Summer Squash

It happens every year. I plant far too many summer squash plants. No matter how many times I remind myself that two or three plants is enough, I can't help myself.

They just look so small...

But before you know it, they grow ...

And begin producing a ridiculous amount of squash....

Just a bit of a gardening note before I proceed: squash should not be planted this close together - it encourages diseases like powdery mildew and decreases the amount of squash produced. Nor should squash be allowed to grow this large. Harvest them when they are small for the best flavor.

I love summer squash, but I'm not a fan of freezing it. I'd much rather cook delicious winter squash than frozen or out-of-season summer squash. So it was becoming a dilemma, what to do with all this excess produce (it is inevitable that your friends and neighbors will also be inundated by their own plentiful harvests and hence will not want any of yours). Last summer I was all about jam. This summer it has been pickles. I have learned that summer squash make delicious pickles. There are a variety of recipes for canning squash pickles and I have had success with every one I have tried. This is a particularly good and easy one...

Zucchini Pickles  

(recipe from a newspaper clipping from Food Day in the Oregonian, August 2010)

Makes 1 quart or 2 pints

• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp coriander seeds
• 2 large pinches crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 pound summer squash cut into spears
• 1 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 tsp coarse salt
• 1 TBS granulated sugar

Place the garlic, mustard seed, coriander seeds, and red peppers in the jar. Pack squash spears into the jar. They will shrink after the brine is added, so pack as tightly as you can without smashing them.
In a saucepan, bring the vinegar, water, salt, and sugar to a boil. Remove from the heat and pour over the squash. Attach lids, let cool, and refrigerate.
The pickles will be ready by the next day. However, they are better if allowed to pickle for a week. These are definitely a perfect addition to a fall BBQ or your lunchtime sandwich. You might not use all of the pickling brine. Don't throw it away! It will keep for about 2 weeks in your fridge for use as a salad dressing or marinade.

This is a recipe I make weekly during the summer. I have no idea where this recipe came from, but I can not claim credit for it. These muffins are a perfect breakfast served with some fresh fruit. They are so moist I never add any butter or jam to them. My daughter absolutely loves them and regularly asks to have one for a snack. I usually make a full batch of batter but freeze or refrigerate half for later (this is particularly useful if you have guests in town and want a nice breakfast without any work). Feel free to experiment with the amount of sugar and oil.

Squash Bran Muffins

Makes 24 large muffins

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 TBS baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 TBS cinammon
• 2 cups wheat bran
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/4 molasses
• 3 cups finely grated summer squash (or carrots)
• 1 cup raisins

Sift together the flour, baking soda and powder, salt, and cinnamon. Add the bran.
Beat the eggs. Add the oil, sugar, and molasses.
Add the grated squash and raisins. Add to the flour mixture, stirring just enough to combine.
Bake at 350-degrees for 25 minutes.

Of course my absolute favorite squash recipe is to simply slice them, coat with some olive oil, salt, and pepper, and throw them on the BBQ. I actually just pulled several of our squash plants yesterday to make room for some fall crops of salad greens, onions, garlic, and carrots. I have had my fill of squash for the year, but I know that it won't be long before I am looking forward to BBQ summer squash and squash bran muffins.

Learning Where Food Comes From

;

I'm always surprised when purchasing some produce at the market and the checker does not recognize what type of fruit or vegetable I am buying. A typical exchange...

Checker: "What's this?"
Me: "It's kale."
Checker: "Huh, what do you do with it?"
Me: "Oh all kinds of things. Soups, stews, salads, saute it. Its really good for you."
Checker: "Oh. Never heard of it before."

I'm equally worried by all the reports that most children these days can not identify what animal their meat comes from or name more than a handful of fruits and vegetables. How did we become so disconnected from our food and so limited in the variety of produce we eat? More and more you hear about how involving children in the production of their own food, usually through a school or community garden, not only encourages them to eat more fruits and vegetables, but also provides an invaluable education about where food comes from. I hope that these programs continue to expand. Fortunately my family has been blessed with a lovely yard where our children can experience vegetable gardening first hand.

