Zucchini Pizza Bites

There are always those zucchini that hide from you and get bigger than you would like. Strange how they go unnoticed. Here's a quick, delicious recipe for those over grown zucchini.

Ingredients:

- Large zucchini

-Pizza sauce (I use my own homemade canned pizza sauce)

- Mozzarella cheese shredded

- Parmesan cheese shredded

- Pepperoni 

-Other favorite toppings such as pineapple, peppers, tomatoes, olives, onions, etc

- Oregano, basil, garlic salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, any seasoning combination you and your family like.

1. Cover a large cookie tray with foil
2. Slice zucchini about 1/4 inch and spread out on the tray
3. Top with pizza sauce
4. Add mozzarella cheese
5. Pepperoni and other toppings
6. Top with parmesan cheese
7. Sprinkle with seasonings
8. Bake in a preheated oven of 450 F for around 10 minutes or until zucchini is tender.
9. Turn oven to broil  for a few minutes to melt cheese til bubbly.  Be careful not to burn your cheese.

These a delicious reheated.  A zucchini pizza bites make a great side dish, appetizer, or snack.  Kids would love to help with this one.  

Fresh Peach Pie

Sometimes the best way to enjoy the harvest is fresh.  Nothing beats fresh peach pie especially when the peaches are harvested from your orchard.  This pie is irresistible when made with white peaches which are sweeter than yellow peaches.  White fleshed peaches are best eaten fresh.  They are also delicious dried and make an amazing juice.  They are too soft to can.  The canning peach is the yellow peach.  This year all my white peaches froze so yellow peaches were used in the pie.  I didn't get many peaches so most of them were enjoyed fresh. 

Fresh Peach Pie

1 cup sugar
2 Tbs of cornstarch
1 cup of water
1 small pkg of peach gelatin
2 Tbs lemon juice
 
Combine the sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan.  Whisk it together.  Add the water and stir. Heat the mixture until it thickens.

Add 1 small pkg of peach gelatin

Stir until dissovled and remove from heat. Allow to cool.

Slice 3-4 cups of peaches.  Add peaches and 2 Tbs of lemon juice.  Fold together gently.  Pour into a baked pie crust.  Refrigerate for a couple of hours before eating.  Serve with cool whip. Enjoy!

Spicy Peaches

The end of the summer means peach days!  Not only are peaches delicious fresh eating but the are, in my opinion, one of the best canned products.

This is my families favorite canned peach recipe.  It comes from Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publications Canning.

The following recipe does 7 to 8 quart jars.

10 1/2 /cups of water

4 1/2 cups of sugar

24 whole cloves

4 cinnamon sticks

16-20 lbs of ripe peaches

For the syrup:
In a heavy pot combine the water, sugar, cloves, and cinnamon sticks.  Bring to boil stirring until the sugar dissolves.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  Keep hot while you prepare the peaches.

Peel peaches, cut in half, and cut into slices.  To prevent oxidation, slice peaches in a pre-treatment dip of a lemon juice and water or ascorbic acid treatment.

Canning:
Rinse peaches and put in hot sterile jars, the dishwasher is great for keeping jars hot.  Remove cinnamon sticks and cloves.  Ladle hot syrup of peaches.  Remove air bubbles. Leave a 1/2 inch headspace.  Wipe rims and adjust lids.

Process in a boiling water canner for 25 minutes.  Adjust for altitude if necessary.  Here in New Harmony at 5000 feet you need to add 10 minutes to the processing time.

When the processing time is complete, turn off heat and remove canner lid.  Allow to sit for 15- 20 minutes before removing the jars from the canner.  This prevents any liquid from seeping out.