Megan Dalsing introduced "Cooking Gardenside" least year, and it has grown in popularity with viewers and the cast alike. Here we are making Whole Grain Lasagna Rollups in Episode 9. The recipe is below.

Producer Gary Olsen Named Cable Leader in Learning

Producer of The Garden Organic, Gary Olsen (far right with CEO of Mediacom Rocco Cammisso, was named a Cable Leader in Learning by the cable telecommunications industry's nonprofit education foundation in Washington, DC. Gary is one of 10 winners from across the nation. He was nominated for the award by our local cable operator, Mediacom, and Hy-Vee Foods, Asbury Plaza, one of the production partners on the show. The award category in which he won is "Partners in Learning," and recognizes the collaboration that takes place between the show's education and business partners, Dubuque Community Schools , Hy-Vee Foods, Steve's Ace Home and Garden, the Iowa State University Extension Office, the Dubuque Metropolitan Area Solid Waste Agency, Mediacom Cable and The City of Dubuque. Gary and Mediacom's Jim Barefoot travelled to Washington, DC in mid June to accept the award at a special luncheon hosted by the Food Network's Alton Brown. To learn more and view a short video overview of the award program click here.

Gardeners: Our next session in the garden is July 1st.

The first eight episodes are completed and are airing on DCSD Mediacom Cable Channel 19!

Okay, here are the latest recipes from our Cooking Gardenside segments and Cooking in the Kitchen episode of The Garden Organic.

Greek-Style Salad with Spaghetti Squash

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups cooked spaghetti squash
2 cups chopped tomato
1 cup diced cucumber
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
1/4 cup diced red onion
2 tablespoons chopped pitted kalamata olives
1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained


Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl; stir well with a whisk. Combine squash and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add vinegar mixture; toss well. Cover and chill.

Yield:  8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

CALORIES 125 (30% from fat); FAT 4.1g (sat 1.4g,mono 1.6g,poly 0.8g); IRON 1.8mg; CHOLESTEROL 6mg; CALCIUM 77mg; CARBOHYDRATE 18.2g; SODIUM 261mg; PROTEIN 5.3g; FIBER 3.1g

Classic Eggplant Parmigiana

For the eggplant:
2-1/2 lb. eggplant (about 4 small or 2 medium-large)
Kosher salt
3 cups olive oil (or a blend of olive and canola oils)
For the sauce:
3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half
3-1/2 lb. plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped, or two 28-oz. cans diced tomatoes (preferably San Marzano), drained
Kosher salt
12 large fresh basil leaves, torn in half
For assembling:
6 oz. fresh mozzarella, torn into 1/2-inch pieces
1-1/4 cups lightly packed freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (3-1/4 oz.)

Salt the eggplant: Peel the eggplant and cut each crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

Cover the bottom and sides of a large colander with a few eggplant slices and sprinkle generously with salt. Top with more layers of eggplant and salt until you run out of slices (you'll end up with five or six layers). Let the colander sit in the sink or over a large bowl for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours. The salt will draw out water and reduce the eggplant's ability to absorb oil.

Meanwhile, make the sauce: Heat the 3 Tbs. oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and barely golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and 1/2 tsp. salt. Raise the heat to medium high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to break down into a sauce, 20 to 25 minutes. If the sauce begins to dry up before the tomatoes break down, add warm water 1 Tbs. at a time.

Lower the heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until you have a thick, chunky sauce, 5 to 10 minutes more. (Too much liquid in the sauce will make the finished dish watery.) Turn off the heat, remove the garlic, and stir in the basil leaves. Season to taste with more salt, if necessary, and set aside.
Fry the eggplant:

Dry the eggplant by lining a large plate with a paper towel and setting a few slices on it. Top with another paper towel and layer on a few more slices. Repeat until you run out of slices. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of a 3- or 4-quart saucepan. Add the olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. When the oil reaches 375°F, add as many eggplant slices as will fit comfortably in a single layer. Don't crowd the pan. If you d on't have a candy thermometer, you can test the oil temperature by dipping a tip of one eggplant slice in the oil. If it immediately sizzles, the oil is ready.

Cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes on the first side and 1 minute more on the second. Working quickly, pick up each slice with a slotted spoon and press the back of another large spoon against the slice to squeeze out as much oil as possible. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat until all the slices are fried, layering the fried eggplant between paper towels and adjusting the heat as necessary to maintain the frying temperature.

