Country Roads

It’s time to start checking out the back seat of your car or pickup for those zucchinis and cucumbers left there by some willing giver. The vegetable gardens are bursting with produce just ripe for picking and those who have more than they can use are more than willing to share. Some private gardeners often leave a sack or two of their over abundance in the foyers of buildings for free taking, or deliver goods to a neighbor’s house. It is certainly welcomed. Then there are the produce gardeners who are growing the “fruits of their labor” to sell. About every community has a weekly farmers’ market where all kinds of produce can be found, fresh out of the gardens to purchase.

Neighborhood vegetable gardens are becoming popular, with garden space provided. The community supplies the labor to receive the produce. These types of gardens work well, especially in larger towns and cities where space is limited.

Vendors can be found in a vacant parking lot with pickup beds or trailers loaded with fresh ears of corn, melons, potatoes, onions and, of course, squash. For those who chose not to plant a garden, these vendors and produce sharers are appreciated. What better offerings to have for a healthy meal than fresh produce.

For those who like to extend these garden products, this is the time of the year to can and freeze abundant vegetables and fruits. Recently my husband and I were busy putting up sweet corn. It will be nice this winter to take out of the freezer a bag of the corn off the cob.

Soon potatoes will be dug and stored for later enjoyment. This month or next it will be time to make the jellies and jams. Green beans and other vegetables are canned and placed on the storage shelves. Cucumbers are turned into tasty pickles. There is nothing that compares to slicing and enjoying the garden fresh tomatoes, especially in a BLT sandwich. Sometimes the fresh tomatoes may be used to make the homemade salsa, ketchups or canned to use later in a recipe such as chili soup.

Melons out of the gardens are some of my favorites. The juicy, sweet watermelons, the sweet cantaloupes and honey dew melons seem to just melt in my mouth.

Then there are the zucchinis that are made into breads, casseroles or other squash recipes. The possibilities are limitless on ways to use the garden produce.

Here are a couple of zucchini recipes which are perfect to use during the gardening season:

Zucchini Bread: 3 eggs beaten, 1 cup vegetable oil, 2 cups sugar, 2 tsp. vanilla, three cups flour, 1 tsp. soda, 3 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 cup chopped nuts, three cups shredded zucchini.

Combine first four ingredients and mix well. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into well greased and floured loaf pans. Bake at 325 degrees for one hour. Yields two loaves.

Zippy Zucchini: Six strips crisp bacon, 1 Tbsp. butter, 1/2 a onion cut into rings, 1 chopped tomato, 4 medium zucchini squash peeled, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, salt and pepper, Garlic powder to taste.

Brown bacon and drain on paper towel and reserve 1 Tbsp. fat in skillet. Add I Tbsp. butter and saute the onion rings. Add chopped tomato. Grease a casserole dish. Slice zucchini lengthwise. Layer squash, onion, crumbled bacon, tomato mixture and the shredded cheese. Between layers add the salt, pepper, and garlic powder. End layers with cheese on top. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Uncover, bake 20 minutes more. Serves 6.