Greens, garlic, onions, squash, cukes…all veggies that you are no doubt familiar with and possibly craving. We have been enjoying them all, both cooked and raw. We understand too that last week’s recipe for pasta salad was enjoyed and appreciated. Other excellent recipes for this week and last week’s share include:

Zucchini and summer squash casserole (June 27, 2007 newsletter)
Summer squash fritatta (July 11, 2007newsletter)
Stuffed zucchini (June 30, 2009 blog)
Wilted cabbage salad (June 8, 2005 newsletter)
Onion marmalade (July 8, 2008 blog)

Let the Pickling Begin
This years pickling cucumber crop appears to be one of the best yet. We have over 175 feet of cucumbers growing as we speak. These are the perfect cucumbers for making pickles; crisp and crunchy with a nice flavor.

We pick them twice a week to keep them from getting too big, and to provide us with a variety of sizes. They include:

Small–what people know as gherkin or cornichon size. They are smaller than your pinkie.
Medium–around 3 to 4 inch cukes that can fit into a wide-mouth canning jar.
Large–great for making pickle chunks, spears, or large refrigerator pickles.

Emily Akins and I will be teaching a class on pickling at the Bad Seed on July 18. We will demonstrate and or discuss numerous types of pickles including, fermented dill pickles, spicy and sour cornichons, sweet and crunchy lime pickles, and aromatic garlic pickles.

The University of Missouri Extension is also running their regular series of classes. Their classes are as follows:

Platte County Resource Center, KCMO 6 to 8 pm, July 12
Pleasant Valley Baptist Church, Liberty, 6 to 8 pm, July 15
St. Pauls United Methodist Church, Independence, MO 6 – 8 pm August 3
Email Glenda Kinder at kinderg@missouri.edu, or call 816-407-3490.