For the main course, I purchased a flank steak from Perrotti’s Quality Meats in Cranford. I prepared Grilled Spiced-Rubbed Flank Steak, a recipe from Gourmet Magazine, August 2001. The spice mixture is a combination of fresh garlic, grated fresh ginger, cinnamon, coriander, black pepper and cumin. The mixture made the meat very flavorful, but not so spicy young children would be turned off. For sides, I prepared Ina Garten’s Confetti Corn, which is corn removed from the cob, sautéed in olive oil with chopped red onion, diced orange bell pepper seasoned with salt and pepper and garnished with fresh chives and parsley. I also made Tri-Color Fusilli Pasta Salad made with a simple dressing of olive oil, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. The pasta salad also included roasted red and green peppers that were thinly sliced and tossed with the salad. This salad is easy to prepare and its simple flavor beats a pasta salad dressed with overly seasoned store-bought Italian salad dressing.
 
For dessert I used a white peach and blueberries from my weekly CSA share from Dreyer Farms in Cranford to make Peach and Blueberry Cake, a recipe my daughter found on Instagram from the website “Tastes of Lizzy T.” For the recipe you’ll need salted butter, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, full-fat sour cream (I substituted plain Greek yogurt), blueberries and peaches.  This recipe yields one 9-inch cake enough for eight servings. The recipe was easy to prepare and came out great as I baked it in a springform pan. Since I used Greek yogurt, I had to bake the cake a bit longer to make sure it was cooked all the way through. The sweetness of the peach combined with the slight tartness of the blueberries made for a delightful dessert. I placed a scoop of Tillamook Vanilla ice cream alongside the cake to “gild the lily” so to speak. Everyone enjoyed the cake.
 
With my daughter and her girls still here on Friday, I opted to make an easy meal due to the hot, humid weather we had. I made BBQ Rub Roasted Chicken, a recipe from the “Southern Living Magazine” and one that I’ve made before.  For the recipe you’ll need dark brown sugar, smoked paprika, ground cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, black pepper and olive oil. Although the recipe called for a whole chicken, I had bone-in chicken breasts on hand. I rubbed olive oil on the chicken and then sprinkled the brown sugar mixture on all sides. I grilled the chicken outside, but as it was still partially frozen, I started the cooking process on a sheet of foil. The flavor was quite enjoyable; the girls devoured their dinner. With the addition of the brown sugar, the exterior of the chicken was golden brown with a lovely char.
 
With a few zucchinis left in my refrigerator from last’s week CSA box and more on its way this week, I had to find another way to use them up. While I do love Zucchini Muffins with Cinnamon Crunch Topping by Jerrelle Guy of The New York Times or Deb Perelman’s Zucchini Fritters or Zucchini Galette, I decided to try Ms. Perelman’s Zucchini Bread Pancakes this morning. After my first cup of morning coffee, it was time to start cooking. For the recipe you’ll need eggs, olive oil, sugar (can be light or dark brown or granulated), buttermilk (or 2 tablespoons each of plain yogurt and milk), vanilla extract, shredded zucchini, all-purpose flour (or half swapped out for whole wheat flour), table salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ground nutmeg and butter or oil for the skillet.
 
The eggs, oil, sugar, buttermilk and vanilla is combined together and whisked smooth followed by stirring in the zucchini. The dry ingredients are whisked together in a separate bowl then added to the liquid mixture. Before making the pancakes, preheat the oven to 200° and place a sheet tray nearby.
 
Using my pancake griddle, I heated the pan over medium heat and buttered my pan. Using a cookie scoop, I portioned out 5 small pancakes on the pan making sure the pancakes didn’t touch. Once browned on one side, I flipped and did the other. You’ll find these pancakes to be thicker than regular pancakes, hence the need to place the pancakes on a sheet pan and park in the oven for 10 minutes before serving.
 
