Cool As (Blueberry Tzatziki Salad)

The season dovetails nicely in that the finest of summer's greens, cucumbers, berries, and peaches become fresh and locally available just in time for the last few barbecues before labor day. Steaks and ribs tend to take center stage at such gatherings, but a clever assembly of bountiful produce can still manage to be a showstopper. The heirloom cucumber on our backyard deck has coiled forth in riotous abundance, overshadowing the meek carrots and beets I tried to nestle below, and I've over a dozen cucumbers to contend with. In order to thin the herd, I decided to make a rendition of tzatziki, spiked with darkly sweet blueberries and served as salad.

Also thicker and chunkier than most tzatziki, but I like it that way

Preserving the Past (Kosher Dill Pickles)

Growing up in North Carolina, I instantly fell in love with my great-grandmother's homemade dill pickles. Among the many culinary marvels she created, these were in my Top 3, and a jar given to me would rarely make it past a day or two. A few months ago, my mom and I were going through some boxes of old things, and we discovered a copy of the recipe, in my mom's handwriting, on the back of a large receipt for air conditioning unit servicing - I was ecstatic!

In a pickle? Have a pickle