For decades, Judy Schult has been involved in every step of her meal preparation, from growing her own
herbs and vegetables to finding new recipes to use them in.
While she’s always enjoyed gardening and cooking, Schult concerned herself with every detail of her meals
several years ago when she developed severe food allergies and intolerances.
"I had to change the way I ate," Schult said. "I couldn’t use any prepared foods. I had to
do everything from scratch."
To adjust to her new diet restrictions, Schult had to avoid recipes that were heavily dependent on cream
soups, sour cream, cheese, soy, corn and their derivatives and very spicy seasonings, she said.
By being creative in what she added or took out from a recipe to suit her needs, Schult became an expert
in meal versatility.
"What I look for in recipes is adaptability," she said. "Can I take the core of this
recipe, just change a few ingredients and come out with the same textures and pretty much the same
flavors?"
A retired librarian for Eastwood school district and St. Charles Hospital in Oregon, Schult has amassed
an impressive collection of recipes from many sources, including her mother, mother-in-law, cook books,
magazines and, most recently, the Internet.
"Much of what I do now is from the Internet. It tends to be easier than plowing through cookbooks
and recipe files," she said. "Sometimes if I know I have a particular ingredient, I’ll type it
into the search box on Good Search and see what I can make."
To supplement what she and her husband, Tom, don’t grow in their garden, herb patch and black raspberry
patch, Schult heads to the Perrysburg farmers’ market, picking up eggplants, tomatoes, red beets,
carrots, asparagus, eggs and green zucchini.
"The Perrysburg farmers’ market is so convenient. The vendors I purchase from are all basically on
one block," she said. "And, of course, you’re always running into somebody you know."
But the driving factor in making her veggie dishes is Schult’s quilting group, the Quilting Eagles.
"They do so well with desserts and casseroles and salads, I wanted to give another option and give
more balance," she said.
The "Easy Roasted Summer Vegetables" recipe she recently found on "The Comfort of
Cooking" website has been a recent hit because it can be served hot or cold and can be a full meal
with the addition of potatoes and sausage, she said.
The recipe is also easily tweaked for those with dietary restrictions.
"It should be diabetic friendly because it’s not heavy with creams or cheese and it can be vegan
friendly with just a little bit of alteration," she said.
Schult also organizes themed lunches for the Quilting Eagles once a month, offering a baked potato bar,
taco bar, Italian bar, salad buffet and chili cook-offs.
But at home, it’s the fresh vegetable recipes that win her and her husband’s hearts.
"It’s like you can taste the sun in them," she said. "There’s nothing more inspiring than
a counter full of zucchini."
Roasted Summer Vegetables
Recipe (from thecomfortofcooking.com)
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
8-9 turns freshly ground black pepper
1 ear fresh corn, shucked and sliced into kernels
1/2 medium yellow or red onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup Sargento® Shredded Reduced Fat 4 Cheese Italian
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
Add red and yellow bell pepper, zucchini and carrot pieces to baking sheet.
Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
Toss lightly to coat. Bake for 20 minutes.
Remove baking sheet from oven and toss in fresh corn, onion and garlic.
Drizzle with a little more olive oil. Bake an additional 15 minutes, or until vegetables are lightly
charred and tender.
Remove dish from oven and sprinkle vegetables with cheese and chopped basil. Serve hot or cold. Feeds
four.