Ron’s Zucchini Relish

Originally on this blog in 2016, this is one of the most popular recipes I’ve ever published. As Summer segues into Autumn, and the zucchini harvest begins, now is the time to make this colorful, home-preserved relish. So I’m delighted to reprint ...

Ron’s Zucchini Relish:

12 c. (3 L) skinned, seeded, coarsely shredded zucchini

2 sweet green bell peppers, diced

2 sweet red bell peppers, shredded

1/4 sweet orange bell pepper, shredded
4 c. (1 L) coarsely ground onions

1/3 c. (80 mL) pickling salt

1 tsp. (5 mL) turmeric

1 tsp. (5 mL) curry powder

1 tsp. (5 mL) celery seed

1 tbsp. (15 mL) cornstarch

1/2 tsp. (2.5 mL) finely ground pepper
4-1/2 c. (1.125 L) granulated sugar

3 c. (750 mL) white vinegar

In large, non-aluminum container, stir pickling salt into prepared vegetables. Let stand overnight. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again, allowing to drip naturally. In large separate bowl, combine turmeric, curry powder, celery seed, cornstarch, pepper, sugar, and vinegar, mixing well. Stir into vegetables. Boil 20 min. 

Pour hot vegetables into hot sterilized jars, using hot rings and lids, leaving 1/2-in. (1.25 cm) head space. Process 12-to-15 min., following standard, approved canning method. Remove from canner; cool and wipe jars, tightening rings after 24 hr. Yields six pint jars (six 500 mL jars) Zucchini Relish.

For more zucchini recipes, see One Click: Zucchini.

A food processor saves masses of time

in grating these ingredients!

The colors, dicing, and shredding of the veggies

are part of what makes this relish so delicious.

Rinse vegetables after they’ve sat overnight in salt.

Lower hot jars and hot relish into processing bath.

Ready in a flash, out come the jars!

And here’s the superbly delicious homemade relish!

Beet and Cucumber Summer Salad

I can’t imagine a more delicious salad to serve while Summer’s still with us! It’s light and refreshing and a dinner party winner, even among beet haters. 

This is a muscular salad - not some genteel tea-party goodie. You don’t fool around with beets! And so, I prefer to use thicker, brawny slices of peeled, seeded cukes rather than the dainty, seedless English cucumbers I normally suggest.

About that dressing: I wouldn’t keep it more than two days. It seems to thin out and lose its flavor. Use the rest on a tossed salad or in coleslaw you plan to eat in a single sitting. Enough! Here’s what you've been waiting for!

Beet and Cucumber Summer Salad:

To Prepare the Salad:

4-to-6 medium-to-large beets, rinsed, peeled, and chunked into  (approximately) 1 in. (1.5 cm)-to-1-1/2 in. (1.27 cm) pieces  (see Note: How to Cook Beets)

1 medium red onion, sliced thin, with the slices separated as rings and halved or quartered

1 medium-to-large seeded cucumber, peeled and cut into 3/8 in. (0.95 cm) slices

Salt and pepper, to taste

Set aside a few slices of prepared onion and cucumber before proceeding. To work bowl, add prepared beets, onion, and cucumber, minus the onion and cucumber set aside. Cover and refrigerate all while assembling dressing. 

To Prepare the Dressing:

1/2 c. (125 mL) sour cream (full fat sour cream holds up better than its anemic cousin)

1/4 c. (60 mL) mayonnaise (ditto)

2 tbsp. (30 mL) red wine vinegar

1 tbsp. (15 mL) Dijon mustard

1 tsp. (5 mL) hot horseradish (don’t wimp out on me, now!)

2 tbsp. (30 mL) dried dill weed

2 tsp. (10 mL) granulated sugar

Additional salt and pepper, to taste

To small work bowl or covered jar, add dressing ingredients, stirring or shaking until well combined. Don’t be tempted to drown the beets, cukes, and onions in dressing: Pour some and toss lightly; pour a little more and toss lightly until it looks just right, continuing to keep reserved ingredients aside. Cover and refrigerate 3 or 4 hr. before serving, so flavors can blend.

