasoning,

basil or oregano

3-4 slices (pre-sliced)

fresh mushrooms

3-4 slices (pre-sliced)

turkey pepperoni

1 mozzarella or cheddar

cheese slice or 3 tbsp.

shredded cheese

Cooking spray

Preheat toaster oven or regular oven to 375 F. Place tortilla on counter. Use rubber spatula or table knife to spread ketchup or sauce on tortilla; sprinkle seasoning over ketchup. Arrange mushroom slices on 1/2 the tortilla and top mushrooms with pepperoni slices. Break the cheese slice in half to fit over the pepperoni. Fold other half of tortilla over the cheese, press gently. Spray toaster oven or baking pan or small sheet with cooking spray. Using pancake turner, place folded sandwich on pan. Spray top of tortilla with cooking spray. Bake in oven six to eight minutes or until slightly crisped and cheese is starting to melt. Remove pan to cooling rack and let stand two to four minutes. You can also bake as a grilled cheese sandwich by spraying a non-stick skillet pan with cooking spray, placing on a burner over medium heat and cooking sandwich for three to four minutes each side or until lightly browned.

Recipe courtesy of Mushrooms Canada ( www.mushrooms.ca)

The post Recipe Swap – for Sep. 29, 2011 appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

The time of year has come to start swapping zucchini recipes.

Come end of July, I turn to a well-thumbed copy ofZucchini: You Can Never Have Enoughby John Butler. Mr. Butler, a master Canadian chef and gold medal winner of culinary awards, might have added the word “recipes” to the title of his 100-plus zucchini recipe book.

In zucchini season, everyone’s looking for new ways to prepare them. Here are three selected from Chef Butler’s 2001 cookbook. I know you’ll enjoy them. We have. And if you’re still overwhelmed, when they start to reach fire-log size, get creative; last summer I presented my sister with one wrapped in a flannel blanket and wearing a bonnet – and she happily took it home with her!

CHOCOLATE ALMOND ZUCCHINI CAKE

Telling your kids there’s zucchini in this cake is optional. They won’t notice. I’ve made this moist and chocolatey cake every summer. It’s delicious.

1-1/2 c. granulated sugar

1/2 c. soft butter

1/4 c. vegetable oil

1 tsp. almond extract

2 large eggs

2-1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 c. cocoa

1 tsp. baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9 x 12-inch baking dish. In a large bowl, beat together with an electric mixer, the sugar, butter, oil, and almond extract. Add the eggs and beat until the mixture is light and creamy, about four to five minutes. Add the flour, cocoa, baking soda, cinnamon, orange peel, and buttermilk. Mix well scraping down the sides of the bowl. Fold in the zucchini, chocolate chips, and almonds. Mix until all ingredients are well blended. Pour mixture into baking dish. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Test for doneness with a small knife; if the knife comes out clean the cake is cooked. Don’t overbake; this cake should be moist and tender.

Makes 18 servings.

Source of zucchini recipes:Zucchini: You Can Never Have Enoughby John Butler. The University of Alberta Press ( www.uap.ualberta.ca) 2001. Reprinted with permission.

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 c. buttermilk

2 tsp. finely grated

orange peel

2 c. grated zucchini

1 c. chocolate chips

1/2 c. chopped almonds

SUGAR-GLAZED LEMON LOAF

One more recipe for a summer picnic or late-afternoon snack. Serve this with a glass of ice tea, or lemonade. This recipe comes from the Manitoba Canola Growers’ Association website and was a prize-winning entry to its Country Fair Creative Canola Oil Baki.

LOAF:

1-2/3 c. all-purpose flour

1-1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2/3 c. finely chopped

walnuts (optional)

1/3 c. canola oil

1 c. granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. grated lemon zest

1/2 tsp. vanilla

2/3 c. milk

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly spray one 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with canola oil. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt and walnuts. In a large bowl, beat together canola oil, sugar, eggs, lemon zest and vanilla until light and fluffy. Mix in dry ingredients, alternately with milk. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake for approximately 60 minutes, or until test comes out clean.

GLAZE:

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 c. granulated sugar

Combine lemon juice and sugar. Mix well.

Transfer lemon loaf to rack. Gradually drizzle lemon glaze over hot loaf. Cool lemon loaf completely in pan on rack.

Yield: 1 loaf.

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BABY ZUCCHINI WITH TRI-COLOUR PASTA

The trick to not being inundated with garden zucchini is using them up small, which is when they’re also incredibly delicious and palatable.

3 c. tri-colour fusili pasta

4 Roma tomatoes

1/4 c. olive oil

24 to 30 baby zucchini,

sliced lengthwise

3 garlic cloves, chopped

10 large basil leaves,

chopped

1-1/2 c. heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp. flat-leaf

parsley, chopped

1/3 c. grated

Parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta according to pasta directions. Set aside but keep warm. Blanch the tomatoes by plunging them into boiling water for one minute, then cooling in cold water. Remove the peel and seeds, then chop coarsely. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. The oil must be hot. Add the sliced zucchini and cook until the zucchini begins to turn golden brown. Add the garlic, tomatoes, and basil leaves; pour the cream over the ingredients. Shake the pan to mix the ingredients; season with salt and pepper. Cook for one to two minutes. Spoon sauce over the tricolour pasta, sprinkle with parsley and Parmesan cheese and serve hot. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

GARDEN CASSEROLE WITH HERB BISCUIT TOPPING

Get out the grater when the zucchini growth gets away on you. Grated zucchini, whether in dishes such as this light supper meal, or mixed into cakes and cookies, makes everything deliciously moist.

4 c. grated zucchini

1 large red onion,

finely diced

6 green onions

2 medium carrots, grated

4 medium tomatoes,

thinly sliced

1/3 c. grated

Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

3 eggs

1-1/2 c. milk

1-1/2 c. biscuit mix

2 tbsp. chopped

fresh parsley

2 tbsp. chopped

fresh chives

Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly grease a 12 x 9-inch baking dish. Cover the base of the dish with the grated zucchini. Sprinkle the onion, green onions, and carrots on top of the zucchini. Layer with the tomato slices. Sprinkle cheese over vegetables; season with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, blend the eggs, milk, biscuit mix, parsley, and chives with a whisk or electric blender. Pour batter over vegetables. Bake casserole for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 F and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a knife in the centre of the casserole.

Serve hot. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

CHEF’S NOTE:This is an excellent way to use up cooked vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli and green beans or drained canned chickpeas or green and yellow beans and kernel corn. Add them to the vegetable layers.

Recipe Swap

Do you have a favourite zucchini recipe you’d like to share with us? We love hearing from readers and receiving your favourite recipes and recipe

requests. If you’d like to contact us by mail write to: ManitobaCo-operatorRecipe Swap

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