A tisket, a tasket, whacha got in your basket?

Summer fruits and veggies are something to take advantage of when we need to come up

with a unique dinner or dessert. Fresh peaches and blueberries, blackberries and zucchini and corn, all have a place on the August table. Here are a couple of ideas to think about when you're at your local farmers market or grocery store.

I did a post a couple of days ago on peaches, but it doesn't hurt to have a couple more easy recipes on hand.

I love scones. When I want to "get off the diet wagon" I treat myself to a scone.

Scones always taste best when fresh and warm from the oven but can always be re warmed or eaten at room temperature. Serve either of these with a little peach jam or au natural. Either way, they are delicious. Great with a morning cup of coffee or an iced tea on these hot August days. If its blueberries or raspberries or blackberries you have on hand, just substitute in either recipe!

This first recipe is from King Arthur Flour and is super easy because all you do is mix everything together and drop on a cookie sheet!

Tender Peach Drop Scones (Courtesy of King Arthur Flour)

Ingredients

• 2 cups (240g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

• 1/2 teaspoon table salt

• 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar

• 1/4 to 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg, to taste*

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 6 tablespoons (85g) butter, cold, cut into pieces

• 2 large eggs

• 1/3 cup (74g) yogurt or sour cream, full-fat or low-fat (not nonfat)

• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

• 1 cup (142g) diced peach, peeled or not; fresh, frozen/thawed, or canned

• coarse sparkling sugar, optional; for sprinkling on top

• 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

*Don't like nutmeg? Substitute ground cinnamon, or simply leave out the spice altogether.

Directions

Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

1. Add the peaches, stirring just until everything is combined. This is a wet, sticky dough.

2. Drop the dough by the 1/4-cupful onto the prepared pan; a muffin scoop works well here.

3. Sprinkle the scones with coarse sugar, if desired.

4. Bake the scones for 20 to 25 minutes, until they're a light golden brown. Remove them from the oven and let them cool on the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

5. Serve warm, or at room temperature. Store at room temperature, well-wrapped, for several days; freeze for longer storage.

This second recipe will look like a more traditional scone. It's formed into an 8 circle about an inch thick and then cut into 8 wedge pie shapes. Either recipe will satisfy your scone craving!

Peach Scones (Courtesy of It Tastes Better from Scratch) Lauren Allen

Equipment

Pastry Blender

whisk

wire cooling rack

Ingredients 

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), frozen

1/3 cup peach Greek yogurt (I use this kind)

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup fresh peaches (about 1 peach), diced

For the Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1-2 Tablespoons milk

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

• In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 

• Grate the frozen butter and add to dry mixture. Use a fork or pastry blender to cut in the butter. (You can also cut the butter into small pieces and do in the Cuisinart on pulse)

• In a separate bowl whisk together yogurt, cream, egg, and vanilla until well blended. 

• Add to the dry mixture and use a rubber spatula to fold the ingredients in until it starts to come together in large clumps. 

• Stir in the diced fresh peaches. Gently knead mixture by hand (in the mixing bowl) just a few times until it comes together. Try not to handle the dough too much.

• Dust a clean surface with flour and drop dough onto surface. Gently pat and shape into an 8-inch round. 

• Cut into 8 wedges then transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. 

• Bake in preheated oven until golden, about 16 – 18 minutes. 

• Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before drizzling the glaze on top. These are best served the day they are prepared.

For the glaze:

• Add powdered sugar to a mixing bowl with 1 Tbsp milk and stir until smooth. Add additional milk, if needed.

Notes

Mix-Ins: Use plain Greek yogurt and mix in cranberries, blueberries, chocolate chips, or whatever else you may like.

Make Ahead Instructions: The scone dough can be made, cut, and shaped a few hours ahead of time (cover well and store in the refrigerator).

Freezing Instructions: Scone dough can be frozen for up to 1 month after being cut and shaped. Place unbaked scones on a baking sheet and place in freezer for 1 hour to flash freeze. Transfer to a freezer safe container or bag. Thaw overnight before baking. To freeze baked scones, wrap each scone tightly in plastic wrap and place in freezer safe bag for up to 1 month.

If you are looking for something to do with those fresh blueberries, this recipe is a must. It is the ultimate blueberry muffin and its from Ina Garten Comfort Foods cookbook.

These are the best blueberry muffins I have ever eaten. Let me know what you think!

Ina Garten's Fantastic Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups buttermilk, shaken

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten

2 cups fresh blueberries (2 half-pints)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with liners. 

1. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl and mix together. In a separate bowl, mix together the buttermilk, butter, lemon zest, and eggs. Make a hole in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix with a fork just until blended. Fold the blueberries into the batter. Don't over mix! With a standard (2 1/4-inch) ice-cream scoop or large spoon, scoop the batter into the prepared cups, filling them almost full. 

2. Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown.