Wow, were these pancakes scrumptious! The pancakes tasted like mini versions of zucchini bread, but not too sweet. They were moist and tender and a drizzle of maple syrup added another layer of flavor. My husband enjoyed these as did my plumber who was working at my home today. He requested a copy of this recipe and I also include the recipe for the fritters and galette.
 
One note on the pancakes, Ms. Perelman mentioned the pancakes need to bake a bit to make sure they’re cooked through. The next time I make these I might squeeze out the excess moisture before adding them to the liquid ingredients. I will also swap the oil for  Mazola Corn Oil that I keep on hand.
 
The next couple of days are going to be quite hot and humid along the Jersey shore. I’ve found a new pasta recipe that will use the last of the zucchini I have on hand along with some corn and plum tomatoes, can’t wait to see how the recipe turns out. Also, you’re probably thinking hot pasta during this weather? My husband likes, no, needs his weekly fill of pasta. 

Peach Blueberry Cake
Recipe by Julie Clark from the website
“Tastes of Lizzy T”
 
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
 
Servings: 8
 
Ingredients
1/2 cup salted butter softened to room temperature
1 ¼ cup granulated sugar divided
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoons salt
½ cup full-fat sour cream
1 cup blueberries
1 cup diced fresh peaches 1-2 peaches
 
Instructions 

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan (or springform pan) with cooking spray and set aside. If you'd like to completely remove the whole cake from the pan to serve, line the cake pan with parchment paper before adding the cake batter.)
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or with a large bowl and hand mixer), whip together the butter and 1 cup of the sugar (the other ¼ will go on top) until pale and fluffy, about five minutes. ½ cup salted butter , 1 cup granulated sugar
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture, mixing just until combined after each addition. 1 ⅓ cup all-purpose flour , 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoons salt, ½ cup full-fat sour cream
5. Gently fold in the fresh blueberries and peaches to the cake batter using a rubber spatula. Spread the batter in the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of sugar evenly over the top of the cake batter. 1 cup blueberries, 1 cup diced fresh peaches, ¼ cup sugar
6. Bake 35-40 minutes, until the top is crackly and lightly browned and the center still jiggles just a bit. A toothpick inserted in the center will have moist crumbs.
7. Let the cake cool completely in the pan and then serve.

 
 
Notes - If you use a smaller pan, it may take longer to bake! Also, using low fat/fat free sour cream or yogurt may require a longer baking time.
 
Storage Instructions:

• At Room Temperature: If you plan to eat the cake within 1-2 days, you can store it at room temperature. Cover the cake tightly with plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container to keep it moist and prevent it from drying out.
• In the Refrigerator: For longer storage, place the cake in an airtight container and refrigerate it. The cake will stay fresh for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

​Zucchini Bread Pancakes
By Deb Perelman
From her website “Smitten Kitchen”
 
Makes 10-12 pancakes
 
Ingredients
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons light brown, dark brown or granulated sugar
1/4 cup buttermilk or 2 tablespoons each of milk and plain yogurt, whisked until smooth
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups shredded zucchini (from about 9 ounces whole, or 1 1/2 medium zucchini), heaping cups are fine
1 cup all-purpose flour (half can seamlessly be swapped with a whole wheat flour)
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg
Butter or oil, for coating skillet
 
Preparation
In a large bowl, combine eggs, olive oil, sugar, buttermilk and vanilla until smooth. Stir in zucchini shreds. In a smaller bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir dry ingredients into zucchini batter, mixing until just combined.
 
Preheat oven to 200°F and place a tray — foil-lined if you’re into doing fewer dishes later — on a middle rack.
 
Heat a large, heavy skillet (my favorite for pancakes is a cast-iron) over medium heat. Once hot, melt a pat of butter in pan and swirl it around until it sizzles. Scoop scant 1/4-cup dollops of batter (mine were about 3 tablespoons each) in pan so the puddles do not touch. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip pancakes and cook another minute or two, until golden underneath. Transfer pancakes to prepared pan to keep warm as well as ensure that they’re all cooked through when they’re served. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve warm. Repeat next weekend.