Here is Turmeric-Mania Recipe #3, also from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast. “Curries can be quite mild or extremely spicy. It all depends on the type of curry powder that is used to make them – and how much is added. Feel free to adjust the recipe according to your own taste.” I served this dish with Coconut-Ginger Rice and raisins.

2 tbsp all-purpose flour
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 oz each)
1 tbsp plus 2 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped (3/4 cup)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp curry powder (mild, medium, or hot)
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 lb small red potatoes, cut into 1/2 in chunks
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, preferably “zesty” flavored (do not drain)

suggested accompaniments:
rice
plain yogurt
raisins
toasted almonds
store-bought mango chutney

Place flour on a plate. Dredge the chicken in flour, shaking off excess. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until golden brown, 3-5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a bowl and set aside.

Heat remaining 2 tsp olive oil in the same skillet. Cook onion and garlic, stirring frequently, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in curry powder and salt, cook for 1 more minute.

Add potatoes and 1 cup water, bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook until potatoes are tender but still offer slight resistance when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 7 minutes. Stir in tomatoes with juice and 1/4 cup water.

Return chicken to skillet along with any juices in the bowl, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve hot with desired accompaniments on the side.

Shown below, served over Coconut-Ginger Rice and sprinkled with raisins. The slightly sweet flavor of the rice and raisins compliments this dish well. The potatoes, onion, and garlic used were all from the Farmer’s Market:

Another recipe from Everyday Food magazine, this is very similar to the Cucumber Onion Salad from Simply in Season. The mild, nutty flavor of yellow squash is mixed with lemon, shallot, and thyme. Because I did not have any shallots, I used some sweet onion instead. Red onion would also give this dish a little kick. Look for yellow squash that are firm, small, and heavy for its size (smaller squash have fewer seeds and better flavor then big squash). Farmer’s Markets should still have plenty of summer squash available.

3 tbsp lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
3 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
2 medium squash (about 1/2 lb each)
1 shallot or 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 to 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves

Halve squash lengthwise and thinly slice crosswise. In a medium bowl, whisk together lemon juice and oil. Season with salt and pepper. Add squash, shallot or onion, and thyme. Toss to combine. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving. Chill, if desired.

Shown below (we did not halve the squash, only sliced thinly):

These brownies from Everyday Food magazine use small peppermint patties to give a cool, mint taste. This recipe is quick and easy to make. You can use semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, I actually used a combination of the two (about half and half).

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
8 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup sugar
3/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
25 small (1 1/2 inch) peppermint patties

Preheat oven to 350F

Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil, leaving overhang on all sides. Butter foil and set aside. You can also use a foil baking pan sprayed with cooking spray.

Place chocolate and butter in a medium heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of gently simmering water, or use a double boiler. Stir occasionally until just melted, about 5 minutes.

Remove from heat. Whisk in sugar and salt until smooth, then whisk in eggs. Gently whisk in flour and cocoa powder just until smooth (do not overmix).

Spread 1/3 of batter in prepared pan. Arrange peppermint patties on batter in a single layer (see below). Top with remaining batter and smooth surface.

Bake until a toothpick inserted n the center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 30-35 minutes (recipe originally said 45-55 minutes, but mine was done sooner).

Cool completely in pan (about 2 hours). Use foil to lift from pan, peel off foil and discard. Cut into 16 squares (4 rows by 4 rows).

Peppermint patties in a single layer:

Cool, cut, and serve:

Here is Turmeric-mania Recipe #2, from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast. This recipe comes from the winter section of the book, but uses produce that is in season and available at Farmer’s Markets right now. Next time, I would use 4 bone-in chicken breasts instead of 8 bone-in chicken thighs. The spice combination is intriguing, cinnamon mixes with turmeric, ginger, and chili powder to create a sweet-spicy taste, but the real flavor comes from the broth, where all of the vegetables and chicken have been simmering.

8 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 lbs)
3 carrots, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
3 onions, thinly sliced
1 can (14.5 oz) whole tomatoes, drained
1 can (15.5 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can (14.5 oz) reduced-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup water
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp chili powder 
1/8 tsp pepper
2 medium or 1 large zucchini (about 1 lb), halved crosswise and quartered lengthwise
couscous, for serving

In a Dutch oven (or other 5-quart pot with a tight-fitting lid), combine all ingredients except zucchini and couscous. Break up tomatoes with a spoon.

Bring to a simmer over medium to medium-high heat. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Add zucchini and cook until the chicken is cooked through yet still tender, about 15 minutes more.

Divide couscous evenly among 4 bowls or plates. Spoon the chicken, vegetables, and broth on top. Serve immediately.

Combine ingredients in a large pot:

Add zucchini to simmering pot:

Serve with couscous:

The couscous I used is a tri-color mixture of regular, tomato, and spinach flavored couscous. Plain couscous would work fine.

Here is my first recipe for Turmeric-mania, using fresh zucchini with a pre-made curry mix from McCormick. This particular brand of curry powder combines coriander, fenugreek, turmeric, cumin, black pepper, bay leaves, celery seed, nutmeg, cloves, onion, red pepper, and ginger (whew!). The recipe below is from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast, and “a cup of this soup is delicious, served hot or cold.” Enjoy Turmeric-mania Recipe #1.

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbsp salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp curry powder
1 1/2 lbs zucchini, about 3 medium/2 large, sliced 1 inch thick
1 baking potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted, for garnish

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and curry powder. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add sliced zucchini and potato, plus 4 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

In batches, puree soup in a blender (do not fill more than halfway, liquids will expand), until smooth. Serve immediately or let cool and refrigerate in an airtight container until chilled. Garnish with toasted almonds.

Sauteing onion:

Adding garlic and curry powder:

Simmering zucchini:

Serving soup garnished with toasted almond slivers: