With all of this rain I suspect local farmers will be harvesting an abundance of summertime vegetables. We all love the traditional Southern way of cooking vegetables, but if you are ready to try some new things with old favorites, here are some ideas.
Crisp Cucumber Salsa
2 cups finely chopped seeded peeled cucumber
1/2 cup finely chopped seeded tomato
1/4 cup chopped red onion
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (or more)
4 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt (I used Perfect Pinch Fiesta Lime)
Tortilla chips
In a small bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. In another bowl, combine the sour cream, lemon juice, lime juice, cumin and seasoned salt. Pour over cucumber mixture and toss gently to coat. Serve immediately.
Cheesy Stuffed Banana Peppers
15 large banana peppers
1 pound cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup Romano cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded Asiago (use all or one of any of these cheeses)
3 green onions, minced (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed (about 1 cup)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon olive oil
Optional:
1 loaf Italian bread (sliced into 1-inch pieces)
Greek or Italian dressing (for serving)
Prepare the peppers (may want to use disposable gloves while making these). Cut off the tops and use the end of a spoon to remove the seeds. Prepare an ice bath with ice and water. Blanch pepper in a pot of boiling water for 5 to 8 minutes, until softened. Immediately plunge into an ice bath to stop the cooking process.
Prepare the filling by combining all cheeses, green onion, parsley, garlic powder, cracker crumbs and red pepper flakes in a large mixing bowl. Season with pepper. Use hands to mix together all ingredients.
Use a knife to cut a slit at the bottom of the peppers (this will help the air release from the peppers while cooking). Roll a portion of the cheese mixture into a thin log. Stuff into the pepper and push the mixture down to ensure it fills the entire pepper. Repeat with all peppers.
Crush up a few extra crackers (or use some bread crumbs), and dip each pepper top into the cracker crumbs to seal the cheese in.
Preheat oven to broiler setting. Place peppers on a baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil on top of all peppers. Broil for 10 minutes, turning peppers halfway through cooking, until peppers are blistered and cheese is melted. Remove and let cool slightly.
While peppers are cooking, grill slices of bread. Serve peppers on top of bread slices. Top with Greek dressing.
Stuffed Poblano Peppers
4 Poblano peppers
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups shredded pork or cooked seasoned ground beef or sausage
1 cup cabbage, cooked and chopped up (or very finely chopped raw cabbage)
1 cup canned diced tomatoes (or better yet, fresh ones)
1 teaspoon dried oregano (I use cilantro instead)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 clove garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups shredded cheddar and Monterrey Jack cheese
1/2 cup water
Sour cream and lime wedges for serving
Preheat oven to 400F. Make one slit in each pepper lengthwise. Remove seeds and membrane from inside, careful to leave the stem attached to the pepper. Sprinkle inside of each pepper with salt.
In blender or food processor combine tomatoes, oregano, cumin and a dash each of salt and pepper. Puree until you have a smooth tomato sauce. Set aside.
Divide cream cheese into four pieces. With the back of your spoon spread the cream cheese around in the cavity of the pepper. In a medium bowl combine the meat and cabbage. Stuff the meat and cabbage mixture in the pepper, making sure the slit does not tear open any more than necessary. (Instead of doing this step in layers, I combined the meat and cream cheese mixture…easier to work with). Top the meat and cabbage with the tomato sauce, making sure it drizzles down within the pepper. Top with the cheese, tucking it in under the edges of the peppers, then gently pushing the pepper edges together as far as you can.
In a baking dish just big enough to hold the peppers (9×9 or 8×11) pour in the water, then add the peppers. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 20 to 30 more minutes, until cheese begins to brown.
Remove from oven and let cool for about five minutes before serving. Top with a dollop of sour cream and a lime wedge for drizzling juice over the stuffed pepper.
Tammy Kelly is director, Lenoir County Cooperative Extension Center, 1791 N.C. 11/55, Kinston, NC 28504. Reach her at 252-527-2191 or Tammy_Kelly@ncsu.edu.