A Labor-Intensive Meal

Here’s our menu  for tonight’s dinner:
(You are what you eat!)

·         Cucumber Salad

·         Stuffed Peppers

·         Cooked Carrots

·         Zucchini Bread

·         Watermelon

 The cucumbers, peppers, onions, tomatoes, carrots, and zucchini are all from Neil’s garden.  Sadly, they do not fly out of the garden and onto our plates.  Here’s what I need to do:

Zucchini Bread. Tromp around two giant zucchini plants looking for a ready-to-pick zucchini that is smaller than a baseball bat. Pick, clean, and cut up zucchini.  Use the food processor to shred the zucchini and divide it in two-cup portions. Following a tried and true recipe, make 2 loaves of z-bread which takes about 45 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to bake.

Cucumber Salad. Pick two cucumbers.  Clean, pare, and thinly slice cucumbers. Make sauce of milk, sugar, vinegar, and mayo.  Mix well and pour over cucumbers in a bowl.  Chill for an hour.
(Feeling good.)

Carrots. Take a pitch fork and dig up carrots.  Pull off the tops and shake off the dirt.  Throw  the gnarly ones out back for the bunnies.  Hose down the carrots on the grass to get more dirt off.  Soak carrots in the sink, and then dry on a towel.  Peel carrots and then slice with an Amish zigzag chopper.  Boil in water.  Drain. Add butter and fresh chopped parsley cut from a plant in the bay window.
(I need a bath.)

Stuffed Peppers. Pick enough peppers –about  9—to fit in an 8X8 pan.  While  in the garden, grab an onion and some tomatoes.  Clean all of the vegetables with a brush.  Cut the tops off the peppers  and scoop out the seeds and pulp.  Boil peppers in a big pot on the stove for 5 minutes to soften.  Drain. Meanwhile, brown  the ground beef.  Chop the onion and tomato.  Grate a hunk of cheddar cheese.
(My arms are getting tired.)

Add spices, rice, water, Worcestershire sauce, cheese, and chopped veggies to the ground beef. Cook until heated.  Scoop mixture into peppers and bake for about 15 minutes in the oven.
(In the home stretch.  Thank goodness.)

Cut  up a store-bought watermelon and put in bowls.
(Phew!)

Set  table, pour drinks, and call husband.  Serve food.  Relax and enjoy the fruits of your labors if you are not too tired to eat.  Honestly, I feel like a freakin’ pioneer woman.

(Note to self: For tomorrow night’s dinner, make reservations.)