Pathfinder
Produce market at the Village Commons. We're open on Thursdays from 2 to 5 p.m.
and hope to see you here!
Some
market news of note: Our homegrown 5210 Hoop House veggies are really starting
to come into their own now, and there are several products featured on our
price list. Also, our market is now accepting Visa, MasterCard and Discover
cards … now that’s convenience!
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As
we move into the dog days of August, we'll start seeing a lot of farm stands
with great, green zucchini squash for sale. It's a really versatile vegetable
(although technically, it's a fruit), and can be frozen for future use.
Comprehensive freezing instructions are found at the HGTV
Gardens website.
Zucchini,
sometimes also called courgette, is related to other squashes -- its ancestors
originally grew in the Americas and were transplanted to Europe during the Age
of Exploration. Through hybridization in Italy, the current variety of the
plant became known in the late 1800s. Italian immigrants introduced the plant
in its current form to the United States in the early 20th century, and now it
is widely grown everywhere.
Health-wise,
zucchini and other summer squashes are low in calories, high in fiber, and high
in antioxidants like Vitamin C (studies show that even frozen squash retains
these antioxidants). Other benefits include lots of B vitamins, to help with
maintaining healthy blood sugar levels, and omega-3 fats to combat a wide
variety of inflammatory conditions. Summer squash may also offer some
anti-cancer benefits, according to the website of the World's
Healthiest Foods. Zucchini are also high in copper and oxalates, so
if you have sensitivities to these compounds, you should limit your intake.
To
freeze zucchini, it is recommended that you cut it into bite-size pieces, so
you won't have as much work when you add it to a recipe. I would also
make sure that the skins are washed well; most online references don't indicate
you need to peel zucchini. Some sources indicate that the baseball bat sized
zukes may have bitter-tasting skins, so perhaps that should be part of the
decision. If you plan on using the veggies as an ingredient in muffins or
bread, you also may grate it.
Most
vegetables need to be blanched before freezing to destroy bacteria and enzymes
that cause discoloration. Bring a big pot of unsalted water to a roiling
boil, then using a heat resistant strainer or colander, completely submerge the
zucchini pieces for three or four minutes. Your zucchini shouldn't get mushy
during this process. Then, quickly dunk the pieces into a bowl or stockpot of
cold (ice) water to stop the cooking action.
Once
the zucchini cools, drain the extra water out of it using your colander.
You really want to get the extra water out so the package doesn't turn into a
solid block in the freezer. It will be easier to measure out specific amounts
with less water content. Some websites recommend patting the zucchini dry with
paper towels too. When the pieces are fully drained, transfer them into quart
or gallon size freezer bags (labeled with contents and date of course).
Pack the bags full and push as much air out as possible before sealing.
Of
course, there are many great fresh zucchini recipes to try right now. I
found some that look appealing (and some are a little out of the ordinary) at Martha
Stewart's website and at Health.com.
Until
next time, savor those summer flavors and be well!
Lori
