Beet Salad

1 can sliced beets (or use garden grown)

about 1/2 cup sour cream

about 1/4 minced onion (sweet are best)

salt to taste

Mix it all together in a bowl. Refrigerate at least 3 hours so flavors develop and meld. Serves 2-3 (Andrew never leaves me left overs)

Crash Hot Potatoes

I made my version of these from the Pioneer Woman's website and they were crunchy, yummy, scrumptiously good.

New potatoes (or other small round potatoes)
Olive Oil
Kosher salt
Black Pepper
Rosemary (or desired herbs)
Grated Cheese/Parmesan Cheese (Opt)

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make and cook them until they are fork-tender.

On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil. Place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet leaving plenty of room between each potato.

With a potato masher, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes. rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously with more olive oil.

Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and fresh chopped rosemary (or chives or thyme or whatever herb you have available). ......I also added parmesan on some and shredded cheese on others. Both were yummy. The shredded cheese got kind of crunchy, but I actually liked it. You could also add it 5 minutes before it is done if you just want it to melt.

Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Glazed Carrots

Carrots
Butter
Brown Sugar
Pepper
Nutmeg

Steam carrots until al dente (not too soft as they will continue to cook a little while you glaze). Over Med-low head glaze carrots to taste with a bit of butter, the brown sugar, pepper and nutmeg for a few minutes until sugar melts and caramelizes a little. Easy and super yum! One of my most frequently asked for recipes!

Fabulous Potatoes

Fabulous Potatoes and Autumnal place settings. O.K. for the potatoes:

14 potatoes
3 cloves garlic
1 pound bacon
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 pound cheddar cheese, grated
1 pint whipping cream

Cover raw potatoes and peeled garlic cloves with water in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Turn down heat to a gentle boil. Cook until tender (test with a fork). Drain potatoes. While potatoes are cooling, open bacon, cut with kitchen shears into bits and fry. Set aside crisp bacon. Drain most of the fat from the pan. Add onion to drippings and saute till golden brown. Add bacon back to pan and mix.
By this time the potatoes should be cool enough to peel. Use a small paring knife to do this. Then cut potatoes into slices the about the width of your pinkie, you know, not too thin.
Spray a pan (I use the one bigger than 9x13, a dripper pan) with Pam and layer 1/2 of the potatoes in the bottom, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with the bacon/onion mixture. Add the rest of the potato slices, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cover with the cheese. Drizzle the whipping cream over the top. Cover tightly with foil (I spray it with Pam first, so I won't have any cheese sticking to it) and bake 350 F for about 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. You can also prepare it earlier, and put it in the fridge. Then put it in a cold oven and gradually bring it to 350F. It bakes about an hour this way. Serves 12-16.

Those potatoes are screaming to be served in Fall. Here's a place setting idea: Gather leaf-shaped place mats or place mats of fall colors. I had clear plates, so
I added a leaf underneath my plate. Next came the salad bowl and the napkin. (this is Morgan's place, hence the little fork and spoon). Voile! Happy eating!

Ham & Garden Vegetable Stir-Fry

Sauce:
4 Tbs cold water
1 Tbs cornstarch
¼ cup soy sauce
2 Tbs orange juice
4 tsp sugar
Pepper
(Or just use Yoshida sauce (sp?...I've always just called it Yoshi sauce) that you can thicken a little with cornstarch which is super yummy!)

1-2 cups chopped ham (or it would also be good with cooked, chopped chicken)
Fresh or frozen vegetables (ie: carrots, onion, green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, yellow squash)

Combine water and cornstarch. Stir in soy sauce, orange juice, sugar and dash pepper; set aside).

If fresh beans, steam for 2 minutes. Add cauliflower and broccoli and steam for additional 2 minutes.

Pour oil into a wok or large skillet (add more oil as necessary during cooking). Preheat over medium-high heat. Add onion, ham and carrot; stir-fry 2 minutes. Add beans, cauliflower, broccoli, squash and zucchini. Stir fry 3-4 minutes or till vegetables are crisp-tender. Push vegetables from center of wok (or large pan). Stir sauce and add to the center of wok. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Stir to coat vegetables with sauce. Cook and stir 1 minute or till heated through. Serve over rice (I prefer the brown rice)

This meal is my personal favorite!

Zucchini Casserole

“Vegetable garden season and I love it!  This is actually super yummy.  I'm surprised every time I make it how much I like it.” Sara Sandburg

2 lbs zucchini, sliced/quartered (6-8 cups...I usually do 8ish)
1/4 cup chopped or sliced onions
1 can (10 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup Sour Cream
1 cup shredded carrots1 pkg (8 oz) herb-seasoned stuffing mix
1/2 c (1 stick) butter, melted
Cook zucchini and onion in boiling salted water for 5 minutes.  Drain.  Set aside.  Combine soup and sour cream.  Stir in carrots.  Fold in the drained squash and onion.  Combine stuffing mix and melted butter.  Spread half of stuffing on bottom of a baking dish.  Spoon vegetable mixture on top, and sprinkle remaining stuffing over vegetables.

Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes, uncovered.  Makes 6 servings.