Zucchini in Spades & Blueberry Sweet Treats for all Season Long

Submitted by: Michael Land

With summer in full swing, one of the things many of us wait for is the abundance of fresh local fruit and produce grown both commercially and in our home gardens. Canning pots are dusted off, bottles are gathered from their storage places and the search starts for new snap lids. Those lids by the way, have become rather expensive these days! It seems that most of us in our zeal have always planted far too many zucchini seeds, forgetting the amount of fruit they always seem to produce. Then comes the task of finding ways to use their bounty so it doesn't go to waste. Who hasn't slipped a couple into visitors' backseats before they leave for home? Maybe this year you could also pop a copy of the recipe I share with you today so they can enjoy zucchini with a bit of a twist. Also bountiful in our area is the powerfully healthy blueberry. This without a doubt, is my favorite summertime treasure. The one berry I look most forward to enjoying each year. I have also shared a favorite recipe of mine for Blueberry Jam. The smell of this jam when you open it, makes me think of Christmas. I hope these recipes will become ones you add to your collection of favorites.

Zucchini Cobbler

Ingredients:

• 8 cups chopped seeded peeled zucchini (about 3 pounds untrimmed)
• 2/3 cup lemon juice
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

​Crust:

• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups cold butter, cubed
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 F.

In a large saucepan over medium low heat, cook and stir zucchini and lemon juice until zucchini is tender - 15 -20 minutes. Stir in sugar cinnamon and nutmeg; cook 1 minute longer. Remove from heat; set aside. In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir 1/2 cup into zucchini mixture.

Press half of remaining crust mixture into a greased 15x10x1 in. baking pan.

Spread zucchini mixture over top; crumble remaining crust mixture over zucchini. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake until golden and bubbly, 35-40 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

Blueberry Special Jam

• 3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, chopped
• 2 tbsp. orange juice
• 2 tbsp. orange rind
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup honey
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 pouch Certo liquid fruit pectin.

Method: Measure prepared fruit, orange rind and orange juice into a large saucepan. Add sugar, honey and cinnamon to fruit and mix well. Place saucepan over high heat. Bring to a full rolling boil and boil hard for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and immediately stir in liquid pectin. Stir and skim foam for five minutes to prevent floating fruit. Pour quickly into warm sterilized jars. Seal while hot with sterilized lids. Makes five cups.