​Using a box grater, I shredded both the squash and onion and set it in a colander. I sprinkled it with salt to help extract the moisture. You must allow 30 minutes for the salt to pull the moisture from the vegetables. In a large bowl, add the zucchini, onion, dry ingredients, a lightly beaten egg, salt and pepper; mix until just combined. Add neutral oil to a skillet and adjust heat to medium. Once the oil begins to shimmer, drop heaping tablespoons into the skillet, slightly flatten and cook until golden brown. Turn and cook the other side until brown.
 
What a delightful side dish! The patties were light in taste and the cheddar cheese added an extra layer of flavor. My husband really enjoyed this as a side dish.
 
Next up was the zucchini. I asked my six-year-old granddaughter for suggestions and she enthusiastically said Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins. My daughter has prepared this recipe from the website “What’s Gaby Cooking,” but I thought they sounded too sweet. A quick check of the King Arthur Baking website landed me on their recipe for Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread.  For the recipe you’ll need eggs, honey, vegetable oil, light or dark brown sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder, espresso powder (optional), unsweetened cocoa (Dutch-process or natural), unbleached all-purpose flour, two cups shredded zucchini and chocolate chips.
 
I adapted the recipe to make muffins instead of a loaf cake and substituted Big Tree Farms Organic Brown Coconut Sugar for the brown sugar. My local warehouse store, Costco, sells 25-pound bags of King Arthur flour for $19.
 
To start the recipe, in a large bowl add the eggs, honey, oil, sugar and vanilla and mix well. Next add the dry ingredients and mix until all are incorporated. Lastly, add the zucchini and chocolate chips. The loaf cake takes 65 to 75 minutes. For the muffins, I was able to make 18 and baked for approximately 25 minutes. 
 
What a delicious and moist muffin. With just 1/3 cup of honey and using the coconut sugar, these muffins had enough sweetness. Using mini chocolate chips, allowed more chips per bite. They’re perfect for school snacks. I gave almost all the muffins to my granddaughters and just kept several for my husband and I.
 
The last recipe was for Skillet Pork Chops and Apples with Miso Caramel. I found in The New York Times column “Here to Help” on September 15, 2023. I had to purchase miso paste for a recipe I made earlier this year and was delighted when I found this one. It sounded like the perfect fall recipe. You’ll need light brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, white miso, 2 bone-in pork chops, salt, black pepper, a neutral oil and a tart apple or two (Granny Smith or another type of tart-crisp apple).
 
 
The caramel sauce is made by whisking together in a small bowl water, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and miso. Using a large cast iron skillet or non-stick pan, turn heat to medium and add oil. Season the pork chops with salt and generously with pepper. The recipe states the pepper will help balance the caramel.
 
Once the oil is shimmering, add the pork chops and cook until browned on the outside and the internal temperature reaches 135°. This should take between 10 to 15 minutes. Once the pork is cooked to temperature, remove to a plate. Add the apples in a single layer to the skillet, adjust heat to medium and cook until browned on one side. Add the brown sugar mixture and stir, scrape up the fond on the bottom of pan and cook until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. This takes about 2 to 4 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the pork chops and spoon sauce over meat. Serve pork chops extra caramel sauce and sliced apples.
 
What a delicious meal we had! My husband and I really enjoyed this preparation. Between the tartness of the apples, the little bit of acid from the vinegar and the pepper, the pork chops had the right balance of flavors. The caramel sauce was a wonderful accompaniment. The pork was moist and tender. I purchased Villari Cowboy Pork Chops at my local Wegmans store. It was the first time I tried them and they didn’t disappoint.

​Yellow Squash Patties
www.allrecipes.com
Recipe by Rone Smith May 26, 2023
 
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Additional Time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Servings: 12
 
Ingredients

8 medium yellow squash, shredded
1 onion, shredded
1 ½ tablespoons salt
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup cornmeal
1 egg, lightly beaten
ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, or as needed
 
Directions

1. Place squash and onion in a colander; sprinkle with salt and drain until no longer moist, about 30 minutes.
2. Mix squash and onion mixture, cheese, flour, cornmeal, and egg in a bowl; season with pepper.
3. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Drop squash mixture by heaping tablespoonfuls into the skillet; cook patties until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.

​Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
King Arthur Baking
Recipe by PJ Hamel
 
Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes
Total: 1 hour 20 minutes
Yield: 0ne 8-1/2”x40-1/2” loaf
 
As Muffins:
Yield: approximately 18
Bake Time: approximately 25 minutes
 
Ingredients
 
            2 large eggs
            1/3 cup (113g) honey
            1/2 cup (99g) vegetable oil
            1/2 cup (106g) light brown sugar or dark brown sugar, packed
            1 teaspoon King Arthur Pure Vanilla Extract
            1 teaspoon salt
            1/2 teaspoon baking soda
            1/2 teaspoon baking powder
            1/2 teaspoon espresso powder, optional
            1/3 cup (28g) unsweetened cocoa, Dutch-process or natural
            1 2/3 cups (200g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
            2 cups (242 to 300g) shredded, unpeeled zucchini, gently pressed
            1 cup (170g) chocolate chips
 
Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F; lightly grease an 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, honey, oil, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
3. Add the salt, baking soda, baking powder, espresso powder, cocoa, and flour, mixing until well combined.
4. Stir in the zucchini and chocolate chip.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
6. Bake the bread for 65 to 75 minutes, until the loaf tests done (a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center will come out clean, save for perhaps a light smear of chocolate from the melted chips.
7. Remove the bread from the oven, and let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes before Turing it out of the pan onto a rack.
8. Cool completely before slicing; store well-wrapped, at room temperature.

 
Donna’s Note: If you prefer muffins, I filled 3/4 full and baked for approximately 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of muffin came out clean. I tested several muffins for doneness before removing from oven. 

​Skillet Pork Chops and Apples with Miso Caramel
By Ali Slagle
The New York Times, “Here to Help”
September 15, 2023
 
Yield: 2 to 3 servings
Time: 30 minutes
 
Ingredients
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1½ tablespoons white miso
2 (1- to 1½-inch-thick) bone-in pork chops, patted very dry
Salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon neutral oil (such as grapeseed or canola)
2 small or 1 large Granny Smith or other tart-crisp apples, cored then sliced ¼ inch thick
 
Preparation

1. In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons water with the brown sugar, vinegar and miso; stir with a fork until smooth. Season the pork chops all over with salt, then the pepper. (Don’t skimp on the pepper; it’s an important element to balance the caramel.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium. Add the oil and the pork chops to the skillet. Cook, flipping every 2 minutes, until browned on the outside and the internal temperature in the thickest part is around 135 degrees, 10 to 15 minutes depending on thickness of pork chops. If your chops have a fat cap, using tongs, stack both chops on top of each other, then grab both chops together and hold upright to sear the fat caps until crisp, about 1 minute. Transfer to a plate to rest for 5 minutes. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat.
3. Add the apples to the skillet in a single layer and heat over medium. (Snack on any that don’t fit.) Cook without touching until browned underneath, 2 to 4 minutes. If the pan is smoking at any point, reduce heat. Pour in the brown sugar mixture and cook, scraping up browned bits and stirring, until thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, 1 to 3 minutes. (Keep your eye on the sauce toward the end so it doesn’t burn.
4. Turn off the heat, add the pork chops and their juices back to the skillet and turn to coat in the caramel. Serve the pork chops with a spoonful of the apples and caramel.