Tasty Tuesday-Summer Fruit and Veggie Treats

Other then Ping's surgery, which had a happy ending since those nasty lumps where all benine, we had a great blogger break and staycation.

We went on walks:

 Ate at cafes:

 Got some new toys:

 Spent a lot of time lounging on the couch

 and of course we all ate quite a bit.

One thing mom made us was some Zucchini Bread.   After all Zucchini is a perfect (and plentiful) end of summer vegetable.

Zucchini Bread for Dogs

 1 1/2 cups brown rice flour

2 tsps baking powder

1 Zucchini, grated

1/2 cup canola oil

1/4 cup molasses

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350 and grease and flour a loaf pan.   Whisk together the brown rice flour and baking powder.   Stir in the grated zucchini.  In a separate bowl whisk together the oil, molasses, and eggs.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to mix well.   Fold in the blueberries.  Pour into the loaf pan and bake for one hour to one hour and 15 minutes until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Yummers, Zucchini Bread!

(Note: If you want to make a people friendly Zucchini Cake/Bread check out this post.)

Now mom can't resist baking a cake for herself and Dad too.  Her love of food could be why she is such a fan of pugs and bulldogs since according to this month's BARK magazine people choose dogs who remind them of themselves, and we certainly  share our short stocky frames and love of food-ables with our Mom.  One recipe that she made over the break that she and Dad really enjoyed was Peach Cake in a Cast Iron Skillet from Bon Appetite magazine.  (Bon Appetite calls this a cobbler but it really is more of a cake.)

Peach Cake in a Cast Iron Skillet 

2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp salt

2 large eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups sour cream or cream fraiche, divided

1 cup whole milk

2 tsp vanilla

4 tbsp butter (1/2 stick)

2 cups sliced peaches (about 3) or substitute nectarines or plums 

1 cup peach preserves, or other preserves if using different fruit

1 cup chilled heavy cream

2 tbsp sugar

Preheat oven to 350.   Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl to blend.  In a smaller bowl combine the eggs, 1/2 cup sour cream or cream friahce, milk and vanilla.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk well, until there are no lumps remaining.  Melt the butter in a cast iron skillet over medium heat, tilting it to make sure the butter coats the entire bottom of the skillet (if you don't have a cast iron skillet get one right away you will use it all the time, its one of mom's favorite kitchen tools).   

Take the skillet off the heat and pour the batter in tilting to make sure it is spread evenly.  Scatter over the fruit and then dollop with the preserves.   Bake 45-50 minutes until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Whip the heavy cream and sugar in the electric mixer on high until fairly stiff peaks form.  Fold in the remaining one cup of sour cream or cream fraiche.  

Serve the cake with the cream fraiche whipped cream.  Yum!  (In mom's opinion this makes a good breakfast but cake for breakfast may be a bit much for some).