Garden of eatin'

Your garden runneth over. What do you do with your tomatoes, summer squash, peppers and other bumper crops of the season?

If it's really too much of a good thing, you can donate it to the Utah Food Bank, 1025 S. 700 West. It's open 8 a.m.- 5 p.m. on weekdays and on Saturday mornings.

"We love the zucchini, tomatoes, watermelons, the giant squash — we love it all," said Jeff Golden of the Utah Food Bank. To find a food bank pantry or shelter nearer to you, call 211 (an information and referral center manned by the Utah Ability Bank).

Take your pick. If you let zucchini grow to submarine size, they get spongy with huge seeds, according to "Recipes From America's Small Farms" (Villard Books). They're more appealing if you pick them when they are 6 to 10 inches long and about 1 to 2 inches in diameter. Eggplant also gets spongy with age, and grows bitter as well.

Do as the Romans do. The usual Italian flavors — basil, oregano and rosemary — go well with tomatoes, zucchini and bell peppers. Pizzas and pastas can nearly always accommodate more veggies. A simple Caprese salad — alternating slices of tomato and mozzarella, with basil for flavoring, offers lots of eye and flavor appeal.

You go, grill. Slice zucchini and peppers into strips, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. Grill until tender.

It's a toss-up. Add extra garden veggies to your favorite salad combinations.

The secret's in the sauce. Throw lots of chunky veggies into marinara, salsa and other sauces to give them flavor and texture. Puree them first if your kids object to "green things" floating in their sauces. Your family will still get the nutritional benefit.

Shake 'n' bake. Zucchini can go incognito into all kinds of cookies, quick breads, muffins and brownies. You can also try the quiche-like Zucchini Bake (recipe follows). All the ingredients are mixed in a batter and poured into a pie pan. During baking, the layers separate to form a crust and a filling.

More ideas for fresh produce

Moussaka it to me. This Greek casserole uses both tomatoes and eggplant.