Summer Sendoff

Goodbye dear summer, goodbye warm breezes and bumblebees. Farewell fragrant blooms and sweet vine ripe tomatoes. Hello jack frost, frozen garden and endless leaves. Greetings snow boots and wool hats, flu shots and crock pots....Alas summer is gone. Now you know why I cook, I am not much of a poet!
I grew up on this tasty dish. My mom would make it whenever she has a zucchini about to take over the garden. It bears the taste of spaghetti but has so much more to offer nutritionally. I prefer to make it in my electric skillet, but it can be made in a skillet on the stove top. It is fantastic with just ground beef, or can be made vegetarian or with half sausage. You can also layer both eggplant and zucchini if you wish. I love a bow tie pasta with it, but any pasta will do.

FARM STAND PASTA

2 lbs. ground beef or 1 lb. ground beef and 1 lb. pork sausage
1 medium onion, sliced
1 bell pepper, sliced
4 large tomatoes, chopped
3 ears of corn, kernels removed
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 medium zucchini, sliced (or small zucchini and small eggplant}
1 15 oz can of tomato sauce
fresh basil, and oregano
2 cloves of garlic
salt and pepper
2 Tablespoons stone ground mustard
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup mozzarella, shredded
1/3 cup Parmesan, shredded
In a skillet, fry the onion, garlic, bell pepper, ground beef, and sausage until browned.

Toss in the tomatoes, sauce, mushrooms, and corn. Add the mustard and Worcestershire sauce and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for about ten minutes.


Top off with slices of zucchini (and eggplant).

Cover and let cook on low-medium for 30 minutes.


Sprinkle with fresh herbs and cheeses.

Cover again until cheese melts.



Serve over your choice of pasta.


ENJOY! Serve with a great green salad and fresh bread. Let me know how it turned out.