Cukes and Zukes

Wow! The cucumbers have certainly made their presence known in the garden. Last week I picked about 30 before I left for Chautauqua (took them with me and made all my friends take some home with them). When I got back I found the plants teaming with cukes again - picked close to 150 of them between Monday and Tuesday morning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just can't seem to keep up with them and can't give them away fast enough. Thank goodness for the Rippey Street gathering during National Night Out on Tuesday. I was able to give away most of them there. I also talked with a neighbor today who has agreed to take a couple of bushels to the Sewickley Farmer's Market with her on Saturday. She and her husband had several cucumber plants die, so they are running low until their next crop comes in. That's a huge relief for now.

Since I've been frantically trying to convince friends, neighbors, and even strangers to take cucumbers from me, I thought it might be a good idea to suggest some ways they can be used. Not being a big cucumber fan myself, I did a little online research and came across this fantastic website that has tons of cool information about cucumbers and a list of recipes that will make your head spin -everything from cucumber drinks to soups and sandwiches. It's called B's Cucumber Pages and is located at: http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~bcohen/cucumbers/info.htmlumbers/info.html. I don't know who "B" is, but I am forever grateful to her/him!

As for the zukes...they are holding their own in battle with the cukes for king of the garden. Several people have asked what to do with the round zucchini I've been giving out. I searched online again and came upon the following websites that might help with some recipes for stuffing them: Balsamic Stuffed Round Zucchini, Herb-stuffed Zucchini, Zucchini Soup, and Stuffed Globe Zucchini. Of course, as the description on Hume Seeds website says, they can also be baked, stir-fried, or used in salads or zucchini bread. Basically, just experiment and enjoy.