Cucumber - plentiful harvest and CHEAP

We like cucumbers fresh in salads, with Chinese spices and pepper, preserved in soy sauce, and as bread and butter pickles. The first crop of six disappeared overnight, victims of birds hungry for the first signs of spring. The second planting survived after being protected about a week with upturned milk containers.

These cucumbers are long and slender with spines, similar to the cucumbers we found in Taiwan.

They made great tasting Szchuan cucumber pickles with garlic and hwa-jau.

They were also good preserved in soy sauce and made crispy bread and butter pickles.

After pricing them in the local Farmers' Market at $1.50 each I've decided to continue growing our own; in fact I'm preparing for next year by letting one go to seed. I didn't expect it to get this big though.

First Experience with Zucchini

My friend looked at me askance when I told her that I had planted four zucchini. I soon learned why she had that reaction. The first blooms produced bright glossy-green squash and we enjoyed them in salads and baked casseroles.
They continued to bloom AND bloom, we began to share the zucchini with friends and neighbors.

Sometimes we were full of zucchini and when the neighbors saw us coming they closed the curtains. As a result the zucchini stayed on the plant longer and longer and grew larger and larger.

In fact one hid under the leaves and went un-noticed well beyond the scheduled picking time.

Surprisingly the giant zucchini was tender and tasteful.

LESSON LEARNED: Two zucchini are enough for a family and friends