Anyone who has kids knows it doesn't take much convincing to get them to dig in the dirt. My daughter absolutely loves to garden along side me and is very enthusiastic about watering, weeding, and planting. Right now its all about enjoying the sunshine together and having fun. I love the excitement of young children as they realize that a little seed grows into a big plant and its flower turns into a vegetable. As my children grow, I hope growing their own vegetables will not only lead to a lifetime of healthy eating habits, but also an awareness of the origins of our food. More than just learning to identify different vegetables and the seasons they naturally grow in, its learning about the importance of clean water and fertile soil. Learning that beneficial insects and microorganisms are something to be nurtured, not eliminated. Learning that mono-cultures and a reliance on a handful of crops is risky and resource intensive. Learning how not to waste the resources and food you have. And learning to build a community of gardeners with whom you can share knowledge, exchange seeds, and swap excess garden produce. I hope they learn that healthy food and the farmers who grow it are something we all to often take for granted in this country.

Of course you don't need a yard to enjoy growing some of your own food. A few pots on a balcony or front porch can provide an enormous amount of enjoyment and some delicious veggies. Growing your own food can certainly provide a new perspective on the larger issues surrounding our industrialized food system. But just as importantly, nurturing a little garden plot can provide some much needed nourishment for the soul.

The Great Lawn Debate

My Husband (with more than a hint of excited anticipation in his voice): "Why are you taking a picture of the mower - are you going to sell it?"

There are many things my husband and I agree on when it comes to reducing our ecological footprint. The lawn is not one of them. I think lawns are generally a waste of valuable gardening space and a major source of pollution. My husband wants a lush expanse of perfectly mowed green. I'll admit I enjoy lawns for lounging at the park and it is nice to have a little patch in the yard for the kids to play on. However, I will continue to chip away at the large swath of lawn that is our front yard until it is all converted to edibles and native plants - if I do it slowly enough, maybe my hubby won't notice.

Perhaps our biggest lawn disagreement centers on the lawn mower. The EPA estimates that roughly 800 million gallons of gas per year are used in lawn mowers, which account for roughly 5% of the nation's air pollution. Not to mention the approximately 17 million gallons of fuel that are spilled each year by people refueling their mowers. Basically, the pollution and fuel consumption of gas-powered lawn mowers is comparable to cars. With all the concern about air and water pollution, climate change, and oil drilling, is a nation of picture perfect lawns really worth this? I don't think so. So when it came time for us to buy our first lawn mower, I insisted on a good old fashioned push mower. No fuel needed. No air pollution or noise created. No need to buy gas or oil.

My husband hates it. Its true, it doesn't create a perfectly mowed lawn the way a gas-powered mower does. But I think the lawn looks just fine - neat and trimmed. I also realize that it takes a bit more effort to actually mow the lawn. But honestly, we all could use the exercise. Given my current advanced state of pregnancy and the hot weather, my husband is forced to be the one doing the mowing. But I'm happy to eventually take over the job if it means we can buy less gas and create less pollution. And maybe, just maybe, I can inspire a few of our neighbors to do the same.

ps. For some interesting reading on America's obsession with expansive, perfectly manicured lawns, check out "Second Nature" by Michael Pollan.

Waste Not, Want Not....

For a few years now we have been composting all our kitchen scraps. When we lived in an apartment we were able to compost them with the city-collected green waste (which you should all encourage your communities to do!), but ever since moving into a house over a year ago we have been maintaining our own compost piles. So during our recent move when we were unable to compost (Portland has yet to establish a collection of food scraps)I felt like I was wasting so much. It truly made me sad to throw kitchen scraps into the garbage knowing they could be turned into useful compost. So one of our priorities upon moving into our new house was setting up our compost bins.

Composting is super easy. You can buy all sorts of fancy composting systems that speed up the process, make it easier to turn your compost, and keep it hidden away if you desire. But those are expensive. I just sent my husband out to find some free pallets, which he cut down to size and nailed together. Three bins has been a good number for our family of three. We get a good load of compost for the garden twice a year, which works just fine. You can get very scientific about monitoring what exactly you add to your pile and what temperature you maintain it at to create the perfect carbon:nitrogen ratio. We don't get that fancy. We just throw everything in and turn it every once in awhile.

So why pay someone to haul away your food and yard waste and then pay for fertilizer and compost for your garden? Just compost it yourself. You'll have plenty of free, nutrient-rich compost for your garden and decrease your garbage collection costs (you'll be amazed how much of your garbage is compostable).