Written By: Ellie Wilson, MS, RD  Senior Nutritionist, Price Chopper Supermarkets “Cool as a cucumber” – you can be all that enjoying the farm- fresh cucumbers in the stores right now from farmers like Walter Czajkowski and Mary McNamara at Plainville Farm in Plainville, CT. Cucumbers have a clean, mild flavor and they can star or be a supporting player in salads, salsas, and pickles. Have you ever made your own pickles? It is so easy – try Mary’s easy bread and butter pickle recipe. Everything you need, including the mason jars, are in your store. Sterilize 3 jars by covering them in boiling water for 10 minutes. Allow to cool. Pack cucumbers and onions in layers a wide mouth mason jar. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over the vegetables. Store in the refrigerator. For the first 2 days shake jar to mix well. Enjoy! Those same cucumbers are great in a cucumber and onion salad – just slice cucumbers and onions thinly (try sweet onions for this salad!). Add Ken’s Light Italian dressing and serve. Couldn’t be easier! kens-logo-presentation Summer is also grilling time, so putting together a quick and easy grilled meal for friends and family is fun and fresh! Peppers are also coming in – our friends at Blackhorse farms have beautiful peppers in the stores, and they can be enjoyed in this super summer recipe from Eating Well. The shrimp is on sale, and all of the ingredients are waiting for you. https://www.pricechopper.com/recipes/9816/Grilled-Shrimp-Cocktail-with-Yellow-Gazpacho-Salsa Delicious, and my favorite part – it is all really good and good for you. Enjoy! Written By: Ellie Wilson, MS, RD  Senior Nutritionist, Price Chopper Supermarkets There is so much to talk about! Summer squash is the star this week, and we have it from our farmer partners at Reeves Farm, Shaul’s Farm, Paul Mazza Farms, Davandjer Farms, Black Horse Farms, Hoover’s Produce, and Plainville Farm. I have visited many of these farms – this year is a good harvest for summer squash.iStock_000003950671_Medium Yellow summer squash and zucchini are super versatile – mild flavored, they can be served grilled, sautéed, ribboned (a beautiful presentation, and so easy to do with your usual handy kitchen peeler), or in salads; grated and added to quick bread batter, chopped in soup or pasta dishes – the possibilities are almost endless. These squash are low in calories, and high in Vitamin C. We also have some delicate and petite patty pan squash. Mild flavored like its cousins, patty pan adds great visual appeal to a meal. Patty pans also have a few different names – they can be called scallop squash, or button squash. Little kids call them flying saucers, and you can use that to get them to try a new vegetable! Heather Eckhardt at Kinderhook Creek Farm has shared a terrific zucchini appetizer recipe that is great for summer parties and will have your friends begging for the recipe. Heather Eckhardt’s Zucchini Appetizer Mix oil, eggs, Bisquick, parsley, salt and pepper together. Stir in zucchini. Spread onto a cookie sheet (with a high lip, or a jelly roll pan), single layer. Then layer the onion, pepper, and tomatoes, as though it were a pizza. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake at 350 F for 30 – 35 minutes. Cool slightly and cut into squares with a pizza cutter. I slice squash up, and depending on how hot it is, grill them with olive oil and fresh basil in a grill pan over a low flame, or oven roast them the same way. All of the summer squashes can be made this way – fresh basil, a little sea salt to finish and you have the tastes of summer on your plate. Zucchini and yellow squash are great for kabobs with a delicious Certified Angus Beef steak. You can add some fresh herbs and spices in for a little extra flavor.Certified-Angus-Beef-logo Summer Sizzle Steak Combine dressing, mustard, herbs and ginger in a close-able plastic bag or bowl with a cover. Add meat and vegetables to the dressing. Allow to marinate for 2 hours, refrigerated. Thread onto wooden or metal skewers. Note – wooden skewers should be soaked in water for an hour before use. Grill kabobs 5 minutes each side until meat reaches desired doneness. Written by Lee French, VP of Seafood Merchandising Most types of seafood benefit from the quick cooking and smoky flavor of grilling.  Make sure to keep close tabs on the process, as seafood tends to require less cooking time than meat.  Shrimp, scallops and small pieces of fish work great on kabobs which can be marinated, or not, and cooked directly on the grill.  Clams and oysters are easy to prepare on the grill and no shucking is required!  Herbs and marinades add a nice burst of flavor to most seafood.  For safety sake, do any infusing in the refrigerator – seafood should be kept cold until cooking time.  You don’t need a special basket to grill fish.  As with any grilling adventure, start with a spotless grill, add a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil to a clean kitchen cloth or paper towel.  Use tongs to rub the grate lightly with the cloth or towel, this will prevent the fish from sticking.  Most fish can be cooked right on the grate at medium heat. At Price Chopper, we offer you the largest selection and variety of seafood.  We provide you with the highest quality of healthy seafood that will ensure you have a wholesome and delicious eating experience.  We offer six dry marinades to flavor your seafood at no additional charge!  We also provide you with NuVal scores on all Seafood so that you can make sure you are choosing high nutritional value items. We are especially proud of our NEW Central Market Classics line of shrimp.  These shrimp are all natural and are uncut.  They are the finest shrimp you can buy anywhere!  Try the recipe below and you will be glad you are grilling today!! Herb Marinated Grilled Shrimp: The secret to grilling shrimp is to keep a close eye on them.  Shrimp cook fast enough for you to keep the lid up and an eye on them at all times.  Overcooked shrimp are rubbery so take them off the second they are done. Prep time is 10 minutes.  Cook time is 6 minutes. Total time is 16 minutes. Yield serves 6. Ingredients: –       2 pounds CMC 21-25 P&D Raw Shrimp –       ¼ cup olive oil –       ¼ cup chopped cilantro –       ½ shallot diced –       3 tablespoons lemon juice –       1 teaspoon dried basil –       1 clove garlic minced –       ½ teaspoon salt Preparation: Rinse shrimp thoroughly and pat dry and place in a resealable bag.  Mix remaining ingredients together and pour mixture over shrimp.  Seal bag and allow marinating for 2-4 hours in the refrigerator.  Preheat grill for medium-high heat.  Remove shrimp from bag and DISCARD the marinade.  Place shrimp on grill and allow cooking for 3 minutes each side.  Remove from heat and serve.  Enjoy!