Oh No! Zucchini is Coming!

In my opinion, everyone should have zucchini plants in their vegetable garden. It is the one vegetable that can bring you as much pride as embarrassment. Zucchini is among the first in the garden to produce. You probably remember how excited you are when you get the first fruit. It's like breaking the fast after a long winter without fresh veggies. And then it all hits you, as one zucchini plant can put out 20-30 zucchinis, you'll get 4, 5, 6 zucchinis a day. You probably have done your share of pushing them on everyone you come in contact with. I have certainly done my share of racking my brain to find new ways to dispose of them. Here's a few strategy I've derived from my experience. So next time a zucchini storm hits you, you'll know what to do.

Zucchini pancakes is always the fist thing I make when fresh zucchini become available. Recipe: combined the shredded zucchini with new potatoes and fresh onion from the garden, added salt to draw the moisture out of the vegetables and added one egg and just enough flour to bind everything together. Cook it like you would pancakes on a flat non-stick pan with a small amount of oil on the bottom.

Next: you can try to grill the zucchinis. Slice them to 1/4" thickness, brush with olive oil, sprinkle salt and pepper and garlic powder and/or dried herbs. Grill until it takes on some grill marks. They make great vegetarian sandwiches.

Next: Saute zucchini with olive oil, green olives, onion, garlic, lemon juice, capers, herbs and Ricotta Salata... goes great with a loaf of crusted Italian bread.

If you tried everything else including giving them away but still have too many of them, then pick the flowers off the plants before they get a chance to bother you. By the way, zucchini blossoms taste great stuffed with cheese. That's the subject of another blog.

Bye for now. Remember, keep your sanity in zucchini season.  And Happy Gardening!