Transfer to serving bowl. Give this salad one final, light toss before taking it to the table. Poke reserved slivers of red onion and a few halved cucumber slices here and there as décor, allowing the reserved red onion and cucumbers to be visible after the salad’s been tossed.

Beet and Cucumber Summer Salad. 

Note: How to Cook Beets: Is there an official method? I don’t know, but this is what I do. Slice away each beet’s roots and tips, exposing a sliver of skin. Do not slice beets any further unless they’re the monster that ate your neighbor. In that event, cut them in half and hope for the best. 

In a pot, slip beets into enough boiling, salted water to entirely cover beets. I sometimes add a splash of white vinegar and say a prayer that this will help them retain their bright red color. 

Reduce heat to low boil, checking every 10 minutes (give or take) to ensure water remains at the boil. Check that beets are ready by piercing them with sharp paring knife after 30-to-45 min. Fresh beets will cook more quickly than old, hard beets, which take about an hour to cook. 

Remove beets from pot with a slotted spoon, saving the boiled water for now. Rinse beets with cool water just until they’re tolerable to pick up (I wear disposable, non-latex latex gloves for this job). The skins of fully cooked beets should slide right off when they’re done. 

If not, you’ll have a fight on your hands, paring away the skin and destroying the perfect appearance of a smooth, shiny beet. If you’d rather not do that, bring the water in your pot to the boil again, returning the stubborn beets to the pot to show them who’s boss. 

If that doesn’t work either, compost the old beets in favor of  younger, prettier, more cooperative ones. Alas! This is the way the world works.

Further Note: You may also want to try this Chilled Beet Salad: https://nicoleparton.blogspot.com/search?q=chilled+beet+salad

How to Peel and Prepare Garlic in Quantity

I was thinking about garlic, this morning … Doesn’t everyone? (No, they don’t). Recipes occasionally call for “grated garlic” - a  nuisance! Below is what those recipes mean when they say that. 

When I work with a quantity of garlic, I use use three favorite tools: A garlic peeler, a self-cleaning garlic press, and a beautiful little rough-sided dish I bought at a farmer’s market in France. My friend Alice bought me another: I love them both. Those little dishes are garlic graters. 

Now and then, you’ll see teeny-weeny toy-sized garlic graters: Use them at your peril, unless you’re okay with having blood spurt from your index and middle fingers.   

As I reached for a fresh garlic clove yesterday, I thought about those handy tools. The humble garlic clove, as you likely know, is a section of a garlic bulb. I was in no hurry to make dinner, so thought: “Why not?” and began to section and skin three large bulbs - perhaps 40 cloves - on the premise that a few minutes’ work now would make things easier when I needed a garlic clove and didn’t have as much time as I had then. 

Ta dah! That’s where my time-saving tools came in!

If I have just one or two garlic cloves to peel, I won’t bother getting out my garlic peeler: Approximately 1 tsp. (5 mL) of grated or minced garlic equals one medium clove. 

But when I prepare garlic in bulk, a garlic peeler is very useful tool. Resembling a large, floppy cannelloni made of soft, flexible, rubberized material, a garlic peeler will quickly separate garlic cloves from their skins. The peeler hastens a tedious job and keeps your fingers free of garlic smells. Voilà! Buy one.

Do you have a garlic press? Mine wasn’t expensive. I paid $17 for it in a restaurant-supply house in Washington state - more than you’d pay for an “ordinary” garlic press of lesser quality, but less than I expected to pay for what I got (These have now risen in price, but not wildly. If your local kitchen store doesn’t stock them, Amazon does, online). 

That’s my garlic press in the second photo. Unlike ordinary garlic presses (I sound like an Infomercial!), this heavy-duty press has two compartments - one to mince, one to slice - as well as two large hammers that bear down on the cloves and a small plastic press that cleans the garlic residue from each hole in the press. 

And here’s the mark of smart design: The plastic press tucks away for storage into a small depression of the garlic press, so you’ll never misplace it. I’m very, very happy with this kitchen tool. 

When an accident left one of my hands weaker than the other, I realized my former garlic press required more strength than I had. With this heavy-duty press, a light squeeze does the job. Its brand name is “Amco Houseworks.” (And now I sound like a shill!)

