I HAVE NOT GIVEN YOU PERMISSION TO COPY OR PUBLISH MY PHOTOGRAPHS

Please be aware that I do not wish to have my photographs published , pinned or repinned on Pinterest.

copyright notice

Monday, July 20, 2015

Summer,please slow down



Time is flying by...way too fast



The first Ronde de Nice of the year.





 Perfect when golf ball size. 
Even perfect when much larger.





This year's Rolly Polly Zucchini are direct descendants from my 2011 crop.  







Unlike other Zucchini, this variety grows in a tidy bush.
The blossoms are large, perfect for stuffing and deep frying.  

If you let one of the Zucchinis get large 
(like the yellow one in the back),
it will produce many seeds for next year.  






It truly is the perfect vegetable.  You cook the entire vegetable.  It has only a few seeds and the skin is delicate when young. 


Have a great week dear friends. 

Gina 

34 comments:

  1. Hello, your sunflowers are lovely. And the zucchini looks amazing, I love roasted zucchini. YUM! Happy Monday, have a happy new week!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Eileen, Thank you for the good wishes and a happy new week to you. We added roasted Rolly Pollies to our dinner last night. They were as good, or better than I remembered.

      Delete
  2. Lovnkely sunflower!! You veggies offer us glimpse of Fall and cooler days. Thank you for a lovely post.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Cathy, Thank you for stopping by and leaving such a nice comment. Sunflowers are also some of my favorite flowers. Whether it is one or a whole bunch, they always brighten my days.

      Delete
  3. The Ronde de Nice are even pretty! Love your sunflowers, too. Happy Monday!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Snap, Ronde de Nice last a long time in a bowl. They make a fine centerpiece. Soon I will have so many that I will have to put up a stand at the top of our lane.

      Delete
  4. Beautiful images of your zucchini and sunflowers- very artistic! Thanks for sharing with us.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Linda, I am happy to share and thankful for all the bloggers who also like to share. Have a wonderful week ahead.

      Delete
  5. Dear Gina,
    This Zucchini is just perfect to display for lovely photos in great crocks and pots, which you always have on hand. The thought of them stuffed with a delicious filling and served on one of your hand painted plates makes my mouth water.Let summer last for your many pleasures!
    Warm greetings, Sieglinde

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear sieglinde, Because you are such a fine cook I would love for you to share your recipe for stuffed Zucchini.
      This is the best time of the year. My garden is overflowing with wonderful fruits and vegetables, the nights are cool and days are just right.

      Delete
  6. Beautiful zucchinis and sunflowers. Summer's glories at their peak. Yes, it's going by all too quickly here, too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Lorrie, Thank you for your comment. You know exactly how I feel. Time races by too quickly.

      Delete
  7. A delectable feast of both colour and images Gina - do you stuff your zucchini flowers with cheese, lightly batter and deep fry them like they do in Italy?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Rosemary, Yes I do but not too often. I fry them in a little light vegetable oil after they have been dredged through a beer batter. Sometimes I stuff them with a little ricotta and parmesan cheese. We have the luxury of eating them a few minutes after the flowers are picked.
      The zucchini itself we most often cut up into little cubes, skin and all, and fry them in a little butter and olive oil.

      Delete
  8. These flowers just bright things up.

    Greetings,
    Filip

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Filip, You are right the yellow color in all of these flowers are bright cheerful.

      Delete
  9. You are so right in calling for summer to slow down. It is such a beautiful time of year -- as you've shown us again in this post -- and it is going far too rapidly!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Jackie and Joel, You said it perfectly. All I can add is that we sometimes have long and beautiful Fall weather.

      Delete
  10. These are an interesting zucchini to grow. I tried a miniature container variety for the first time this year and they're quite good.
    Thanks for linking to Mosaic Monday.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Judith, I like zucchini for many reasons. In my garden they are the first vegetable I can pick in abundance and not only cook for us but share with friends. You might try a Rolly Polly Zucchini for your container next year. Unlike other summer squash Ronde de Nice grows in a tidy circle. And you can't beat the flavor.
      Great that you are growing our own Zucchini.

      Delete
  11. Gina, These are great pictures. Sunflowers are always uplifting. We do need to slow down and cherish our time. Sylvia D.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Sylvia, It is amazing how many beautiful sunflowers one can grow from seeds. They get more spectacular every year. For now only my volunteers are growing. Those, which I planted from purchased seeds, are yet to come. I can;t wait.

      Delete
  12. Dear Gina,

    You've introduced me to a new zucchini! Now I'll probably notice them everywhere. Neither of my parents were fond of the squash family, so I didn't eat things like eggplant until I was grown and off on my own. And here I am, still learning.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Mark, You probably won't see this particular summer squash in regular markets. I don't know why it is not more popular. It is delicious and easy to prepare because all parts of the vegetable are edible. They should be no larger than baseball size, golf ball size is perfect.
      When larger they look wonderful in a bowl.

      Delete
  13. You are so right, Gina, about the speed that summer seems to be picking up.

    Every week there are more delicious produce varieties at the farmers market. I am going to be on the lookout this week for some rolly polly zucchini. I love all sorts of squash and count zucchini amongst my favorites. The zucchini flowers are all so beautiful...very sculptural and, of course, also delicious to dine upon.

    Wonderful that you are able to grow generations of squash from earlier year's seeds. Long, long ago, when I lived in a Brooklyn garden apartment, I actually did grow zucchini from seeds. Seems like another lifetime!

    xo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Frances, If we like a new variety of vegetable in our garden we normally save the seeds. We have watched wonderful results from that practice. Our winter squash, Lakota and Hubbard have become more vigorous and produce more meat than any we could purchase.
      Let me know if you find Ronde de Nice in your markets. I would love to know.

      Delete
    2. Promise to be on the lookout for Ronde de Nice ... I'll have my camera ready to capture any official sightings next week.

      Maybe even a photo of a farmer who knows about that squash variety. xo

      Delete
    3. Dear Frances, It doesn't sound like you found the Ronde de Nice in your Farmers Market. But all Zucchini are delicious it's just that the shapes of this one are so pleasing.

      Delete
  14. Gina I will have to try these...they are adorable and sound yummy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Donna, Ronde de Nice is the perfect summer squash. I think that you will be amazed at how easy they are to prepare and how wonderful they taste. Thank you for your visit.

      Delete
  15. Beautiful Sunflowers Gina. Oh I do enjoy Zucchini, and yours look and sounds fabulous. Oh to be able to have any kind of produce growing on my land, the deer, rabbits squirrels and raccoons far outnumber me and so I go to the Fresh Market as oft as I can.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Mary, I'm not sure why but our marauders leave the vegetable patch alone. When we first plant our seeds we cover them with a mount of chicken wire. We do this mostly for our geese because they like young green anything early in the Spring. Deer will come to my kitchen garden but as soon as everything else greens up they seem to be happy to stay in the lower mountains.
      Why not give them a try next year. I'll even send you some of my saved seeds.

      Delete
  16. Stunning photos! I didn't even know that a zucchini variety grew in little ball shapes! The sunflowers are gorgeous, too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Karen. How nice of you to stop by and leave such a lovely comment. Thank you.

      Delete