Early spring in Iowa is full of new life. The calves are being born, the grass is starting to turn green, and the trees have buds. I love these signs that warmer weather is just around the corner. But it is still early spring. Which means that we still have a handful of chilly days and nights to get through.
Our schedule is about to get busy. And busy schedules mean I need quick suppers. This taco chili is quick to fix, keeps well in the crock pot, and warms my family up after a cold day. Plus, it can be made with pantry staples. I can always count on having the ingredients on hand for this chili. We love to eat ours with cheese and oyster crackers.
Growing our own vegetables has been such an adventure for my little family. When my Farmer and I started a life together, he mentioned wanting to have a garden. I instantly thought back to my childhood and memories of the garden that my grandparents had. My grandparents had a huge garden full of vegetables and two thistle seed feeders on opposite sides for the gold finches. I loved watching the gold finches. I've since tried to attract gold finches to my yard, but with no luck. But maybe more on that topic on another day.
I'm not even sure I remember everything that we planted in our inaugural garden that year. I know there was cucumber and dill. My mom taught me how to make pickles that year. I didn't even know that she knew how to make them! I also know that we had planted some tomatoes and peppers. I vaguely recall making salsa. I had no recipe, and was just adding amounts based on what I thought looked right. I still have and use my original recipe that I wrote down all those years ago. And we also planted okra. I had never heard of okra, and most definitely had no clue what to do with this curious vegetable. Pinterest wasn't a thing yet, so I had to rely on an internet search instead of a screen full of pretty pictures of wonderful tried and true okra recipes from fellow food bloggers. How did we ever survive?
A few years later, the Farmer requested a new vegetable to be added to the annual list of vegetables to buy for the garden. He asked for banana peppers. I hate to admit it, but I had no idea what a banana pepper was. After a few years of gardening under my belt, I was feeling a bit more confident about growing something new and learning how to prepare it. I started by adding the peppers to my salsa. Then I learned how to can them. They are great on nachos! I also throw the entire pepper on the grill. The Farmer and the Little Farmer love to eat them right off the grill or on a cheeseburger. And then I got fancy and created this recipe. They are a must make when the banana peppers are in season. I don't think that summer grilling would be the same for the Farmers in my house if I didn't make these tasty appetizers.
Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Banana Peppers
Author: The Marigold Kitchen
Wrapped in bacon and stuffed with cream cheese, these are a staple in the summer when banana peppers are fresh in the garden!
Ingredients
6 banana peppers
4 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
6 strips bacon
Instructions
Prepare the banana peppers. Cut the tops off, slice each pepper down the middle lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds.
In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese, shredded cheese, and seasoned salt.
For each pepper, spoon some of the cream cheese mixture into the middle, put the pepper back together, then wrap with a strip of bacon.
Grill on medium high heat for 10 minutes, turning a few times to evenly grill all sides. Sometimes I grill these in a foil pan so I don't make my grill a mess!
Notes:
When preparing the peppers, I like to make sure to cut as close to the stem as possible and not take out too much of the white membrane at the top. This way when you put the pepper back together, the white membrane helps close the top of the pepper to prevent too much of the cheese melting out.
I love my summer garden. We eat out of it almost all summer long. I can, freeze, and share the harvest. The sweet corn, beans, tomatoes, and peppers are plentiful. And you know what else is plentiful? The zucchini. Ugh. I'm just not a huge fan of this green vegetable. I try to like it. I've prepared it in breads and brownies. I've even made it into a mock apple pie. I've tried it in just about any recipe that hides the zucchini. I just don't see the big deal about zucchini. (I should add that I found a zucchini pizza casserole recipe the whole family loves. And I sometimes add zucchini that I have in my freezer to my spaghetti sauce. So maybe I like it a little more than I think. But don't tell the Farmer.)
It's a joke here in Iowa that the zucchini is so plentiful, that in order to get rid of your harvest you need to leave it on someone's door step when they are least expecting it. Think of it like a zucchini stork delivering bundles of not-so-cute squash that are nothing to be desired. I once was "gifted" nine zucchini this way. NINE!!!! What on earth was I going to do with NINE zucchini???? I "gifted" them to some one else.
Even though I never look forward to a zucchini plant in the middle of my perfect garden of other glorious veggies, my hubby always plants one. He loves zucchini. He even eats it when I don't try to hide it in other foods. The past two years, the zucchini plants have not made it. I may or may not have been secretly delighted about this, but we were still "gifted" zucchini that I had to deal with. This year, we have TWO zucchini plants. It's like the zucchini gods knew I silently (or not so silently) cheered when the Farmer's beloved plants did not thrive.
Which brings me to this recipe that I created. As much as I do not like preparing zucchini, this Air Fryer Zucchini recipe is quick and easy. I was a little late to the air fryer game. Okay, really late. I've only had mine a few months now. I'm still learning how to use it, and have been trying to create recipes so I can use it for more that just cooking up some cheese balls or frozen fish sticks. The Farmer loves this Air Fryer Zucchini so much, he polished off the entire plate by himself last night.
Air Fryer Zucchini
Author: The Marigold Kitchen
A unique and tasty appetizer that is fresh from the garden!
