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ZUCCHINI: Grandma Fotheringham said this vegetable was the ONLY reason folks had to lock their doors in the summertime—if you didn’t, the neighbors would sneak in and load the table and counters with this prolific produce! All that aside, it’s versatile: bread, cookies, casseroles, fried, baked, or stuffed—it’s all good.
Zucchini doesn't have much flavor itself, but absorbs other flavors well and tastes great when fried or grilled. In fact, if you marinate long strips of zucchini in vinaigrette for about twenty minutes, you can happily eat it raw. Select firm zucchini that are shiny, about 1” – 1½ “ in diameter, and don't have many blemishes. (By the way, if you have extra—hah—grate it and freeze for winter baking (it freezes well). AND, if they get away from you—assuming you’re growing them—and they end up the size of oxygen tanks, slice them in half, remove the seeds and some of the pulp, and make boats for the kids and grandkids. What other vegetable can you play with!?)
Greek Zucchini Cakes
From "Recipes from America's Small Farms" Villard, 2003
1 lb zucchini, grated
1 tsp kosher salt or 3/4 tsp table salt
3/4 C crumbled feta cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 green onions, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp flour
1/4 C chopped pine nuts
1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill, or 1 tsp dried dill
1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh oregano leaves, or 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/4 tsp freshly milled black pepper
Olive oil
Combine grated zucchini and kosher salt. Set aside for 5 minutes (no more, or it will be mush). Rinse in cold water and squeeze dry in a kitchen towel or press in a strainer or colander until dry.
Combine cheese, egg, green onions, flour, pine nuts, dill, oregano, garlic, and pepper in a large bowl; fold in zucchini. Form into 24 small cakes (about 2 tablespoons of mixture for each) and saute in olive oil, turning once, until browned, about 3 minutes on each side.
Serve immediately.
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Crispy Zucchini Sticks with Olive Dip
Recipe courtesy of Sarah Moulton
1 1/2 C flour
1 cup beer, plus more as needed for thinning (the alcohol burns off in the frying)
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 medium zucchini, about 1 pound, washed
Vegetable oil, for frying
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Whisk 1 cup of the flour with the beer in a large bowl until smooth. Pour through a strainer into another bowl and let stand for 1 hour. Thin with additional beer just before frying, if necessary. (It should be the consistency of pancake batter.)
Meanwhile, mix the mayonnaise with olives and lemon juice in a small bowl. Thin with 1 to 2 tablespoons water, if you like. Keep covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve the zucchini. Makes about 1 1 4/ cup.
Cut the zucchini into sticks that measure 3/4-inch wide and 4 inches long. Heat 3 to 4 inches of oil in a large deep saucepan until a deep-fat frying thermometer reaches 360 degrees F. Combine the remaining 1/2 cup flour with salt and pepper in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Add the zucchini and toss to cover in flour. Transfer to a sieve and shake to remove excess flour. Working in batches, dip in the batter, letting the excess drip off. Fry until golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Serve the olive mayonnaise on the side for dipping.
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NECTARINES: Basically a peach without any fuzz and a sweeter, more intense flavor; really ripe nectarines don't transport well at all - if you find them at your farmer's market, you should snap them up immediately!
They can basically be used wherever you would use a peach in desserts such as cobblers or pies. Find nectarines that feel soft to the touch and that are a combination of deep yellow and red colors. They shouldn't be mushy or too hard and green.
2/3 C of pecan halves 
2 large nectarines (about 3/4 pound) 