Pesto Time in Cedar Falls! Also Cucumbers and Zucchini: Share Your August Recipes

So, I picked a ton of basil the other day. All off one little basil plant grown in a pot on my apartment's balcony. What to do with all that goodness? Make pesto, of course!

Oh wow, so much pesto. More than I could possibly eat in a week. And you can't let homemade pesto go to waste. There are strict rules against that. Solution? Freeze it in an ice cube tray. Each square can then be popped out throughout the winter and rewarmed for single servings of pesto, the perfect addition to pasta, sandwiches, scrambled eggs or a dozen other dishes.

Pesto is pretty easy to make. I followed a recipe from Epicurious, but I heard a good piece on NPR the other day, which offered substitutes for pine nuts, which are ridiculously expensive.

Something else I have a plethora of in my fridge at the moment: cucumbers. I have a farm share through Genuine Faux Farm, which means for an upfront fee I get a large helping of fresh, organic vegetables every week throughout the summer. Last week I got a lot of cucumbers, and they tell me there will be more tomorrow. Helpfully, the good farmers of Faux Farm also sent along a pickle recipe, which I have pasted below.

I still have a problem (a good one to have, of course). I also have many, many zucchini in my crisper. What should I do with them? Help me out, Cedar Falls! Share your recipes and suggestions for zucchini in the comments! And while you're at it, I'd love to see any other August vegetable recipes you're enjoying at the moment.

Cheers,
Alison

Refrigerator Pickles – Fast and Easy!

6 c. sliced cucumbers
1 T salt
1 onion, chopped
1 small/medium green pepper
1 c. sugar
1 c. vinegar

Mix salt and cucumbers. Let sit for 15 minutes. Add rest of ingredients. Stir to mix. Let sit overnight in the refrigerator, covered. The pickles will look too dry at first. Don’t fear – they will have plenty of liquid by the next day.

Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.