Hungry Times Two

One of our first garden hauls, on the best tea towel ever. Three zucchini plants. Three! Were we mad with garden fever, or just not paying attention when we planted two green and one golden/yellow zucchini in our community garden plot in June? It's now August, and at one point last week, I couldn't tuck anything else in our crisper drawers because the zucchini crowded everything else out. I can't complain, though, because it's turning out to be a versatile item in our kitchen this summer. Here's a brief rundown of ways we're using these summer squashes, which are fruits, botanically, but we won't tell them that: Raw zucchini salad with tomato vinaigrette, from Sheri Castle's The New Southern Garden Cookbook. Taking a vegetable peeler to a cold zucchini turns out to be a very good idea when you top the ribbons with a flavorful tomato dressing. Easy, fast, delicious.  Creamy zucchini lime dressing, from Cooking Light July 2018. The s...

We're back with another edition of "Hey, we used to be bloggers." I am not so sure who reads blogs much anymore (hi Moms!) but hell, if e-newsletters are in again and the ' 90s "flatform" shoe is making a comeback , maybe we have a shot. As I nurse a gin and tonic made of nothing but the finest (here's to you, cheap Chek tonic cans from the Mount Pleasant, SC Bi-Lo - sometimes you just buy things to get the job done, especially when you're en route to Vacation Weekend after a slight detour to fix a flat tire on I-26...), I'm mulling over what's happening so far in our garden plots.  We went Tomato Crazy this year, planting 6+ mixed varieties in our raised beds that kinda-sorta get sufficient sunlight in our backyard, and 8 seedlings in one of our two Winterfield Community Garden plots. Hopefully we'll soon pick beautiful Red Delicious, San Marzano, Black Krim, Blue Gold Cherry, Brandywine, and a few "mystery" tomatoes,...