[Cook Challenge: Fruits Of Your Labors] GARDEN SALSA

fruits of my labor . . . dish #2

Hate salsa?  Me neither!  I love it!! :)  And if you are a big fan, like myself, you'll love this garden salsa recipe from my cute sister-in-law, Bonnie.  It's perfect.  And a fantastic way to use your fresh produce from your garden to share with others.  (FYI: I used my own green peppers and tomatoes from my garden!)

ingredients
2 1/2 c. tomatoes, chopped
1/4 c. tomatillos, chopped
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1/4 c. green peppers, chopped
2-6 jalapenos, chopped (how spicy do you like it? you can de-seed if needed)
1 lrg clove of garlic, minced
2 T cilantro, chopped
2 T fresh parsley, chopped
1 T freshly squeezed lime juice (about 1 lime)

instructions
Combine everything in a large bowl.  I suggest doubling it.  You'll bring out the best flavor if you let everything marinate together in the fridge before serving.

[Cook Challenge: Fruits of Your Labors] Chicken Sausage Vegatable Pasta Primavera

This recipe comes from one of my favorite food blogs (other than this one) it's called real mom kitchen. She (Laura) has amazing recipes most of which are pretty simple to throw together. We are not huge vegetable eaters in this house, and this recipe is full of them. But this is by far one of my husbands new favorites and the only thing he has requested. The picture above is before you put it in the oven, and I don't have an after because we were starving! But here is the link to the original recipe. Her blog is definitely worth checking out. So delicious! And it most definitely falls under the cook challenge, since almost all the vegetables were grown from a garden.

• 1 medium zucchini, sliced
• 8 oz. fresh mushrooms, quartered (I left these out since we are not big mushroom fans)
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved (I have also used a can of diced tomatoes; Italian style)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium red or yellow pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• pepper to taste
• 1 (12 oz.) package Johnsonville Three Cheese Italian Style Chicken Sausage, slice at an angle (I used polska kielbasa sausage)
• 12 oz. linguine, uncooked

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place zucchini, mushrooms, tomatoes, onion, and bell pepper in a shallow baking pan.  Add the olive oil, salt, and pepper; toss to coat.
3. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender and lightly brown; stir occasionally.
4. In the meantime, cook linguine according to package directions and drain.
5. After vegetables are soft, sprinkle sausage on top of vegetables and bake 5 more minutes or until sausage is heated.
6. Toss cooked pasta with the vegetable/sausage mixture,  sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve. 

[Cook Challenge: Fruits of Your Labors] Skillet Chicken Parmigiana + Corn on the Cob

Fruits of my labor...dish #1.
I am still in awe that this husky, golden gem came out of my very own garden.  I totally geared up for failure with my single, humble row of corn; especially after I found you really need to plant corn in at least 3x3 grids.  But I am very proud to say, we have harvested our corn!

I paired our corn with this family favorite recipe: Skillet Chicken Parmigiana.  Mmmmm.  A splendid dinner indeed.

cindy's broccoli cream soup- revisited.

since i don't have a garden of my own, i will be using produce from my mom's garden and my mother-in-law's bountiful basket for the cook challenge! when my MIL gave me some fresh broccoli, i found this recipe in the archives and changed a couple of things along the way. {i added another can of broth 'cause i like my soup a little soupier, and some cheddar cheese added the saltiness that i was missing.}

i portioned this out, topped with a little cheese, and sean has some delicious soup waiting in our freezer for him to take to work for lunch :)

ingredients:
2 cups chopped fresh or frozen broccoli
1\2 cup chopped onion
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 can fat-free evaporated milk
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

directions:
in a saucepan, combine broccoli, onion, celery, broth, and pepper; simmer for 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. puree half of the mixture in a blender; return to the saucepan.

in a small bowl, whisk cornstarch and 3 tablespoons of milk until smooth. gradually add remaining milk. stir into the broccoli mixture. bring to a boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes. reduce heat to medium. stir in shredded cheese. continue simmering until soup thickens slightly.

top with shredded cheddar cheese and crackers!

Cook Challenge: Fruits Of Your Labors

Time again for yet another amazing Cook Challenge.  (What you don't think they are amazing?  You think they are beyond amazing?!  You are too kind.)  This challenge parallels the wonderful world of gardening.  This year was my first experience with a garden, and my cup runneth over.  No really, my fridge is full of zucchini, cucumbers, green onions, and both large and cherry tomatoes. Still waitin' on my corn - wish they would hurry up and pollinate each other so I could have me some fresh corn ears!  And my string beans and snow peas have seen better days....  Regardless of the state of my humble garden, this green-thumb-in-training has been inspired again.  Here's your challenge:

How Do You Reap the Fruits of Your Labors?

Make 3 dishes that include at least one of your garden's growth.

Don't have a garden? It's okay.  We won't tell if you buy yours at Smiths.

Ready?  Set?  Cook!