What do I do with all that peeled, minced garlic, Nicole? I thought you’d never ask! There it is, in the jar in the third photo, and there’s my hand, pouring olive oil over it - just enough to cover and preserve the minced cloves. Label and date. 

A labeler is one of my favorite kitchen tools: I date and label everything! So into the fridge go my jars of whole or grated garlic cloves! No processing or canning required … Just screw the lid on the jar.

I’ve safely stored garlic cloves in olive oil for one year. 

Once the cloves are all used up, the remaining garlic-flavored oil is delicious in salads or for dipping slices of baguette (with or without balsamic vinegar). 

I love the little plate I bought at a farmer’s market in Provence France so much that my friend Alice bought me another! These lovely little plates are ceramic garlic graters.

The word “ail” inscribed on the yellow plate means “garlic” in French. The idea is to rub a peeled garlic clove over the rough part of the plate. Stir in a little soft butter, and you’ve got garlic butter. Frankly, I find this too much work, but I like the plates and use them for other purposes - like pouring in my garlic-infused oil for dipping that baguette! 

The garlicky oil also makes a great salad dressing, as well as adding flavor to Pesto Crostini.  

Garlic peeler.

Garlic press.

Olive oil over minced garlic.

Whole garlic in olive oil.

Garlic graters.

Ron’s Sweet Chili Rice

When Ron invented this easy, delicious recipe the other day, I told him he was Master of the Kitchen and said: “Sayonara Cooking!” and left. Ron loves to cook and does such a great job that I no longer need to. Guilt is sure to draw me back, but not with gusto.

Ron’s Sweet Chili Rice

Ron’s Sweet Chili Rice:

1-1/4 c. (310 mL) long-grained, white rice (raw)

1-1/2 c. (375 mL) cold water

6 slices canned, chopped jalapeño peppers (bits and pieces - not whole jalapeños!)

1/3 c. (80 mL) sweet Thai chili sauce

1/4 c. (60 mL) fresh parsley, stemmed and chopped

1/4 c. (60 mL) fresh cilantro, stemmed and chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Rinse rice in cold, clear water to remove excess starch that makes it “gummy.” Cook rinsed rice in rice cooker or in pot on stove (Unsure? See How to Cook Rice). 

Combine remaining ingredients except salt and pepper. Stir into cooked rice, seasoning as desired.

Meatball-Tomato Soup

It’s Summer in the Northern Hemisphere, but Fall awaits. Where we live, it sometimes arrives early - cool temperatures, heavy cloud cover over leaden skies, rain ... The transition from summer to Fall can be rapid. Now that I’ve single-handedly destroyed our tourism industry, let’s move along.

If you’ve been enjoying a warm Summer where you live, keep this excellent recipe for Fall and Winter. If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, clip it (watch those computer wires, dearies!) and make it now. 

Meatball-Tomato Soup is tasty, nourishing, inexpensive, and easy to make. A year or so ago, I discovered that Costco’s frozen meatballs are every bit as 

good (and likely less expensive) as those I make from scratch. Trust me when I say the recipe in this blog for Sophia’s Meatballs (and the sauce! Oy, the sauce!) is outstanding, but I’m not getting any younger and am lazing around more than I once did.

It goes without saying (but I will) that the proportions for this recipe are adjustable. Slap it around until it begs for mercy: Use as much onion, celery, and canned or fresh tomatoes as you like (or have in your pantry). Which is why this is a “no recipe” recipe, with no specific quantities other than “as required.” Just don’t omit the meatballs and all will be well.

Meatball-Tomato Soup:

Meatballs, homemade or commercial

Olive or canola oil

Onion, diced fine

Fresh carrot (singular or plural), peeled and diced 

Celery, angle-sliced into 3/8 in. (1 cm) pieces

Crushed tomatoes with juice, undrained, commercially prepared or homemade

Spaghetti sauce, commercially prepared or homemade

Beef broth, commercially prepared or homemade

Italian seasoning

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste 

Dry, short pasta such as fancy, twirled macaroni (see Note)

Fresh parsley or chives or basil, chopped (optional, as topping)

Grated Parmesan (optional, as topping) 

In large, medium, or small skillet (see Bossy Pants Note), warm oil over medium heat. Fry the H out of the meatballs, turning often to brown all sides. Remove from skillet, draining   fat on double-folded paper towel. Don’t wash skillet.

