Zucchini has arrived at the Sequim Farmers Market along with other culinary delights of summer. Tomatoes have just started, lettuce is coming regularly and cucumbers are making an appearance. Each week, the offerings expand.

As for zucchini, it holds a special place in the vegetable kingdom, though it is technically considered a fruit. Above all the rest, it has to be the “vegetable” that can do it all. I have had zucchini pickles, cakes, bread, pancakes (sweet or savory), stuffed, in lasagna, grilled, breaded, steamed, sautéed, shredded raw in salad, you name it — except juicing. I haven’t had that.

Being that zucchini is 95 percent water, it is a fabulously hydrating vegetable. It also seems to win the award for easiest and most prolific.

Though light in calories and high in water, it contains some wonderful vitamins and minerals. One raw medium zucchini contains more than 50 percent of your daily recommended value of Vitamin C.

It also delivers 11 percent of your daily value of vitamin K, 16 percent of riboflavin, 21 percent of vitamin B-6 and 14 percent of folate. This green summer squash is especially rich in the minerals potassium and manganese.

Zucchini, like all squash, has its ancestry in the Americas. However, the varieties of squash typically called “zucchini” were developed in northern Italy in the second half of the 19th century, many generations after the introduction of squash from the Americas in the early 16th century. Zucca is the Italian word for pumpkin or squash and zucchino or zucchina (zucca + ina = little) are diminutive forms.

Here is a recipe for when you are tired of zucchini bread.

Zucchini Refrigerator Pickles

½ cup water

2 tablespoons salt

1 medium zucchini, sliced 1/8-inch thick

3 ice cubes

1 small yellow onion, sliced 1/8-inch thick

2 cups apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

1½ teaspoons ground mustard

1½ teaspoons mustard seed

¾ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional – adds some heat!)

Directions:

In a small bowl, stir together the water and salt until the salt has dissolved.

Place the zucchini and onion into a gallon zipper freezer bag.

Add the water and salt solution, the ice cubes, and additional cold water to cover the zucchini and onions.

Stir to combine.

Seal the bag and allow to sit for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, combine the vinegar, sugar, mustards, turmeric and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Simmer for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally to be sure that the sugar dissolves, then remove from the heat and set aside.

Drain the zucchini mixture in a colander and remove all excess moisture, either by putting it through a salad spinner or rolling it up in a clean kitchen towel lined with paper towels.

Place the zucchini mixture in a large jar (or multiple smaller jars) and pour the pickling liquid over top, ensuring that all of the zucchini mixture is covered in liquid.

Place the lid on the jar and refrigerate for at least 1 day before serving.

The pickles can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.

I suppose you could experiment with adding some Sequim lavender to the brine, being that we are approaching Lavender Weekend. Enjoy!