Summer Fest: Cukes and Zukes by Liz Gray in In Season, July 28, 2010

We’re teaming up with other food and garden bloggers to host Summer Fest 2010, a season-long garden party. Each week we’ll feature favorite garden-to-table recipes and tips to help you enjoy the bounty, whether you’re harvesting your own goodies or buying them fresh from the market. To join in, check out awaytogarden.com.
Cucumbers and zucchini are in the same family, but they each have characteristics all their own. Cucumbers are classified based on whether they’re good for slicing and eating fresh or for pickling. We love cucumbers because of their nutritional benefits: Each medium cuke is 96 percent water and has only 40 calories, plus more than 60 percent of your daily vitamin K needs. Although you can find cucumbers at your market year-round, the peak season is from May through August. We love them in a simple cucumber salad — our nutritionist Toby’s version has only 5 ingredients!
Zucchini is even more versatile — we love it sauteed, raw (think zucchini carpaccio) and of course, in lightened-up zucchini bread — our nutritionist Dana’s version is so delicious! But don’t limit yourself to the fruits — the flowers are a farmers’ market delicacy when they’re stuffed with creamy ricotta, dipped in a light batter and pan-fried.
More Cukes and Zukes with Family and Friends:
- Alison’s Amazing Zucchini Appetizer on Food2
- 10 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Make With Zucchini from Michelle at Cooking Channel
- Best Zucchini Bread Recipes from the FN Dish
- Away to Garden: Cukes ‘n Zukes: Size Matters
- White on Rice Couple: Proscuitto, Sour Cream & Feta Stuffed Cucumbers
- The Sister Project: On Zucchini Excess
- Just a Taste: Cucumber Sesame Salad
- Tea and Cookies: Stuffed Zucchini, Zucchini “Noodles” and Pickles
- Gilded Fork: Summer Squash Dossier and Chilled Cucumber Mint Soup
- Food Philosophy: Cucumber Beauty Treatment
- SanDiego Food Stuff: Cucumber and Radish Confetti Soup and Zucchini Pancakes
- Eating from the Ground Up: Cucumber Mint Sorbet with Lime Shortbread
- The Wright Recipes: Cucumber Salad and Marinated Summer Squash Salad
- Tigress in a Pickle: 50 Ways With Cucurbits
- Sweetnicks.com: Indian Cucumber Wraps
- Tuscan Diva: Fried Zucchini Blossoms, and More
Join the conversation on twitter at #summerfood.
Liz Gray is the Healthy Eats site manager and an editor for FoodNetwork.com. When not foraging for mushrooms, she’s a part-time culinary student who loves to try new recipes and use her boyfriend, Josh, and hybrid Corgi-bulldog puppy, Miles, as expert taste-testers. Learn more about all our contributors »







Zucchinis are the most versatile vegetable of the summer. I love to cook with them. This is my contributions to the Summer Fest. http://bibberche.com/2010/07/stuffed-zucchini/
Hooray for Summer Fest! I'd like to submit these zucchini "noodles" with avocado garlic dressing:
http://blog.healthy-green-lifestyle.com/zucchini-…
As well as this refreshing cucumber sorbet:
http://blog.healthy-green-lifestyle.com/cucumber-…
And some good old reliable lacto-fermented pickles (a recipe that's really adaptable; I just made a batch with garlic, tarragon and chile pepper)
http://blog.healthy-green-lifestyle.com/pickled-c…
I'm really looking forward to reading everyone's recipes…and I'll try to do a dedicated Summer Fest post next week
oooh, zucchini carpaccio! so gorgeous and fresh. We look forward to trying that soon.
I’m late joining the party but here’s my contribution to the fun… Ice box pickles and Zucchini Ribbons in a Hazelnut butter sauce.
http://itsthewayshe.blogspot.com/2010/08/encourag…
[...] Summer Fest Week 1: Cukes and Zukes [...]
[...] Summer Fest Week 1: Cukes and Zukes [...]
[...] Summer Fest Week 1: Cukes and Zukes [...]
This looks Yummy!!! Thanks for sharing!!!
I love cucumber salad and I just made a short Video for a really popular recipe. It's always a huge crowd pleaser. And it's super easy to make!!
Let me know what you think
http://vimeo.com/16643804
Google TV appears to be rather fantastic. I’m not sure if I want to buy a tv with it built-in or possibly a independent box.
[...] Food Network’s HealthyEats talks cuke salad and lighter cuke/zuke ideas. [...]