The moment you’ve all been waiting for, the big summer squash harvest is finally upon us. Six whole buckets this time; I was beginning to think that they would be so unusually orderly all season long. I have two great recipes for you from the Animal Vegetable Miracle Book to help you eat them, don’t worry. Abundance is the theme for sure, the corn keeps giving, and new crops like celery make their debut. German Butterball is the favorite potato of many; we grow and harvest and sell more of them than all the other varieties put together. I know the weather is a little warm for it, but a potato leek soup with celery seems to be in order based on the harvest.
We finally got that truck back from the shop and guess what? It still won’t start reliably. It seems that in addition to big hair and questionable fashion, the eighties were bad times to make trucks as well. Our 1957 Chevy runs better than the 1984 Ford. Maybe it’s a Ford/Chevy thing. Boys at my high school in eastern WA always seemed to have an opinion on that. Baffling.

To clean a Leek:
Remove green tops within two inches of the white section. Peel off outside layer. Cut leek in half lengthwise and wash thoroughly under water to remove soil.
Leeks may be eaten raw, chopped into a variety of salads.
Leeks may be cooked whole; try braising or baking.
Substitute leeks for onions in recipes and notice the subtle flavor changes.
Add leek leaves to long cooking dishes, such as grains, beans, or stews for added flavor.
Add cooked leeks to mashed potatoes.
Chop or slice leeks into quiches, egg dishes, casseroles, stews, stocks, soups and stir fries.
Layer thin slices of leeks in a favorite sandwich. Leek, tomato, and melted cheese is a winner.

Disappearing Zucchini Orzo
3/4 pound package orzo pasta (multicolored is fun) Bring 6 cups water or chicken stock to a boil and add pasta. Cook 8-12 minutes.
I chopped onion, garlic to taste
3 large zucchini
Olive oil for sauté Use a cheese grater or mandoline to shred zucchini; sauté briefly with chopped onion and garlic until lightly golden.
Thyme and Oregano
1/4 cup parmesan or any hard yellow cheese Add spices to zucchini mixture, stir thoroughly, and then remove mixture from heat. Combine with cheese and cooked orzo, salt to taste.

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes about two dozen
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
1 tbsp. Vanilla extract
Combine in large bowl.

1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. Baking soda
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
Combine in a separate, small bowl and blend into liquid mixture

1 cup finely shredded zucchini
12 ounces chocolate chips
Stir these into other ingredients, mix well. Drop by spoonful onto greased baking sheet, and flatten with the back of a spoon. Bake at 350 degrees, 10-15 minutes.