Zucchini Bread Cupcakes and Tomato Pie!

My youngest sister lives in historic and beautiful Charleston, SC.  Her boyfriend has always been in the food biz, which is very big down there as it is an huge tourist and foodie destination.  Most recently, he has been working for a farm out on Wadmalaw Island and therefore has access to fresh organic produce.   My sister has recently taken advantage of this and made the most of what he has brought home.  She sent me these pictures this morning and they looked so good I immediately had to post them.  So here it is: Zucchini Bread Cupcakes (ZBC's) and Tomato Pie!

ZBC's

Cupcake:

3 eggs

1 C vegetable oil

1 1/2 C sugar

2 C medium-fine grated zucchini

2 tsp vanilla

3 C flour
3 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp cloves

1/8 tsp ginger

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 C chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Either grease cupcake tin or line with paper cups.

3. Beat the eggs with a whisk.  Mix in oil and sugar and then zucchini and vanilla.

4. Add flour, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, baking soda, baking powder, salt and mix.  (Then add nuts, if using.)

5. Pour batter into cupcake cups (distribute equally to make 24 cupcakes).

6. Bake for 20 minutes (25 max).

 

Cream Cheese Icing:

8 oz package cream cheese

1/2 stick (4 oz) butter

1 lb confectioners sugar

2 tsp vanilla

 

1. Soften the cream cheese and butter (but don't melt).  Beat until smooth.

2. Add sugar and vanilla.  Beat until smooth.

3. Slather onto room-temp cupcakes.

 

 

Tomato Pie 

Frozen pie shell (or make your own)

Spicy brown mustard

Grated cheese

Tomatoes (she used heirloom green and striped tomatoes)

Olive oil

Salt and Pepper

(Other herbs or grated vegetables can be added as well)

 

1. Defrost pie shell. 

2. Cover bottom of pie shell generously with spicy mustard.

3. Add layer of grated cheese.

4. Add layer of sliced tomatoes.

5. Sprinkle olive oil and salt and pepper on tomatoes.

6. Repeat steps 3-5 until pie is filled, leaving room for the top layer to be a tomato layer.  (Can substitute a layer of tomatoes with another veggie, ie: shredded zucchini.)

7. Bake at 350-375 degrees for 30 minutes.