Green beans!

These are the real thing. The actual variety is a mystery to me. All I know is that my father has been growing the vines in his backyard garden for years, allowing just enough pods to ripen on the plant for seed harvesting. They are not string beans. The pods are more like those of roman or pinto beans.  But, they are very tender and without tough strings. In taste, they are by far superior to any string bean or flat bean from the supermarket. I like them best steamed and served simply with a little salt, garlic and olive oil. They are also perfect for hardy vegetable soups like minestra. Served cold, they are great alone with a little seasoning, or as added to tomato and/or sliced potato salad. 

What to do with a giant zucchini

Garden zucchini can grow big fast, especially during hot, wet summers. The ones you see at the supermarket are babies - they were picked when young and tender. The larger zucchini with a harder rind have begun to mature. They are not too old... they are still quite edible, not to mention delicious. 

Big zucchini are probably better suited for this very simple soup recipe, than the small ones. This soup tastes super fresh and summery, hot or cold.  It's creamy, too, even though its dairy-free. In fact, this soup is fit for vegans.

- 1 medium red or sweet white onion, chopped

- 3 or 4 garlic cloves, chopped

- 1 big zucchini, diced into half-inch cubes

- 2 cups of water

- Salt

- Black pepper, ground

- Basil, fresh and plenty

In a large saucepan, sauté the onion and garlic with a little salt until tender (3 minutes).  Then, add the zucchini and a little more salt and some black pepper; stir occasionally until zucchini starts to soften (5 minutes).  Add water and bring to boil; keep a high simmer for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.  

Transfer half the soup to a blender. Add a handful of basil leaves. Purée or liquefy, then transfer to a container. Repeat. Serve it hot or let it cool down for the fridge. (I suppose using a hand-held blender would be most convenient.)

Zucchini on the side

A guy at work has a big garden in central New Jersey. The garden produces a lot more than his household can consume.  So, starting in late June/early July, he starts delivering a "crop" for sale to the office kitchen once or twice a week.  Zucchini, cucumbers, basil early on.  Tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and other good stuff come a little later. Today, for $3.25, I brought home two big beautiful zucchini (each one a foot long and dark green), a bunch of hearty basil, and four unwaxed cucumbers. 

An easy recipe for the zucchini and basil:  

1. Slice a big zucchini in thin rounds. 

2. Add to a large sauté pan with just enough olive oil to coat the surface of the pan entirely; heat it up to medium-high. 

3. Add the sliced zucchini to the pan with a little salt and a generous amount of basil; the basil makes all the difference.

4.  Cook up the slices until they are kinda translucent and floppy (yes that's a technical description). Use a spatula to keep things from sticking; use a cover to speed the cooking. 

5.  When done, transfer the zucchini to a serving dish or storage container. 

I would eat this right away - alone as is, as a side dish, or in a pita sandwich.  This is also an excellent base for a frittata.