Carrot Puff

I don't know about you, but this time of year, I like bright food.   [And brownies.]  

Brownies aside [for the moment], I've pulled out my favorite carrot recipe.  This carrot puff is a quasi souffle.  It's light, but not fussy and no one cares how high it gets or if it falls.  It's that good.  Since I change things up a bit every time I make it, sometimes it's light and airy, but most of the time it's just a good old fashioned carrot casserole.  My recipe marries grated carrots and onions [and zucchini, if you have some in the freezer this time of year] with a delectable cheesy sauce.   Hello, Sunshine! 

This is a terrific vegetarian main dish and an excellent side for potlucks.   It's good warm or chilled.   Personally, I like it just a little warm.

I posted this recipe a few years ago when I started the blog and now that I have actual readers, I thought you might like to see it again without having to fiddle through the archives.   [Though fiddling through the archives is kind of fun.]

Robin's Carrot Puff
www.rurification.com


2-3 C shredded carrots [and zucchini, if you have some]
2 C shredded or chopped  onions
2 cloves garlic, chopped or pressed.
3T butter [yes, the real stuff]

Cook that stuff in a pot until the onions are transparent.  It caramelizes everything and makes it sweeter.  Then add:

1/2 C oatmeal
1 tsp salt
pepper
a shake or two of nutmeg
1 1/2 C yogurt
1 C or more grated cheese
4 eggs, beaten

Put it all in a casserole dish and bake at 325 degrees for 50 minutes.   I always bake mine in a blue dish because the orange and the blue look so pretty together.   Then I serve it on a blue plate.  It just tastes better in the blue dish.

Zucchini Castata Romanesco

I often do not have luck with zucchini because the vine borers get them.   This year I put Dipel [contains bt - see my gardening page for a description of that]  on the plants as soon as they had secondary leaves.   That seemed to help.     Dipel washes off, so I re-apply regularly - especially since it's so hot and I have to water every day. 

I'm pleased to report that I've had a good crop of zucchini this year.   It slowed down after that week of 100 + weather, then picked up when it dropped down to the 90s.   I'm guessing that it doesn't like to set flowers when it's roasting.   Who can blame it? 

This zucchini is Castata Romanesco.   I got the seed at Baker Creek and I"ll be saving some to see if I can grow it again.    I've planted it between a pattypan and a lemon squash so I'll have to hand pollinate if I want it to come back true.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Our zucchini was kaput this year.    It suffered an early attack by vine borers and it never recovered.   It's still making a valiant effort, but I'm only seeing male flowers.    Kinda pathetic, but I just can't bring myself to pull it up.   I've got a month until frost [fingers crossed] and it might produce some yet.    In the meantime, I'm eating zucchini from the bounty of others.    Thank you all!  

My kids had never had zucchini cake, so I decided to make one, but with chocolate. 

OK, I know you've seen these recipes before and you're probably rolling your eyes - another zucchini cake recipe - blah, blah, blah - but this recipe is remarkably fudgy.

Yes, you read that right.  

Fudgy.   Moist and dark and delicious.   So much so that I'm going to change the name right now to Fudgy Chocolate Zucchini Cake. 

Now that you've seen this fabulous picture, you're going to want to make one yourself with your own zucchini bounty.   I'll try not to be jealous.


Fudgy Chocolate Zucchini Cake 

• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup sour cream, yogurt or buttermilk
• 3/4 cup oil
• 3 cups grated zucchini [1 good sized zucchini]
• 1 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven 350 degrees.  Grease and flour 9x11 inch pan.   Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well - you don't want globs of baking soda in your finished cake, trust me.    Beat eggs.   Add eggs, sour cream and oil.    Mix well.    Fold in nuts and zucchini until well mixed.   Bake for 50-60 minutes.   Don't over bake - you want to keep it moist.  

The kids loved this.   We ate it for breakfast.   With homemade whipped cream. 

I'm thinking it would be so so good with dark chocolate icing.    Or cream cheese icing.   Or just with a sprinkle of powdered sugar.