We hope everyone will
come out to Pathfinder Produce, this Thursday, July 30, from 1 to 5 p.m. for
the best tastes of summer. Our Hoop House garden beds are producing delicious
greens and veggies, and other items grown by New York State farmers are being
featured. We hope to see you there!
****
It’s high summer and everyone is tremendously busy trying to get
all their outside work done, from mowing to painting, from weeding to
construction. At the homestead, we had a productive weekend getting our
firewood stacked, and my son and I refurbished Della’s doghouse roof with some
scrap vinyl siding. (It’s a lighter
shade of tan, so it should reflect the sun’s rays and help her stay cool in
summer). It also was good to see that
Mama Robin, who’s diligently been feeding bugs to her offspring in a nest in
our garden shed, is about to have her two fledglings leave soon.
At this point in summer, we look forward to the zucchini
harvest. They are so versatile and one
of the easiest vegetables for home gardeners to grow, though I typically don’t
plant them as I can readily get them at Pathfinder Produce. Bob, our good neighbor and a prolific
gardener, also lets me have all that I want. (If you grow them and are afraid
of being overwhelmed, internet sources indicate you can harvest and lightly
sauté the flowers, which are considered a delicacy.)
Zucchini, as the name suggests, were developed in Italy; they are
descended from a New World summer squash that made its way to the Old World
during the era of food exchange in the early 1500s. Today’s zucchini were probably developed near Milan from earlier
hybrids in the late 1800s, and then made their way back to California with
Italian immigrants by the 1920s.
Although
foodies view them as a vegetable, Wikipedia
says that botanists classify zucchini as the fruits of a subspecies of the cucurbita pepo plant. Nutritionally, according to Livestrong.com, they are very low in calories,
contain no fat, 0 mg of cholesterol, and have about 2 grams each of fiber and
protein. Served raw with its skin,
zucchini are high in Vitamin C, potassium and manganese; they also have
significant amounts of Vitamin K, Folate, Riboflavin, and B-6. For many reasons, zukes are an ideal low-cost
addition to one’s diet, especially if you are trying to lose weight or just eat
healthier.
Zucchini are also popular throughout the Mediterranean, Asia and
Africa, and of course, are a key ingredient in the French lunchtime staple,
ratatouille. (In France and the UK, the vegetable is known as courgette).
Zucchini can be eaten raw (shredded in salads), grilled, sautéed, boiled, added
to sauces, and baked into any number of breads, cookies and cakes.
This week, I hope to fire up the grill and serve zucchini, perhaps
as a side to some chicken or burgers.
Here’s a quick recipe on how to prepare balsamic grilled zucchini for you to try with your family.
Until next time, enjoy some time outside, and eat well!
Lori
