Our first virtual get-together

And my favorite Cucuzza recipes

Hi, guys!

We’ve reached a milestone: The Weekly Dirt has officially been named a Substack Bestseller — and we did it in JUST 8 WEEKS!

So I wanted to thank you all for finding value in this newsletter, for all your support along the way (remember coffees?) and for coming back every week. I could not have done it without you, whether you are a free, sustaining or founding subscriber!

And what better time to announce our first Founding Members’ Quarterly Virtual Meeting! As you know, one of the perks of being a Founder is receiving invitations to gardening Q&As, Ask-Me-Anything sessions, Zoom programs, interactive chats, etc., four times per year.

👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 Save the date

Founders can join me at Noon on Sunday, Sept. 8, for a free live Zoom presentation of one of my most popular virtual programs — “19 Ways to Save Money in the Garden,” followed by a Q&A session to address some of the questions and concerns that arose in your gardens this year.

If you’re a Founding Member, watch your email for your exclusive invite.

If you’re not a Founding Member, there’s still time to upgrade your subscription and join the party. Just click the button below. I’d love to see you there!

In other news, I harvested, peeled and diced this 52-inch-long Cucuzza (pronounced ku-koo’-tza — NEVER Gu-gooz!) earlier this week and cooked part of it, then froze the rest in zipper-top plastic bags.

The long, thin squash grows on a climbing vine and tastes similar to zucchini but has firmer flesh.

I planted three this summer, and so far, have only gotten one fruit, above, which luckily will go a long way. If you didn’t grow any, you might get lucky and find some at your local farmers’ market.

Here are two of my favorite Cucuzza recipes.