Summer's Harvest

While on my bike, I was caught in a downpour.

Whenever I thought it couldn't torrent any more, it did! But the rain was fresh; the humidity broke though I wasn't cold. My eyes were water logged but when I finally made it back to my driveway, I just had to dance. I began twirling and throwing my arms, the weight of the water in my clothing increasing the perpetual motion. But then I stopped, because the neighbors across the street sketch me out. I moved to my pool deck and sat for a bit, admiring the sounds and the lushness of the yard. It was one of those moments where my body felt so tingling and alive, that I was numb. It's exhilarating.

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So you may or may not recall the post I did about my overwhelming addiction to the magic of oatmeal (' Your Stomach on the Line ' check that out if you want to review my madness).  Well, here I am to rave about the power and versatility of the vegetable that is present in gardens everywhere: zucchini !!!  Here's some cooking suggestions to try if you haven't:
- grilled; my parents prefer olive oil and dill, I always use oregano and lots of pepper, though brushing it with some honey or maple syrup is amazing
- sliced into strips, salted, drained and boiled like noodles
- breaded with crumbs, an egg, some flour and spices then fried in butter or olive oil
- shredded and cooked the same way, as a sort of zucchini latke/fritter
- tossed in olive oil and herbs with other garden vegetables and roasted in the oven (350-375 degrees) with some cheese until they're tender and golden
- sliced and cooked lightly to use in omelets, egg scrambles and fritattas
- RAW.  Younger, smaller zucchinis have a sweet, soft texture.  A lot of people love lightly frying the blossoms, but I have to admit that I haven't tried it yet.  Anyone?
- Searing the zucchini with curry powder, a bit of cumin and turmeric and chili powder.  I like doing that with rice noodles for an Asian-influenced meal.
- Zucchini cakes, breads and cookies

Yes, cookies!  This vegetable has a magnificent moisture content and mild flavor.  My mom always makes spiced (cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves) cookies that people can't resist.  These are the ones I made the other day.  In my effort to improve the nutritional content, I only used egg whites and substituted apple sauce for a lot of the butter... and they fell flat!  This time, my mom wins; some things just shouldn't be changed.  I placed dark chocolate wafers in a few of them, though.  I'll just leave the cookie-making to her next time.  Let me know if you'd like the recipe, they're super easy!

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In other news, my friend Tucker bought a bus.

Yeah, that's what he keeps calling it anyways.  After Craiglist hunting, phone calls and even driving to Ohio, last weekend he finally drove to Pennsylvania with his Dad and brought home a 1970's white (ish) Volkswagon Westphalia ' bus ' (i.e. hippy van).

 

I guess the owner before him lived out of the van with his son for three years, and who knows where it's been before that! The inside was plastered with Grateful Dead stickers and this cool tapestry, though he's been very occupied with cleaning, purging and reupholstering.

Nonetheless, Tucker is happy and that much nearer to fulfilling dream of being a road tripping vagabond.  And he paid for the entire thing himself; definitely something to be proud of.

Listening: "Every Morning" by Sugar Ray