Time to harvest spring vegetables! At last! Even out vegetable garden after its recent wallaby intrusion is recovering well.

There’s plenty of silver beet and spinach, also asparagus is beginning to thrive. Other places I’m told, zucchinis are producing well.

Here are some ideas for utilising these and more.

Zucchini Fritters

Ingredients

1 egg, lightly beaten

½ cup self raising flour

½ cup finely grated Parmesan or tasty cheddar cheese

1 small onion, grated

330g coarsely grated zucchini

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

¼ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Method

Mix all ingredients together well and then shallow fry small tablespoonfuls over medium heat until golden on each side.  Drain on paper towel.  Serve very hot.

Serves 4

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Spinach Rice Bake

This is a good way to use silver beet or spinach so that it is barely recognizable to the fussy palate, young or old.  It is good for using up leftover rice.

3 eggs

Pinch cayenne pepper

1½ teaspoons salt

Pinch nutmeg

1 cup milk

1 large grated onion

1 cup grated tasty cheese

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

¼ teaspoon dried thyme

2 cups finely shredded silver beet or spinach

4 cups cooked rice

For the topping

125g chopped bacon

1 tablespoon melted butter

               or

Sliced tomatoes sprinkled with salt, pepper and a little sugar (but definitely the bacon option is tastier)

Turn oven to 180°C.  Grease a lasagna style dish 18cm x 28cm or thereabouts, even a 20cm round one is ok,.

Whisk the eggs lightly, then add the cayenne, nutmeg, salt, rice, grated cheese, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, onion, silver beet or spinach and milk in a large bowl and mix together very well.

Pour into the casserole dish and top with the chopped bacon, then drizzle over the melted butter, or top with sliced tomatoes sprinkled with salt, pepper and sugar.

Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until set.

HINT:

You could also add about half a cup of semi dried tomatoes and 120g diced feta.

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Pan Frittata

Ingredients

1½ tablespoons olive oil

4 small zucchinis, cut in half lengthways, then cut into 1cm slices

100g button mushrooms, diced

1 cup shredded spinach or silver beet

200g cherry tomatoes, halved

4 eggs

¾ cup milk

¾ teaspoon salt

¾ cup grated tasty cheese

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

1 teaspoon cornflour mixed to a paste with 3 teaspoons cold water

Method

Heat the oil in a heavy based frying pan over medium heat.

Cook the zucchini and mushrooms until almost tender then ad the cherry tomatoes and cook for 1 minute.

Meanwhile whisk together the eggs, milk and salt, then stir in the cheese and parsley.

Por the mixture evenly over the vegetables and stir gently to combine.

Place a lid on the pan and cook over low heat until set.  If liked (bit not necessary) brown the top under a hot grill.

Turn out or serve directly from the pan, with a leafy green salad.

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Mini Frittatas

30g butter (or use 30ml olive oil)

1 cup diced vegetables (e.g. asparagus, mushrooms, silver beet stalks, red or green capsicum)

1 small onion, finely diced

3 eggs, lightly whisked

½ cup creamed corn

½ cup milk or cream

½ cup grated tasty cheese

1 tablespoon chopped parsley (optional)

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon mayonnaise (any sort)

1 teaspoon cornflour mixed to a paste with 3 teaspoons cold water.

Method

Heat oven to 160 degrees C (fan forced).  Grease 12 x 60ml capacity muffin tins (each approximately 50ml capacity).

Heat butter in a small frying pan, add the onion and gently sauté until tender but not coloured.  Add the vegetables and sauté (lid on pan) till just tender.  Cool (to lukewarm will do).

Combine the vegetable mixture with the remaining ingredients, making sure it is mixed well.

Spoon evenly into the prepared tins, filling almost to the top.

Bake for 15 minutes until set.

Remove from oven and allow to stand in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool or serve immediately.

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Asparagus Rolls

If ever there was a use for thinly sliced white bread, this is it.

A favourite of generations, still to be found on many an afternoon tea table.

Ingredients

Very thin slices of white bread, crusts removed

Steamed asparagus spears

Butter, softened

Mayonnaise

Method

Spread the bread slices with butter.  Spread with a light smear of mayonnaise.

Top with one or two asparagus spears, depending on size and roll up.  Secure with a toothpick until serving time then remove toothpicks and layer on a platter, each roll seam side down.

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Quick Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons butter

1 small chicken breast or thigh fillet, diced

1 onion, diced

3 cups diced vegetables (including silver beet or spinach stalks)

1 packet chicken noodle soup powder

1 litre water

Method

Heat the oil and butter together and sauté the chicken until it changes colour. 

Add the onion and vegetables and sauté gently for 5 to 10 minutes, lid on pot.

Mix in the chicken noodle soup powder and sauté one minute more, then mix in the water. 

Bring to the boil and then simmer for 10 minutes.

Variation – omit chicken noodle soup powder and instead of water, use a well flavoured homemade or purchased chicken stock.

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Pickled Zucchini Slices

These are ideal to use in sandwiches, wraps and rolls.

In the last batch I made I had no capsicum on hand, so I just increased the zucchini to 1.3kg to compensate for the lack of it.

1kg zucchini

2 large onions, peeled

2 red capsicums

½ cup salt

3 ½ cups white or cider vinegar

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon curry powder

2 teaspoons mustard seeds

1 bay leaf

½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes

Method

Cut the vegetables into 8mm slices.  Place in a large bowl with the salt and barely cover with water and stir to combine.  Leave to stand for a few hours.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a large saucepan; bring to the boil, stirring often.

Drain the vegetables in a colander and add to the boiling vinegar mixture.  Bring back to the boil, then remove from heat.

Spoon into sterilised jars and seal immediately.