I don’t have a recipe, but zucchini blossoms (actually squash blossoms generally) are delicious…

Well, the Peanut and I are learning together this summer. I have my first garden – two large raised beds – and it’s embarrassing I’ve made it this far without knowing what our food looks like when it’s growing.

The first time I saw the baby cucumbers forming out of the blooms it was like “Nooo, seriously?”. Sad.

So far everything is doing beautifully, and it is such a joy to start each morning walking out back and seeing what’s up.

They are yummy. I used to have a great recipe for stuffed squash blossoms, but I haven’t made it in ages. Will have to dig that one out. Thanks for the reminder…

Tiny cucumbers are so cute. We have a few going at the moment, and we check them every morning without fail to see if they are any bigger.

I had forgotten how fun it is to see all of this with fresh eyes — I get to do that through her eyes every morning, and I’m loving it. Plus, frankly, fresh cucumbers and tomatoes just taste better than the watery, tasteless store varieties. I can’t wait until ours are ripe!

Speaking of cucumbers, btw, Eating Well has a cucumber recipe collection up that looks perfect for hot summer eating. Found it this morning and thought folks might enjoy some of these as well.

I had 2 zucchini plants last year, so I have quite a few zucchini recipes! Someone told me this year that if you have too many zucchini, you don’t have enough friends. The ones that get huge because you decide to give them one more day that turns into 2 days? Peel and then use the vegetable slicer to slice off enough long strips for however many you’re serving. Drop into boiling, salted water for about a minute, then spread out on towels and squeeze or blot to get as much water out as possible. Faux zucchini pasta! I top mine with parmesan cheese and garlic sauteed in butter. Have the topping ready before you put the zucchini in the water.

Chocolate chip zucchini oatmeal cookies:

Cream together 1/2 c of butter and 3/4 c of sugar. Add 1 egg and 1 tsp of vanilla and beat until fluffy. Add 2 cups shredded zucchini and mix until combined. Combine 1 1/2 c flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and a dash of salt and slowly add to zucchini mixture. Add 2 c oats (or 1 c oats and 1 c granola). Add chocolate chips (depending on how much you like chocolate). Bake at 350 for about 13 minutes. Really soft and yummy and not that bad, unless you add as many chocolate chips as I do! My almost 4 year old and my friend’s almost 2 year old will eat them, even with the green showing.

I was going to publish my not-Buffalo chicken wing recipe, D-licious. Except after this morning’s Pull Up A Chair, I have been chastened.

(I’ll wait a week ;)

Found this today, too:

Zucchini Rice Casserole:

1 1/2 cups long-grain brown rice
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 cups diced zucchini and/or summer squash (about 1 pound)
2 red or green bell peppers, chopped
1 large onion, diced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups low-fat milk
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups shredded pepper Jack cheese, divided
1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) corn kernels
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces turkey sausage, casings removed
4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel)
1/4 cup chopped pickled jalapeños

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Pour rice into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bring broth to a simmer in a small saucepan. Stir hot broth into the rice along with zucchini (and/or squash), bell peppers, onion and salt. Cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, 35 to 45 minutes more.
3. Meanwhile, whisk milk and flour in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until bubbling and thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add 1 1/2 cups Jack cheese and corn and cook, stirring, until the cheese is melted. Set aside.
4. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add sausage. Cook, stirring and breaking the sausage into small pieces with a spoon, until lightly browned and no longer pink, about 4 minutes.
5. When the rice is done, stir in the sausage and cheese sauce. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Jack cheese on top and dollop cream cheese by the teaspoonful over the casserole. Top with jalapeños.
6. Return the casserole to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Let stand for about 10 minutes before serving.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 248 calories; 9 g fat (5 g sat, 1 g mono); 34 mg cholesterol; 29 g carbohydrate; 13 g protein; 2 g fiber; 491 mg sodium; 273 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (56% daily value), Vitamin A (20% dv), Calcium (16% dv).
2 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 high-fat meat

Was at a family party last night, couldn’t make it here for the potluck.

But here’s a couple recipes I’ve saved for using up zucchini, from our own community:

katymine’s Italian Sausage Soup [c. 2006]

Calls for canned tomatoes, if memory serves; if you’re staying away from nightshade plants, you might try substituting a can of chicken broth to lighten the broth, increase the zucchini, maybe even add some spinach (think Italian wedding soup calls for sausage and spinach, a good pairing).

lotus’ Baked Summer Vegetables (Briami) [c. 2006]

Also includes tomatoes; I’d increase the squash here again as a substitute.

Yummy stuff, both of them.

Now if I could only find my double-chocolate bread machine zucchini bread recipe which has gone astray, we’d have a dessert.

I have about a month before I have to worry about finding it, though; my zuke plants were delayed by cooler than average weather.

mmmm, veggies…..love to grow stuff like this. Eggplants are doing well, planted some okra plants today. Okra has some of the most beautiful flowers, ever. Got some heirloom tomatoes that are doing just okay. Some yellow, pear shaped, cherry tomatoes are ripe and ready to pick tomorrow. Had some cucumber and zucchini, but the squash blossom borers and the deer killed both of those. For whatever reason, the deer are leaving the eggplant and the purple hull peas alone. It’s just too damn hot here in South Texas right now. Temps have been over 100 for a couple of weeks now….too hot for fruit to set on the big tomatoes at night.

These are pretty good: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/C…..etail.aspx