Man in the Moon Herbs

We had our annual Zucchini Festival at the Cooperstown Farmers Market yesterday. The main event was the table laden with delicacies all featuring the very prolific zucchini. My contribution was a family favorite- Chocolate Zucchini Cake. I was given the recipe many years ago when I made the mistake of planting a half dozen plants for our family of three! It was an especially good year for zucchini and I think we ate a lifetime's allotment of squash that summer. No one complained when the chocolate cake appeared though. The cake is shown in the center bottom of the photo below the recipe. Our own Molly created the beautiful centerpiece featuring zucchini flowers. Chocolate Zucchini Cake 1/2 cup oil 1/2 cup softened butter 1 3/4 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 cup sour milk 2 1/2 cups flour 1/4 cup cocoa 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 cups grated zucchini 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips- your favorite flavor Cream oil, butter and sugar. Add eggs, vanilla and ...

This recipe was inspired by the beautiful veggies available at the Cooperstown Farmers Market and my husband's love of cauliflower dipped in cocktail sauce. Roasted Cauliflower and Tomatoes with Horseradish In a large bowl, mix 1/4 cup of prepared horseradish with 1/4 cup olive oil and salt and pepper to taste Cut one small head of cauliflower and two good sized tomatoes into bite sized pieces, add to your bowl of seasoning and oil and mix well Put everything in a glass 9x13 baking pan and roast in a preheated 400 degree oven. Roast for about 30 minutes or until the cauliflower takes on a nice golden color. Stir once or twice during the roasting for a more even color. This will serve 3-4 hungry people as a side dish or 2 as a main dish. We ate ours as a very satisfying main dish accompanied by some crusty, fresh baked bread.

This is a very forgiving and adaptable recipe. The original calls for 2 cups of cooked turkey or chicken and a 10 ounce package of frozen spinach, thawed, but you can substitute most any veggie or meat and you don't have to use half and half. Use whatever milk you have on hand. It is equally good without meat as a main or side dish. This version was inspired by what I bought at the Cooperstown Farmers market and the fact that I forgot to take meat out to thaw! The asparagus is from Lucky Dog Farm, Hamden, NY luckydogorganic.com The egg is from Hare and Feather Farm, Laurens, NY. The Asiago cheese came from Raindance Farm in Schenevus,NY. Siobhan only makes this rich, mellow cheese during the summer when her "girls" are eating fresh grass. That is her cheese in the opening photo. Yummy! Rice Tetrazzini 8 small mushrooms, quartered 5 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons flour 2 1/2 cups half and half or milk 1/2 teaspoon salt dash of pepper 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 egg yolk...

Larry and Marion of The Italian Cookie Home have the best baked goods around- banana bread, cookies, foccacia and apple tarts to name a few. They also offer homemade soups and hot coffee to keep us all warm and toasty at the market during the winter months! If you are ever at the Cooperstown or Delhi's farmers market, stop in and say hi to them!