Assemble and bake: Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 450°F. Layer about one-third of the eggplant slices so they overlap slightly on the bottom of a 10x8-inch (or similar size) baking dish. With the back of a spoon or an offset spatula, spread about one-third of the tomato sauce in a very thin layer over the eggplant. Evenly sprinkle about half of the mozzarella and 1/3 cup of the Parmigiano over the tomato sauce. Make another layer with one-third of the eggplant, one-third of the tomato sauce, the remaining mozzarella, and 1/3 cup Parmigiano. Make one last layer with the remaining eggplant, tomato sauce, and Parmigiano. Bake until the cheese has melted evenly and the top is bubbly, with browned edges, 20 to 25 minutes. Let r est for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Quinoa With Feta, Swiss Chard, and Black Olives

1-1/2 cups quinoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 large bunch Swiss chard, stems and ribs removed, leaves coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup coarsely chopped Moroccan black olives
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Place quinoa in a strainer and rinse with cold water until water runs clear. Drain. Combine quinoa, 2 cups water, and salt in a heavy, medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until quinoa is just tender and water is absorbed (about 20 minutes).

While quinoa is cooking, heat olive oil in a large skillet. Sauté onions for 1 to 2 minutes, until just tender. Stir in chard and garlic, and toss to coat with oil. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes until chard is tender. Stir in olives, and cook for 1 minute longer. Remove from heat and stir in quinoa, mixing until combined well. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with feta cheese and serve immediately. Nutrition information per serving: Calories 386; Protein 13 g; Carbohydrate 51 g; Total Fat 16 g; Saturated Fat 4 g; Cholesterol 17 mg; Sodium 960 mg; Fiber 5 g


Glazed Turnips with Chives


1 teaspoon butter or stick margarine
4 cups (3-inch) julienne-cut turnips (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 teaspoons chopped fresh chives

Melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add turnips, water, salt, and pepper; toss to combine. Cover and cook 5 minutes or until turnips are crisp-tender; stir in sugar. Increase temperature to medium-high; cook, uncovered, 10 minutes or until golden brown; stir mixture occasionally. Sprinkle turnips with chives.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1/2 cup)

CALORIES 61 (16% from fat); FAT 1.1g (sat 0.2g,mono 0.4g,poly 0.4g); IRON 0.5mg; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 45mg; CARBOHYDRATE 12.7g; SODIUM 247mg; PROTEIN 1.1g; FIBER 2.4g

garden Minestrone


2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups chopped yellow squash
3 cups chopped zucchini
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
4 cups chopped tomato, divided
3 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, divided
1/2 cup uncooked ditalini pasta (very short tube-shaped macaroni)
1 (15.5-ounce) can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 (6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup (4 ounces) grated Asiago cheese
Coarsely ground black pepper (optional)

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until softened. Add oregano and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Stir in squash, zucchini, carrot, and corn; sauté 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat. Place 3 cups tomato and 1 can broth in a blender; process until smooth. Add tomato mixture to pan; return pan to heat. Stir in remaining 1 cup tomato and remaining 2 cans broth; bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Add pasta and be ans to pan; cook 10 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in spinach, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Ladle soup into individual bowls; top with cheese. Garnish with coarsely ground black pepper, if desired.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups soup and 2 tablespoons cheese)

CALORIES 217 (25% from fat); FAT 6.1g (sat 2.7g,mono 2g,poly 0.6g); IRON 2.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 12mg; CALCIUM 206mg; CARBOHYDRATE 30.5g; SODIUM 812mg; PROTEIN 12.6g; FIBER 7.9g

Whole Grain Lasagna Roll Ups

Ingredients

Method

Nutrition

Per serving : 350 calories (100 from fat), 11g total fat, 6g saturated fat, 35mg cholesterol, 670mg sodium, 47g total carbohydrate (4g dietary fiber, 9g sugar), 16g protein

Squash and Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

• 3 cups coarsely chopped yellow summer squash
• 3 cups whole grain elbow noodles
• 2 cups cherry tomato halves
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 large cloves garlic, mashed
• 3 Tbsp. wine vinegar
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:

We are so grateful for the parents who come along and participate with their students. You are the best parents in the world!

--Meg

Above is pure comb honey freshly cut from the hive. Many people eat comb honey because it contains more nutrients.