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Confectionately Yours: First fruits

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My husband and I were stationed in Alaska for four years. We had a lot of misconceptions about our largest state. We knew about the cold weather and it did live up to our expectations, but it was the summer time that surprised us.

The summer solstice, that time when our Earth’s axis is tilted toward the sun in the northern hemisphere, is in June around the 20th -24 of the month. At that time it is daylight around the clock.

Because of this, the growing season in Alaska for gardening is pretty fast. Gardeners keep close eye on their produce because it can get big rather quickly.

We loved our church family in Alaska. Our pastor had a gift for teaching spiritual truths. He threw in humor along with those truths and shared practical examples to help couples connect and understand each other.” How to’s” for parenting and engaging with others in our lives were shared and lived out.

Pastor Doug was teaching on giving one Sunday morning. He spoke of offering our first fruits unto the Lord. Giving back to God in PART based on how we are blessed in FULL is an act of worship and gratitude. ‘God loves a cheerful giver’ so say the Scriptures.

During the Sunday evening service, the offering was taken as usual. Chuckles and chortles could be heard throughout the congregation as we passed the plate holding a giant zucchini. It seems someone had taken the morning message literally. We were all pretty cheerful givers that evening.

Perhaps you have a bounty of zucchini yourself and need some ideas on how to use it up. I suggest having someone over for dinner. I’m sharing today a simple zucchini & fresh tomato salad. It is dressed up with a seasoned oil & vinegar. I love it over plain lettuce. It really tastes like summer! And shared with a friend…what could be any better?

Fresh Zucchini, Tomato, & Onion Salad

4 Tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar

2-3 Tbsp Olive Oil

Seasoned Salt

Pepper

Zucchini (I like the smaller ones) cut in slices

Fresh Tomatoes, cut in thick slices, then into bite size pieces

Onion, sliced (Red onion or sweet Vidalia onion are good here)

Mix the vinegar & oil, add the seasoned salt & pepper. Pour over the sliced vegetables & serve. Taste & adjust seasonings if needed. You may need to add a bit more Seasoned Salt or pepper.

I like this alone or added to the plain lettuce salad. It also makes a great addition to a sandwich in place of a pickle.

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By Sue Murphy

Sue Murphy is a Xenia resident may be contacted at [email protected]. Her Christian radio segments share about her journey and her passion for baking. Find other recipes and more at www.Confectionatelyyours.info. Find her cookbook at Parker’s General Store on the courthouse square in Xenia.