I Grew It, but When Do I Pick It?

My zucchini on left, a friend's squash, and my bush beans

I have been asking people I know who are gardeners, "how do I know when to pick vegetables?" I've consistently gotten looks that say "you have got to be kidding."  But I'm not kidding, despite having spent years gardening and working on landscape plans, I don't know anything about growing vegetables.

I was hoping that the community garden would follow through on promised classes with Master Gardeners on tomatoes and fall planting, but no, it's just me and the internet, too full of information to be helpful in any practical sense.

So while visiting my mom's friend on Friday I asked her, specifically about my zucchini. She held out her hands and said, "when they're about this big" (6 inches). Then she asked, "how big are yours?" I held out my hands about a foot long. She shook her head and took me out to her garden. She showed me her yellow squash, picked one then and there and handed it to me and said "like you see in the store." Her advice on carrots, onions, and potatoes was to just dig one up and see what they look like.

Friday morning I had gone to the garden to water. I picked one of three large zucchini, not sure if I should pick them all. Based on her advice I went back this afternoon and picked the other two (shown above). Now I've got to figure out what to do with them. I can see how this gardening trend will lead to cooking and canning and all sorts of domestic skills I must now learn.