Cooking Contest

I am not entirely sure what possessed me to google "cooking contests" today. I guess I was a little bit bored. But I did find some interesting sites that listed lots and lots of cooking and recipe contests of various kinds. Many were sponsored by some food company.

I was surprised, however, to find a contest devoted to using zucchini in something other than bread. People who grow zucchini do need things to do with it as I mentioned in my earlier post about zucchini bread. That site also featured a contest for using fresh herbs and one for cookies. The basic idea of that site was about contests for recipes using natural ingredients. There was another sponsored by an organic brand of salad greens, even. But there was also a contest for "good food products" and in describing what they meant they talked about products that were made sustainably. These are called "the Good Food Awards."

This is something I find encouraging. Normally when I think cooking contest I think of the good old-fashioned Pillsbury Bake-Off, which is still a main stay of cooking contests. More and more Americans are likely also thinking of shows like Top Chef and Food Network's Next Cooking Star as cooking contests. But there are still county fairs and chili cook-offs. And they do provide an outlet for people to actually cook which I think is a good thing. Now, granted, some that are sponsored by a food company encourage using weird processed food ingredients (like the one that requires you to use Cheez-Whiz, I kid you not) and some of the winning recipes sound downright dreadful to me. Some are more about saving money or cooking quickly. But they are all, after all, about cooking.

The more people cook, the more I expect that they will search out quality ingredients and start thinking about how those ingredients get to them. this is how we work to change, ever so slowly, the way people eat and they way they appreciate food. This is part of being a responsible eater--knowing how to prepare food for one's self and others. We have to be willing to know a food's history and cooking is part of that.

So far I haven't found entered any contests, but there is one for recipes made with mushrooms and I do have a killer pasta sauce made with mushrooms as the main ingredient, but on this hot evening it is hard to think about pasta sauce.

The more of us who can cook for ourselves (and I mean more than reheat) is a good thing. Watching cooking shows on television should be inspiration not just entertainment. I think I am starting to be inspired to enter that cooking contest after all.

Zucchini Bread

I really like quick breads. They are so adaptable to so many varieties. And they are a great way to use frozen veggies prepared in the summer, but used in the fall, winter or spring. Just grate up some carrots or zucchini in the right measurements and pull them out, thaw and use in the off-seasons. It's also a great way to eat veggies when you might not otherwise feel like it. Sometimes, however, the recipes for quick breads have too much sugar for me. I have therefore gotten really good at that adaptability feature I mentioned above.

Quick breads are also versatile in that they can be baked into loaves of different sizes or muffins. They can be iced or glazed and served for desert, toasted or heated and served with sweet butter for breakfast. Or else, they make a great snack, too. They freeze well once made, although the smell of baking them in the colder months is always inviting. They make great hostess gifts when showing up at someone's house and a great to have on hand for an unexpected visitor.

I know I haven't put up too many recipes, but this seems a good one to put up. It is easy (what some might call a "measure and stir" recipe) and is a great way to use local or home grown vegetables. And anyone who grows zucchini is always looking for something to do with it!

Brown Sugar Zucchini Bread
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan or other pans to use.

2 cups of flour (I often use 1 1/2 cups of white flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup coconut (optional)
1/2 cup dried fruit (optional)
2 teaspoons vanilla
2/3 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
2 1/2 cups grated zucchini

Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl whisk oil, eggs, and vanilla. Pour liquid into dry ingredients. Stir together. It will be stiff. Add zucchini. Fold grated zucchini into batter. It will be thick. Fill loaf pans or muffin tins half way. Bake for 25 minutes (for smaller pans) and check for doneness with tooth pick. If using a larger loaf pan bake for 40-50 minutes.

Cool on rack and enjoy!

This recipe is one I love because of the simplicity of the ingredients. I can use local flour and oatmeal, local and organic eggs, and lots of local or organic ingredients. It is sweet, but not too sweet. It isn't dry (even though I use less oil than the original recipe called for). And with a lot of cinnamon and ginger has a nice flavor, too. Yummy!

Home Grown and the Farmers Market

I bought yellow summer squash today at the farmers market. They were normal sized--not gigantic. But on my return from being back east and checking on the garden I saw two puny beginnings of yellow squash on what I thought was a zucchini plant. Now, I know that the farmers are putting things in earlier, have more knowledge about their crops and likely have slightly different conditions than I have in the garden. But still, it makes me wonder when will those two yellow squash be ready to pick? And when they are normal sized, not gigantic, will I be willing to pick them then? Or will I wait for the mammoth summer squash that are so often grown in backyard gardens? Only time will tell.

And even so, with those two puny squash weeks away from being picking-worthy, all I can think about is summer squash and onion gratin with fresh bread crumbs and Gruyere cheese. Yum. I'll share the very easy and very forgiving recipe when the squash finally make it. Can't get much more local than the backyard (or community garden in my case) and I hope that offsets the imported cheese!

(P.S. I swear there is a second squash, it is just so puny as to be hidden by a leaf!)