I grew up around canning and frankly thought it was pretty gross. My grandma canned so many vegetables from the garden that she had to use the cellar in my parent's basement to store the surplus of goods. I remember going down to that creepy cellar at my mom's request, and hating all the cobwebs and creepy jars of lime pickles.  Back then, you would have to bribe me to eat most of the canned goods in my parent's cellar. Over the decades, canning really became a lost art that is thankfully rising back up in popularity. Not ready to start with full-on water-bath canning? Try this easy-peasy recipe for Refrigerator Pickles and you won't be disappointed. You may even give yourself a pat on the back afterwards.

Zucchini and summer squash are two summer staples that are great for fresh eating, cooking, grilling and even baking. As a rule, I use zucchini for grilling, cooking and baking, while summer squash can also be eaten fresh. Zucchini tends to hold more water than summer squash, so keep that in mind while you experiment in the kitchen.

Here's a brief guide to our 2016 cucumber varieties...

Whether from your garden or your CSA, summer can leave us with a bounty of fresh greens that we dearly miss in the wintertime. Luckily for us, putting up your Swiss chard and kale only takes a few minutes and will leave your taste buds oh so thankful this winter.

Now you're ready to put your greens in the freezer!