Ingredients
2 cups zucchini slices, sliced about 1/4 inch
1/4 cup Italian Dressing
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Prepare your zucchini by slicing it into 1/4 inch slices. You can peel the zucchini if desired.
Add the Italian dressing to a bowl.
In another bowl, toss together the bread crumbs, cheese, and seasonings.
Coat each zucchini slice in the dressing, the the bread crumbs.
Lay the slices in a single layer in an air fryer.
Air fry at 375 degrees for 5 minutes, flip and fry for another 3 minutes.
Winter isn't over for us yet here in Iowa. It snowed another 8 inches yesterday. It was a pretty, soft snow. It was the kind of snow that makes you feel like you're looking out your window into a snow globe. Thankfully the sun is shining today and warmer temps this week will make it feel like spring is coming. I think that we deserve the warmer temps after this nasty cold spell we just had.
The farmer has to go move all that snow today. (He didn't think the snow was as pretty as I did. All this snow and melting just means more mud for calving season.) I know when he gets home this Bacon and Wild Rice soup will hit the spot and be just what he needs after working all day.
This soup has been a favorite in my husband's family for many years. I took the recipe and tweaked it a little bit to add some more flavor and shed a few calories. The big and little farmers in my family both gave this version a two thumbs up.
I think you'll love this soup as much as we do! Enjoy!
Bacon and Wild Rice Soup
Author: The Marigold Kitchen
A boxed rice mix with the seasoning makes this soup quick and easy to prepare.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
4 cups water
2 chicken bullion cubes
1, 6 ounce box of long grain and wild rice with the seasoning packet
1 1/2 cups milk
8 ounces velveeta cheese, cubed
10 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
Instructions
In a large pot or dutch oven, saute onion in butter over medium heat.
Add potatoes, water, chicken bullion cubes, rice, and seasoning packet from the box of rice. Cook until potatoes and rice are done, about 20 - 25 minutes.
Add milk and velveeta cheese. Stir until cheese and melted and soup is warmed through.
It is so cold here today. I think it is only supposed to reach 8 degrees today, and the wind chill will be well below zero. My farmer will still have to go out and do chores. The cattle can't feed and water themselves, and they need feed to stay warm in this weather! (Thank you farmers!)
This Vegetable Tortellini soup is what I'll make for supper tonight to warm everybody up. It's full of vegetables that I canned from my garden. The canned veggies have me missing summer, especially in these frigid temps. I can hardly wait for spring to arrive and to get my garden started.
My canned goods!
The tortellini is my favorite part about this soup (no shocker there since I love my carbs!). The Parmesan in the middle adds an extra flavor that you aren't really expecting, but it pairs so well with the vegetables. If you don't have tortellini on hand, you could substitute another pasta you like. But it won't be the same without the sharpness of the Parm. It's just so good.
Enjoy this comforting soup recipe!
Vegetable Tortellini Soup
Author: The Marigold Kitchen
My favorite dish to make to use my garden veggies!
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1/2 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, grated
3/4 cup chopped carrot
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 cups beef stock
1 cup water
1 14.5 ounce can green beans
1 14.5 ounce can corn
1 7 ounce box dry tortellini
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
In a large pot or dutch oven, brown the hamburger with the onion, garlic, and carrot.
When the hamburger is cooked through, add the tomatoes, beef stock, water, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil then let simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the corn and green beans. Stir to combine.
Add the dry tortellini. Simmer until the tortellini is al dente, about 5-10 minutes.
Garlic. Cheese. Bombs. These are a must every single time I make homemade pizza. If I don't make these, everyone asks for them. Pizza night is just a disappointment without them. I can't NOT make these anymore.
To make the garlic cheese bombs, start with my basic pizza crust. One batch of my basic pizza crust recipe will make three dozen garlic cheese bombs.
Once the dough has risen, divide the dough until you have 36 portions. I use a bench scraper and I just keep cutting halves until I get to 36 pieces.
Then I take chunks of mozzarella cheese, wrap the dough around them, and set them on a cookie sheet to rest and rise some more.
Before resting and rising.
Ready to bake!
Bake them in a 350 degree oven until they are starting to turn golden brown on top. While they are baking, melt 1/4 cup of butter and add 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt. When they are done, brush them with the garlic salt and butter mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Ready to try these? Print the recipe off and add these to your next pizza night!
Pizza. We love it all. (well, only if it doesn't have veggies on it 😆) I usually make pizza every other week, if not once a week. It is one meal that I know my whole family will love. If we have company I make multiple pizzas. You always win supper with homemade pizza.
This basic pizza dough recipe is how I start all my pizza recipes. It's easy to make and can easily make one large pizza or can be divided for smaller pizzas. Many times I make two batches so that I have enough recipe for garlic cheese bombs. (More on those later. They are so good.)
To make the dough, first you take 1 cup of warm water (110 to 115 degrees) and add it to a bowl with 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) of active dry yeast. The temperature is important here. If the water is too hot it will kill the yeast and your dough won't rise. If the water is too cool it may take longer to rise. I then sprinkle some of the sugar on top to help get the yeast going.
