Category Archives: Vegetables

Summer Squash

I know summer squash (a group that zucchini is a part of) is sort of a joke among gardeners  and neighbors in the summertime. They are abundant and prolific and even the most beginning level gardener can be quite successful with them. 

Growing up I swear I ate buckets of zucchini and crook neck squash and I really hated it.  My mom (love you) would boil those babies and they were pretty tasteless, at least in my opinion. Then my younger sister got married and her new husband cooked up a zucchini on the grill with lemon pepper seasoning….And. I. Was. Hooked. Add to that I start getting these seed catalogues, from Bakers Creeks and Johnny’s Seeds that has all sorts of summer squash, different shapes and colors and sizes.  Not only had my taste buds been satisfied, but my urge for fun and variety was being satisfied.

I’ve grown summer squash ever since.  There are so many different ways to cook summer squash, Pinterest is full of great recipes, but I’d like to share my go-to way of cooking it.  My kids even like it.  This year when I served up the first of the squash my 12 year old boy gave a shout and a fist pump he was so excited!

My method is quite simple:

wash

slice it up in whatever desired shape and size

heat up some type of fat (butter, bacon grease, olive oil, etc) until its nice and hot, add the squash

season as desired (we love garlic salt)

cook until soft, but not mushy, and the edges get a nice golden brown color

serve warm.

 

Enjoy!

 

Roasted Roots

 

This is the time of year when the cool spring vegetables are finished and the warm summer vegetables are on. The beets and carrots are getting just big enough to harvest.  They are small, but I think the small root vegetables are the most tender and sweetest, I’m always excited when I can start harvesting them.

For Sunday dinner I braved the blistering 100+ degrees and trekked into the garden to dig up a few of the bigger carrots and beets that I had left, not taking them to market the day before so we could enjoy them for dinner.  My four year old Jack followed me out and delighted in pulling up the carrots after I loosened the soil around them.  He would exclaim, delighted, every time a long carrot root popped out.

When they are this young young I don’t bother peeling them, the skins are still thin and easy to eat.  I do scrub the dirt off well and cut the tops off, leaving a bit of the stems, I think it looks pretty and it gives the roasted veggie a bit of a sweet crunch.  I cut the beets in half, that way they roast at the same rate as the carrots.  Then I simply drizzled with a little bit of avocado oil and sprinkle with salt.  Then in the oven they go at 400 degrees for around 30 minutes or until they are soft all the way through.

When finished they have a beautiful golden color and the sugars have caramelized, creating the best flavor.  The thin roots at the bottom of the carrots are a bit crunchy and so sweet, my kids love that part the very best.