It's Natl. Sneak Zucchini onto Your Neighbors Front Porch Night

Today is National Sneak Zucchini Onto Your Neighbors Front Porch Night! It is also the day I spent five hours working in my backyard garden. In its second year, my garden is still “a work in progress,” but I had more success than last year when it was an “experiment.” The lessons I learned are these . . . it’s too hot here in St. George to grow some things, like green beans, artichoke and peppers (red or yellow). But what grows really well here in our triple digit summers are tomatoes, pumpkins, and zucchini (strawberries also do well before it gets hot . . . and hopefully, after it cools down!)

In the spirit of the holiday, I was going to sneak zucchini onto Ralph and Pam Bingham’s front porch, but since Kaytee gifted me with a new cookbook for my birthday called “Zucchini Houdini” maybe I’ll use it to make Spicy Zucchini Potato Soup (pg. 20), Zucchini Sausage Stew (pg. 26), Zucchini Fries (pg. 44), Zucchini Enchiladas (pg. 69), Zucchini Pancakes (pg. 85) or Zucchini Coconut Carrot Muffins (pg 96).

Gardening is such fun (I think Michael and Kris will back me on this opinion) . . . and in our current economy, it is reassuring to know the 3-foot strip of dirt which runs the entire parameter of my backyard is also providing food to feed me and my family.

After about five morning hours in the garden, dark clouds began to gather. By mid-afternoon, the sky opened up and we got a real gully-washer which dropped nearly an inch of much needed rain in about an hour and produced a spectacular Noah-and-the-Ark kind of rainbow over our desert community!