This thread is so perfect for me because I currently have a pile of cukes I need to use up before I leave on vacation. Right now I'm making these refrigerator pickles: http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2010/06/bread-and-butter-pickles/ Last night I made a variation on the cucumber/yogurt food processor soup: 2 medium cucumbers- roughly chopped 1.5 cups lowfat plain yogurt 1 finely diced scallion 2 crushed garlic cloves swirl of olive oil chopped flat leaf parsley chopped tarragon chopped chives chopped dill half a small jalepeno, finely diced (if you like a kick of spice) salt and pepper Puree it all in the food processor or blender. Chill for at least an hour I served it with some diced cucumber added to give it some crunch and floated thinly sliced avocados on top. Yum!

Jae, I included a description and photo of each of the different seeds I sent you. I usually make my decisions based on data from the web - how the tomatoes grow, their yield and if I see they have done well in hot-humid climates. I also lurk over at the Tomato Forum to get some ideas. One thing to keep in mind is never dismiss or select any one tomato based on what someone else said it tasts like. Different growing conditions and the fact that everyone's taste is different are strong factors. I found some 'maters that have been HIGHLY praised by others (like Cherokee Purple) NOT to my liking and others that people pass off as bland, or not that special (My Husky Cherry Reds, for example) taste great to me. The Cherokee Purple was store bought and I could not determine ripeness. BUT I am still growing some seeds from it that Tom gave me. I believe in experimenting! Good luck with your seeds and let me know how they do for you! Maybe we can open up a tomato stand on Immokalee Rd this winter 1/2 way between fort Myers and Naples! lol

I made this today and loved it! I'm not sure it still qualifies as "healthy" when you return to the pan for multiple servings though:). Recipe found on "Damn Declicious" blog. PS...I only had about 1/2 cup of quinoa on hand so used orzo for the other half and it was still delish. ONE PAN MEXICAN QUINOA Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 25 minutes Total Time 35 minutes Yield 4 servings Wonderfully light, healthy and nutritious. And it's so easy to make - even the quinoa is cooked right in the pan! INGREDIENTS 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 jalapenos, minced 1 cup quinoa 1 cup vegetable broth 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 (14.5 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes 1 cup corn kernels 1 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon cumin Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced Juice of 1 lime 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves INSTRUCTIONS Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and jalapeno, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in quinoa, vegetable broth, beans, tomatoes, corn, chili powder and cumin; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until quinoa is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Stir in avocado, lime juice and cilantro. Serve immediately. This post was edited by funnygirl on Fri, Apr 11, 14 at 16:24

brittneysgran ~ Happy Friday!! thank you for the lovely box of yard sale items. I so enjoyed opening happy mail. The bird magazines, I am looking forward to reading since I have a bird feeder in the front of my place. I only wished I had more colorful birds that would visit my place :) Thank you for all the lovely goodies and so excited to plant them and watch them grow. I hope to treat them well because I know they came from a loving home. Thank YOU again for the prizes and the lovely box. I so appreciate your time in digging them out and packaging them to send to me. Take care!!!