June 24, 2024
Cucurbits Have Arrived
by Linda Dansbury

A sure sign of summer is the arrival of cucumbers and zucchini. As with other veggies and greens, they store well in fridge in plastic bags or containers, and do not like to sit in water.

Cucumbers - cucumbers can obviously be enjoyed as is. There are several delicious recipes on this site to try, including Vietnamese Cucumber Salad, Sesame Peanut Cucumber Salad, and Spiced Cucumber sticks.

Zucchini - so many ways to enjoy this versatile crop: one of my favorite ways is to grill it. Depending on size, half or quarter them, brush with olive oil and grill, turning frequently until lightly charred and desired tenderness. When they come off the grill, drizzle with more olive oil, salt and pepper and if desired some type of cheese and chopped herbs. Yum! Leftovers are great added to pasta salads. I also bake, make soups, etc. Check out this site for many ideas - search under zucchini and summer squash.

Green beans - new in the U-Pick field this week are green beans. Everybody has favorite ways to enjoy them. During the heat of summer I like to cook a lot up and make into a salad - as I start preparing them, I will share. Store dry, in plastic containers or bags.

Scallions - so glad to have an allium in the mix of veggies! They are pretty perishable so try to use them up in a few days. I use them instead of onions in salads, pasta salads and dips. They are also delicious grilled - just brush with a bit of olive oil and place on grill for just about 30 seconds or so and turn them and grill for another 30 seconds or so. Eat as is, or chop and add to salads.