Once the yeast has developed some foam, I add my remaining ingredients and mix with my dough hook. Once the ingredients are combined I knead the dough for about 5-8 minutes with the dough hook. You will know the dough is ready once it comes together in a ball. Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover. Let it rise until doubled, about an hour.
Before rising
After rising
You can also freeze this dough for later. Just put it in a freezer ziploc bag after it has been kneaded and before you let it rise. When you are ready to use it, get it out the night before, put in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in the fridge. You can also let it rise on the counter for 3-4 hours.
Once the dough has risen, you can punch it down and divide it into the portions that you will need. You can make one large pizza with thick crust, several individual pizzas, or two pizzas. It really is up to you and your preferences. The kids love when I pinch off enough for them to make individual mini pizzas. However I normally divide this dough into two equal parts to make two pizzas with a thinner crust. Or, you can make one pizza and some of those yummy garlic cheese bombs I mentioned earlier. If I divide the dough in half, I can get one 12 inch pizza with thin crust and a dozen garlic cheese bombs.
After the dough has risen, it is time to make the pizza! Roll your dough out the way you like and poke the surface with a fork. This will prevent any huge air bubbles from forming while it bakes. Prebake your crust for about 7-8 minutes in a 425 degree oven, or until the crust barely starts to develop some golden brown spots.
Next, add your sauce and toppings. Pepperoni and Italian sausage are my usual go to toppings. Bake for about 20 minutes in a 425 degree oven or until the cheese is golden.
Turn your next pizza night up a notch with this easy homemade crust!
Basic Pizza Crust
Author: The Marigold Kitchen
Ingredients
1 packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 to 2 1/2 cups flour
Instructions
In a bowl, add the yeast and sprinkle on 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Add the warm water and stir. Let sit until the yeast becomes foamy.
Add the remaining sugar, salt, oil, and flour and mix with the dough hook. Start with 2 cups flour, and add more if needed to make the dough come together.
Knead with the dough hook for about 5-7 minutes.
Place the dough in a greased bowl and let rise until double, about an hour.
Can you believe that I had never heard of this classic Iowa dish until I met my husband? I have lived in Iowa my entire life, and I had never had a ham ball. I can only assume that everyone else had already heard of these tender beauties based on my husbands reaction when I asked him what they were.
Fast forward 21 years, and I now make these delicious ham balls and my kids LOVE them. I'm sure it has everything to do with the sweet sauce that is poured over the top and baked. I usually have to make extra sauce so that my kids can pour it over mashed potatoes (although about half the time I make cheesy hash browns instead because well, that's the norm around here).
This recipe calls for ham loaf, which I can purchase at my local grocer's meat counter. If your grocery store does not have ham loaf, a mixture of half ground ham and half ground pork can be used.
Expecting company? This recipe is easy to double, and the ham balls stay nice and warm in a crock pot.
You can also freeze these to cook later. I freeze mine without the sauce and add the sauce right before baking. If you do add the sauce, be sure to thaw completely before you bake.
Ham Balls
Author: The Marigold Kitchen
Tender meatballs with a sweet sauce over the top makes these an Iowa classic.
Ingredients
1 lb ham loaf
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 can tomato soup
1/8 cup vinegar
1 tsp mustard
1 cup brown sugar
salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Mix together the ham loaf, egg, milk, and graham cracker crumbs.
Farm into 2 inch balls, about 1/3 cup.
Place in a greased casserole dish.
Mix together tomato soup, vinegar, mustard, brown sugar, and salt and pepper. Pour over ham balls.
Bake at 350 for an hour.
Notes:
You can reduce the amount of brown sugar if you prefer the sauce to not be so sweet.
I'm always looking for new ways to use the home-grown produce in my garden. I can and freeze quite a bit of our veggies, but I also like to find ways to use it when it is fresh. I have a couple ways to use jalapeno peppers up my sleeve, and these meatballs are one way. While I don't have fresh jalapenos this time of year (since I am in Iowa and writing this in Decemberduring a snow storm), I do keep bags of chopped jalapeno in my freezer year round to use in recipes such as this one.
I first made these meatballs to take to a friend's gathering. They are full of jalapeno popper flavor, and have a surprise cream cheese center. I don't think anybody that night could eat just one. I just loved everyone's reaction when they realized these meatballs are filled with cream cheese.
If you want a crowd pleasing appetizer, look no further. These Porky Jalapeno Popper meatballs are what you are looking for.
Porky Jalapeno Popper Meatballs
Yield: makes 24 meatballs
Author: The Marigold Kitchen
Everyone loves a good jalapeno popper, and these meatballs are a real crowd pleaser.
Ingredients
1 pound ground pork
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
3 jalapenos, seeded and finely diced
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
4 ounces cream cheese, cut into 24 small cubes
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients except for the cream cheese.
Divide meat mixture into 24 meatballs.
Flatten each meatball, place a cream cheese cube in the center and work the meatball mixture around the cream cheese, making sure the cream cheese is in the center and fully covered with the meat mixture.
Place on a baking rack that is on a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake at 400 degrees for about 25 to 30 minutes.