Fry onions, carrots, and celery in skillet over medium heat until softened, about 5 min. Transfer to medium-sized pot. Stir in crushed tomatoes with juice, spaghetti sauce, broth, seasonings, and meatballs. Simmer 10 min., allowing flavors to blend. 

As tomato-meatball mixture simmers, bring large pot of well-salted water to a boil, adding pasta to it. Pasta should take about 10 min. to cook; if not, give it another couple of minutes to be “al dente” - tender enough to chew, but not overly soft. 

Add cooked, drained, hot pasta to sauce mixture, mixing gently but thoroughly. Transfer to heated pasta bowls, If you happen to be feeling lah de dah or fancy-schmancy the day you make this, top with parsley and grated Parmesan. Serve at once.

Note: Far be it for me to tell you how much to use, but remember! Dried macaroni swells to xx times its volume after cooking. Don’t use a heavy hand as you add it.

Bossy Pants Note: You’re in charge - not I! Decide how many meatballs you want and you’ll know the size of skillet and pot you’ll need. I usually say “Go big or go home!” But then I realize I already am home, so I often scale recipes down.

Cucumber-Tomato Salad

The perfect summer salad! Wait for it, those of you in the Southern Hemisphere!

Cucumber-Tomato Salad

 Cucumber-Tomato Salad:

To Prepare the Salad:

1 long English cucumber, unpeeled (or 1 salad cucumber with seeds), sliced 1/3 in. (0.85 cm) thickness, each slice halved 

2-3 large tomatoes, cut into eighths 1/2 small red onion, sliced 1/4 in. (0.6 cm)  and cut into 1/4 in. (5 cm) widths 

To Prepare the Dressing: 

1 tbsp. (15 mL) fresh or dried herbs (optional) 

2 tbsp. (15 mL) olive oil 

1 tbsp. (15 mL) red wine vinegar 

Salt and pepper, to taste

Toss with cucumber slices and tomatoes. Cover and refrigerate several hours in advance to allow the flavors to blend. Toss again just before serving.

Cucumber-Cabbage Slaw

This delicious summer slaw came to me in a rare moment of actually wanting to cook (!), yesterday. With cabbage as its basis, I made this slaw using veggies already in the fridge: Go ahead and make it with what’s in your fridge. 

The dressing is thick, so don’t overdo it. Use only what you need and save the rest for another day. If your hand slips, slice in more cabbage until it looks “right.” 

Prepare, dress, and toss this salad well ahead of time, allowing the flavors to blend for several hours. Give it a final toss before serving.

Cucumber-Cabbage Slaw

Cucumber-Cabbage Slaw:

To Prepare the Coleslaw:

1/4 medium raw green cabbage, sliced thin 

1 small red onion, diced fine

1/4 raw cauliflower, cut into small, whole flowerets 

1/2 long English cucumber, peel on and sliced thin

Three or four red radishes, sliced thin

1 medium carrot, peeled, angle-cut and sliced thin, with each sliced cut lengthwise into thirds

To Prepare the Dressing:

1/2 c. (125 mL) sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

1/4 c. (60 mL) mayonnaise

2 tbsp. (30 mL) red wine vinegar

1 tbsp. (15 mL) red wine vinegar

1 tbsp. (15 mL) Dijon mustard 

1 tsp. (5 mL) prepared horseradish

2 tsp. (10 mL) dried dill weed

2 tbsp. (30 mL) granulated sugar (see Note)

1/8 tsp. (1.2 mL) salt and pepper (or to taste)

Shake together in covered jar. Pour gradually over slaw mixture, tossing as you go. Although you’ll be tempted to use it all, you likely won’t need to. 

Note: You may assume there’s too much sugar in this recipe. There isn’t; don’t reduce it.