A Garden Solution Found!/ Veg of the Week

Alright, I know I've been pretty much MIA for the last 3 weeks and I do apologize. My only real excuse is that I've been very busy, but none of what I've been doing is interesting enough to be blogging about. That alone got me to thinking: "I was supposed to be enjoying this summer to its fullest to appreciate being home in NB, and can I really say I'm doing that if NOTHING I've done is worth a blog post?!" The answer of course is NO. So I'll be keeping that new criteria in mind over the next few weeks as I plan out my weekends and after work activities. But for now I have some good news...

The garden crisis has been solved! Remember how I was sad and empty at the prospect of a garden free summer? Well my lovely father-in-law has handily dispatched that particular problem by basically tilling up his lawn to make me one. Now it's not quite as drastic as that might have sounded since the area of lawn in question used to be his vegetable garden before he downsized to a smaller plot nearer his house. But the area had nearly completely grassed over since then so it certainly wasn't an easy task. But I am absolutely thrilled!

I'm already in full swing with garden plans. It was a bit too late when I arrived home from school to start my own tomatoes for this season, they need about 8 weeks inside and I only had about 5. But I was able to start all the summer and winter squashes and cucumbers, and they are quickly sprouting on the window sill and will soon be ready to go outdoors to be hardened off. There is something magical about watching these little seeds push up through the soil and sprout their first leaves, all safe and warm inside. Life is simply mind boggling.

Now since I could go on all day long about all the different veggies I am growing this summer, the blog posts could get quite lengthy if I don't set myself a limit. So I think each week I will post on just one of the types of veg I have chosen this summer. That way I can share without boring you all to death in one go!


So, to start us off: Patty Pan Squash!


I do realize that these do not produce until later in the summer, but nothing is growing outside yet and these little guys were the first to sprout when I started all the squashes last week. So they are the stars of my garden for now!

Patty pan squash (also called sunburst squash or scallopini) are a summer type squash (C. pepo), meaning that you eat them while they are young and soft skinned, like a zucchini. They can be green, yellow or white in colour and are best eaten when only a few inches in diameter. The flesh is slightly more dense than the more familiar zucchini and with a creamier, buttery flavour. Patty pan sqaush are also a good source of magnesium, and Vitamins B3, A and C. I personally like to eat them sliced into a spaghetti sauce or tossed with olive oil, garlic and herbs (maybe mint or oregano) and oven roasted until browned. They are also great on the barbeque!