Burgers and Fries - Homestead Style

A few days ago, my family butchered a steer. Summer isn't normally the time to do butchering but we were out of beef, so we (my parents, brothers, sisters, and their spouses) went ahead and did it.

We are rather new to beef butchering; this was only the fourth we have done. It took much longer to cut up the meat than we expected but it went well. The meat had been hanging for a week in the cooler. Maybe someday it will go as quickly and smoothly as hog butchering.



We saved the ground beef for the next day. It was nice to split up the project.



After grinding the meat twice...



most of the ground meat was bagged (this photo only shows a fraction)...



but some was made into burgers and vacuum packed.



That night, my brother and his wife invited us over to their house for a cook-out.



Fresh burgers with all the fixins - including vine ripened tomatoes - delicious!




Also that week my parents had dug their potatoes and got a terrific crop.



They cut up a bunch of potatoes...




and my brother made them into homemade fries.



Brown paper on the tables,



piles of greasy fries and burgers,



washed down with a homegrown watermelon and sweet tea -



a satisfying reward to an exhausting project!

Zucchini and Rice in a Pot

In the summer, my normally simple menus become even simpler. My favorite meals are those that can be cooked in one pot. This one passes the test of simplicity AND the children's taste buds. Plus another way to use all my zucchini!

Zucchini and Rice in a Pot


1 lb ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup brown rice
1 cup water
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
4 cups chopped zucchini

In large pot, brown beef, onion, and pepper. Add carrots, rice, water, and seasonings. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add zucchini. Do not stir. Simmer for another 30 minutes. Serve with chopped tomatoes.

Variations:
Add salsa for some spice.
Tomatoes can be added at the beginning and cooked all together.
If using white rice, cooking time can be decreased to about 30 minutes and zucchini added at the beginning of the cooking time.

Bleanies - Zucchini Potato Patties

My friend Karen shared this Polish recipe with me. The original recipe used only potatoes, but it is great way to use zucchini. My children actually ask for this recipe! Maybe it is the fun name!

Bleanies or Zucchini Potato Patties


1 1/2 cup shredded zucchini
1 1/2 cup peeled shredded potato
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 eggs, slightly beaten

Toss together zucchini, potato, onion, and flour. Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat small amount of oil in skillet. Drop  mixture into skillet to form patties. Fry both sides until golden.

Spaghetti Zucchini

With my zucchini plants producing hyperactively, I'm looking for ways to incorporate zucchini into our menus.  I could eat zucchini crust pizza several times a week but my children would complain. This recipe, shared by a friend, was a simple and yummy main dish. I like that the zucchini takes the place of the pasta.

Spaghetti Zucchini


4 cup shredded zucchini
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 green pepper, chopped
1 lb ground beef
1 cup spaghetti sauce
2 cup mozzarella cheese

Brown ground beef with onion and peppers. Mix everything but mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle mozzarella on top and bake at 350 for 50 minutes.

Corn Day

This week, most of my family got together to do corn.

A friend lent us their corn silker. The youngest children could push the corn into the silker. It saved an immense amount of time.

 To keep the heat out of the kitchen, we cooked the corn outdoors. The corn was placed in an old pillowcase...

  cooked in an iron kettle over a propane stove...

then cooled in a tub of water.

A big project is always more fun when it is shared.

Summertime

The delights of summer... 

 Zucchini going bonkers. I planted four plants expecting to lose some - but they are all growing like crazy. 

This is today's zucchini harvest. There will be more tomorrow. Anyone want zukes?



The storm yesterday brought little rain but lots of wind and blew down some of the corn. Do you think it will survive?



Sourdough pizza crust topped with zucchini, peppers, and our first tomato. Yum!



The chicks delight in an old broccoli plant. If only they liked to eat weeds, we could clean up our garden.



The children have been pretending to sail a boat. An upturned bench, stick, old shirt, and, of course, a map is all that is needed to sail the far seas in their imaginations.



The younger two had to join in by transforming the picnic table into their pleasure boat.

Good food, fun times - does it get any better than summer?

First Corn

The first corn picked from our garden.






Does summer get any better than this?