10B - JACKSON HOLE NEWS&GUIDE, Wednesday, July 25, 2012
JACLYN BOROWSKI / NEWS&GUIDE photos
Blake Levanduski, 5, watches as Paul Kolodziejczak scoops ice cream Thursday at the rec center.
Young dairy fans get sweet treat on hot day Rec center gives away 200-plus servings of ice cream at annual celebration. By Alexa Owen Hot times call for cold measures. Kids of all ages showed up Thursday at the Teton County/Jackson Recreation Center to partake of free frozen concoctions in honor of National Ice Cream Month. Rec center employees and volunteers left no tub unturned as they parceled out several gallons of ice cream donated by Haagen-Dazs and Moo’s Gourmet Ice Cream. In 1984, President Ronald Regan designated July as National Ice Cream Month and encouraged citizens to celebrate the widely enjoyed treat with “appropriate ceremonies
and activities.” For many years hence, the rec center has hosted Jackson’s official celebration. “It’s our first time to this event,” said Laura Samuelson, whose family has spent the last six summers in Jackson. “We just happened to hit it on the right day.” An estimated 200 people found their way to the rec center for the party. Many of them bolted outside to the deck just before 5:30 p.m. to ensure a scoop or two of their favorite flavor. “I’m wearing it!” said Alex Chambers, 4, as Moo’s Coco Loco — a coconut flavor — dripped slowly into his lap. He sat in the grass with brothers Parker and Gavin while sister Olivia stood patiently in line for a helping of mango sorbet. The siblings claimed that although the ice cream was not their dinner, they would each be going
back for seconds. The deck was standing-room only. Other people clustered in corners and under trees for shade while Judd Grossman played covers of songs by The Beatles, Jason Mraz, and Foster the People. Six-year-old Rose Waddell danced to the tunes while enjoying a break from swimming in the pool. She stopped only when prompted by her older brother to answer a few questions, explaining that she was eating her favorite flavor, vanilla, on a cone. When asked what the best part about ice cream is, Rose replied candidly, “I forgot,” and continued dancing. By just after 6 p.m., the final traces of Moo’s Oreo Cookie had been scraped from the tub, and contented ice cream enthusiasts made their way inside for more swimming or back home for attempts at normal dinners.
Izaak Garcia, 4, enjoys chocolate chip in a cone. An estimated 200 people came out for the annual celebration of National Ice Cream Month.
Too many zukes? Try eating the blossoms instead
A
lthough it always de- ty, I have battered and fried pends on our fickle the blossoms — sometimes summer weather in the stuffed with goat cheese, yum mountains, I have had pretty — chopped and tossed them in good luck growing zucchini omelets, used them in stir-fries squash plants in my vegetable and pasta dishes. Beautiful! garden. However you serve the soft, One season, in fact, I had trumpet-shaped blossoms, the legendary “bumper crop” first gently remove the staof this green summens or pistils on mer squash. That the inside of the summer, I decided petals. that instead of A word about thinking up new squash blosways to cook exsoms: There are cess zucchinis, I both male and would start eating female blossoms the yellow-orange on squash plants. blossoms, thus Genders are easy eliminating any to tell apart. The surplus zucchinis male flower’s Marilyn Quinn altogether. stem is slim and It was a great straight. The feidea. Zucchini blossoms are an male flower is larger and has evocative summer treat. bulbous, tiny baby zucchinis Considered a real delicacy just below the blossom. Usuin many countries, including ally squash plants produce a our own, these golden blos- number of male flowers before soms are delicious cooked. Or the female flowers appear. try them as the Italians do, Although most gardeners and eat them raw in simple wouldn’t deliberately denude green salads. their squash plants of all the In Mexico, the flowers are fruit-bearing female flowers, often used as an ingredient for one needn’t worry too much. soup: sopa de flor de calabeza. There are always more boy Since that summer of plen- flowers than girl flowers on a
Gardening
zucchini plant. Since this summer has been so unusually warm, even the nights, I’ve even planted tomatoes and cucumbers in my vegetable garden. Wishful thinking? Perhaps not this growing season. My outdoor tomatoes are loaded with green fruits, and the cucumber vines are setting on some long, green cylindrical babies as well. And I’ve already picked lots of small zukes. Note: Don’t let them grow as big as baseball bats. They are better eating when picked small. Last night, I brushed my bowlful of split green zucchinis with olive oil and grilled them outside for a perfect July meal. I expect to keep harvesting until a frost blackens the plants’ big leaves, hopefully all through August and into September. Although who knows? There are no guarantees for gardeners at high elevations. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Marilyn Quinn has a green thumb, so once a week she shares her gardening tips with readers.
NEWS&GUIDE PHOTO / TRAVIS J. GARNER
Wildflower of the Week Indian paintbrush
Take a drive over Teton Pass and you are sure to notice some large patches of brightly colored Indian paintbrush growing alongside the road. Yes indeed, Indian paintbrush can be jaw-dropping pretty, whether thriving in the bottomlands or in high mountain meadows. The actual flower is greenish yellow, thin and tubular and is tucked inside the gaily colored bracts (modified leaves) that delight our eye and give this wildflower its name. The bracts do, in fact resemble a ragged paintbrush dipped in a pot of brilliant red paint. There are at least a dozen different species of Indian paintbrush in our area, some with red bracts, others with white, yellow, magenta, orange or pink bracts. Indian paintbrush is Wyoming’s state flower.