Let's talk about zucchini. I love it and it can be prepared in so many ways. Today, I've got two recipes from "the vault". I say that because both of them are my moms, Sylvia Fratti and over 60 years old. My mom was a very good cook. Nothing gourmet. Everything was simple to make, and everything was delicious. Easy, simple and delicious. Here they are.

Sylvia Fratti's Zucchini Cake

3 eggs

2 cups of sugar (definitely cut to one cup)

1 cup of vegetable oil

3 teaspoons of vanilla

2 cups of grated zucchini

2 c all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons cinnamon

3/4 cup of raisins

1 1/2 chopped nuts

9 x 13 pan

Directions

Pre heat oven to 325.

Combine the eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla and beat smooth. Add the zucchini and stir. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and add the raisins and nuts to the dry ingredients. Add the dry mixture to the zucchini mixture. Pour into a prepared baking pan that has been sprayed well with Bakers Joy. Bake about an hour or until a toothpick comes out dry.

Second zucchini recipe is also my mom's. It is one of my favorites. It's called a "frittata" which is an egg-based dish made with vegetables, cheese or meats. This recipe actually came from my grandmother, Viola Fratti. The reason I'm mentioning this is because this is one of those recipes that measures things in glasses and handfuls. So, I am reinterpreting it for present day use:) My grandparents on my dad's side were Sephardic Jews, originating from Turkey so it has a Mediterranean slant to it. I'll have more on dishes from my grandmother in another post but for now I'll call this dish Sylvias. This is a great breakfast, brunch dish and can be served with a tossed green salad.

Sylvia Frattis Zucchini Frittata

2 to 3 cups of coarsely grated zucchini (peeled or non-peeled, your choice)

1 hard roll (can be a piece of stale French bread)

2 eggs

1 tsp of salt

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

oil approximately 2 (olive or vegetable oil)

8 x 8 baking dish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350

1. Take the grated zucchini and drain. Get out as much of the water as possible. I use my hands.

2. Take a hard roll (think Kaiser roll) or French bread. Put it in in some warm water so that is gets soft and mushy. Squeeze out the water and remove as much as the crust as possible.

3. Add the bread to the zucchini. Add to that the eggs. Add the grated cheese, enough to "bind" the mixture. Add the salt.

4. Take an 8 x 8 pan and put the oil in the pan. Heat in the oven until the oil it hot (5 to 10 min)

5. Take the pan out of the oven and pour oil into the zucchini mixture and stir through.

6. Pour the zucchini mixture back into the pan.

7. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese.

8. Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes until a knife inserted comes out clean.

Here's another take on a zucchini cake that was in the San Jose Mercury News circa 1985!

I love anything with sherry in it:)

Sherry Zucchini Cake

3 cups of sifted all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons soda

1 1/4 teaspoons of salt

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1 cup vegetable oil

2 cups of sugar (cut to one)

3 eggs

2 teaspoons of vanilla

2 tablespoons of Sherry

2 cups grated zucchini

1 teaspoon of grated lemon peel

1 1/2 cups of chopped nuts

1 cup of seedless raisins or chopped dates

Vanilla Glaze

1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon of melted butter

About 2 tablespoons of milk, cream or Sherry

Mix ingredients until they become creamy and drizzle on cooled cake

Sift together flour, cinnamon, soda, salt,and baking powder, set aside.

Bat together the salad oil and sugar; add eggs beating well after each addition. Add vanilla, sherry, zucchini and lemon peel.

Stir in dry ingredients, blending thoroughly. Fold in nuts and raisins.

Turn into a greased 10-inch tube pan or 9-inch Bundt pan. Bake in a 325 oven for an hour an 15 minutes or until done. Let stand for about 10 to 15 minutes before unmolding. Let cool once you unmold it. Vanilla glaze can be drizzled over the cake just before serving.

Fresh corn is only in season for a little while. Here in Colorado, we have something called Olathe corn. It's grown in a cornfield near Olathe. It's very sweet and like the peaches, we all try to find it when in season. Delicious on its own so there's no need to fuss with special recipes. But here's a few ideas on how to cook it.

The way I cook fresh corn is the simplest. Take a large pot of water and bring it to a boil.

Remove the husks and silks and place in the boiling water. Turn off the heat and cover the pot. Let stand for a few minutes and done.

Another way is to do it on the grill. You can husk the corn and grill it directly on the grates, brushing it with a little olive oil or butter, turning them for about 6 to 10 minutes. You can also keep the corn in the husks. And, if you want, you can soak the corn for about 20 minutes before putting them on the grill. Soak or no soak. It's up to you. The husks will char, the corn will not. Grill for about 15 to 20 minutes. Third way, wrap in foil. A novel way of doing this is to peel the husks back and removing the silks. Brush the corn with butter, fold back the husks and wrap in foil. Grill for about 15 to 20 minutes.

That's it for now. Fill up on these great summer veggies and fruits. Once the season is over, we have to wait a full year to see them again!

Liz❤️

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