Thrifty Recipe- Eggplant Pizzas

I was reminded of the value of gardening this weekend at my parents' house. They have a bountiful garden, and it seemed that every meal contained at least a couple items they had grown. Some examples:

- Pickled beets (my favorite)
- Caprese salad with homegrown tomatoes and Thai basil
- Shaved refrigerator pickles made of homegrown cucumbers
- Sliced tomatoes with red wine vinegar and oil and dill

My parents' garden at the beginning of August

They sent us home with an eggplant they had grown and last night I made eggplant pizzas. Here's the recipe:

Eggplant Pizzas

Ingredients
- One medium eggplant
- One stick unsalted butter
- 1-2 cups breadcrumbs
- 1 cup pizza sauce or spaghetti sauce (homemade or jarred)
- 1 cup shredded mozarella

1. Cut off the ends of the eggplant, peel, and slice into half inch thick rounds
2. Melt butter in a shallow dish and put breadcrumbs in another shallow dish. Dip each round in the butter and then in the breadcrumbs, coating all sides with crumbs.
3. Place on a greased cookie sheet or jellyroll pan
4. Spoon sauce onto each round, and spread evenly over top surface, then top with shredded cheese
5. Bake at 450 for 10-12 minutes

They will be really hot, so be sure to allow to cool a bit before eating. I served with buttered angelhair pasta. Our 19 month old daughter at a whole pizza herself.

CSA's (Community supported agriculture) are another way to get fresh produce without the labor of growing it yourself. Of course, it's not so thrifty to get the produce but then let it go to waste! My BFF Badger Girl has a series on her blog outlining recipes and strategies for getting the most out of your CSA. Be sure to check that out if you need more information about CSA's or are looking for recipes.

Thrifty Recipe: Sundried Tomato Pesto

I was inspired by my friend Badger Girl's blog yesterday. She posted a recipe for Garlic Scape Pesto. It sounded really good. However, I am not a member of a CSA and don't have any fresh-grown garlic scapes. But I did have a half jar of sundried tomatoes and some very healthy basil and oregano plants on my deck.
One trip to Google later, I had my dinner recipe for tonight. Good old Giada to the rescue. I made a half recipe of the below. Served with leftover Papa John's breadsticks and a salad, it was an Italian feast!

Penne with Sundried Tomato Pesto
From Foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

• 12 ounces penne pasta (I used fettucini)
• 1 (8.5-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, blend the sun-dried tomatoes and their oil, garlic, salt and pepper, to taste, and basil in a food processor and blend until the tomatoes are finely chopped. Transfer the tomato mixture to a large bowl. Stir in the Parmesan.
Add the pasta to the pesto and toss to coat, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season the pasta, to taste, with salt and pepper and serve.

Thrifty Recipe- Marinated Sliced Cucumber Salad

At this time of year, those who have gardens are almost at the point of having too many of some veggies. Cucumbers and zucchini tend to be culprits. This is an easy, refreshing recipe for a cucumber salad. My mom makes an amazing one that is very similar, just doesn't include dill or pepper. It's a fantastic way to enjoy some of summer's bounty.

Marinated Sliced Cucumber Salad
Link to recipe on NPR.com

Makes four servings, and is easily doubled or tripled.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/2 teaspoon regular salt)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 long or 2 short cucumbers (seedless if possible)
• 6 to 8 leafy dill sprigs (or 1 teaspoon dried dill weed)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. For the marinade, combine the vinegars, sugar, salt and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. When it's fully dissolved, simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until the mixture becomes somewhat syrupy. Let cool to room temperature.

2. While the marinade is cooling, finely slice the cucumbers into rounds about 1/16-inch thick. (I learned from my mom to use the large slots on the side of a grater, which make nice thin slices) Pick the leaves from the dill sprigs, discarding the stems, and finely chop.

3. Place the cucumbers, dill and marinade in a heavy-duty re-sealable plastic bag or covered glass or corningware dish and refrigerate for at least an hour, preferably 4 or more. (I find this gets even better after a day or two). With a slotted spoon, lift the cucumbers into a serving bowl and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Thrifty Strategy- Gardening

Yummy salad made with homegrown lettuce

We had some friends in town this weekend and they brought us several delicious things from their garden; leaf lettuce, strawberries, and even some early sweet peas. As the summer continues they will start harvesting jalapenos, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, and several other vegetables. Gardening is a great way to spend time outdoors,  get some exercise, and get wholesome food for less.

The most cost-effective way to start a vegetable garden is by planting seeds rather than buying seedlings at the garden store. Certain varieties, such as tomatoes, take a long time to grow from seed and need to be begun indoors at the end of winter. Other seeds, such as lettuce and radishes, can be planted outdoors once the threat of frost has passed. Also, gardeners are often willing to give away their extra seedlings, some even post them on Craigslist.

If you have limited outdoor space or limited time to create and maintain a garden, flower boxes or flowerpots are a great option. Herbs, radishes, and even tomatoes can be grown this way.

Some Gardening Resources:
Better Homes and Gardens
Gardenguides.com
Square Foot Gardening