Recipe: Zucchini Relish

After a 7 mile walk around Lake Union with my sisters in Seattle we were starving for lunch. My mom spread out all the lunch fixings and I was in heaven.

The spread:

Large wraps
nut hummus
turkey
provolone
avocado
tomato
peppers
zucchini
lettuce
salsa
s&p
zucchini relish

I wanted to share the zucchini relish recipe I got from my mom. I loved it!!! It would be very versatile; wraps, sandwiches, salads, dipped with chips, tacos, etc.

Zucchini Relish

Yield, about 4 half-pints

2 cups chopped zucchini (about 3 medium)
1 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium)
½ cup chopped sweet green pepper (about 1 small)
½ cup chopped sweet red pepper (about 1 small)
2 Tbs. salt
1 ¾ cups sugar
2 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. mustard seed
1 cup cider vinegar
Combine zucchini, onion, green and red peppers; sprinkle with salt; cover with cold water. Let stand 2 hours. Drain; rinse and drain thoroughly. Combine remaining ingredients in a large saucepot. Bring to a boil. Add vegetables; simmer 10 minutes. Pack hot relish into hot jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

Do: Garden

Kenmore, WA

I was home for the weekend and summer was alive in Seattle. I was so glad I could see and eat the fruits of my parent's garden.

What's in the garden:
blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, kiwi, fig, and apple
tomatoes, carrots, beets, kale, chard, three kinds of squash and green onions
beans, peas, lettuce, rosemary, mint, and peppers.

In my mom's words: "I love knowing how my food has been fertilized and how the pests have been dealt with. I love being outside, in the fresh air, and working hard. I love running outside to find something I can use for dinner, breakfast, a smoothie, or whatever. I enjoy the things I freeze and can all year long. I feel productive and useful too."

A wish and a prayer that I can be a gardener like her when I have a home.

Try: KIND bars

I went camping in the Uintas this weekend. It was so green. It made my northwest veins pulse harder. Before I left on the trip I stopped at Whole Foods to get my sustenance and bought bread, apples, trail mix, honey roasted peanut butter, thin pretzels and a KIND bar. Have you ever eaten a KIND bar? They are super. I love that they are made with real ingredients that you can actually see in the bar: nuts, seeds, fruits. It's just the kind of snacking I like.

"KIND was founded on the principle of holistic kindness, and we pride ourselves on creating new paths that avoid false compromises. Instead of "Or" we say "And". We choose healthy and tasty, convenient and wholesome, economically sustainable and socially impactful."

Well said KIND. Well said.