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Monday, August 19, 2019

1001 Zucchini Recipes

I am on a roll.  So far, there's been zucchini bread with lemon glaze (soon to be repeated), zucchini pizza crust (more than once), zucchini quesadillas, zucchini pancakes (the best I've ever had), Mediterranean Zoodles, zoodles with olive oil, garlic and salt and pepper, and zucchini and black bean burgers, scrambled eggs with sauteed zucchini.  Els, if you're listening, I hope you like zucchini...
Zucchini crust pizza - my fav!

There's room for more.
As of this morning.
I'm glad there is so much zucchini, because (a) I love it; (b) it is versatile; (c) everything else in the garden has been disappointing.  I've been making notes as to changes that need to happen in the garden next year.  It's apparent that the new 'normal' for gardening is that anything can happen and usually does - multiple times.  It's either a cold, super-wet spring, then extended heat waves with no rain, then end-to-end thunderstorms with high winds, downpours and hail.  We're just missing the snakes and locusts, but I don't really want to encourage that kind of pestilence.

Speaking of pestilence, I have had a real battle with wasps this year.  I locate and destroy their nests, only to find that they've returned and built a bigger - and better - nest in the same location.  I found a huge nest in the barn which I was going to destroy - but then thought I should check the run-in shed first.  Once I spray the honkin' big nest in the barn, I will have to block access to the barn and wanted to be sure Apria and the Boys had alternative shelter.  Good thing I checked, because - drum roll - honkin' big nest in the run-in shed.  I did my best Terminator rendition on that nest and will take it down tonight.  Then, in the morning, I will start on the barn colony.  Let's hope that's it for the year.

Back in the garden, my yard-long green beans have been a fair producer.  The red noodle beans have just started flowering.  I have two tiny melons on one of the three puny vines.  My peppers are pooped, apparently.  The plants did not flourish, but there were lots of peppers.  The poblanos (seen to the left in the photo above) are coming along, although there are few of them.  I have had one eggplant (ditto above) and am in a locked battle with potato bugs on my four plants.  The kale and chard are doing well.  The garlic and onions were pathetic.  The cucumbers are struggling.  And the tomatoes.  All sixteen plants.  I have lots and lots of green tomatoes, but have, so far, only had two ripen.  I've managed to eke by with my blueberry tomatoes - a cherry tomato in a lovely blue-black color, but they are not as prolific as I had hoped.  I have myself to blame for the tomatoes - they take a lot of tending and half of July and half of August, they did not get enough attention.  But, we gardeners are a tough bunch with cast iron BGPs (and BBPs - let's be fair).  We will come back strong next year.




19 comments:

coffeeontheporchwithme said...

Is it bad that I am consoled by your garden flailing in some aspects? I've had three cucumbers from my garden. That's it so far. I do have green tomatoes but my plants are spindly. I remember years when I had to tie them up to hefty stakes because they were so huge and heavy with tomatoes. Of four zucchini plants, only three produced, and even those aren't stellar. I think you and I had the same weather. Alas, there's always next year. -Jenn

Michelle said...

Strange year here, too. Snow peas were prolific, but green beans are inexplicably dying. Lots of nice peppers, Japanese eggplant, and kale; fair to middling cukes and zukes; cherry and small pear tomatoes coming into their own about now. I'm getting ready to make another batch of my new favorite roasted vegetables and am already salivating!

jaz@octoberfarm said...

same here. i usually have too many peppers....this year i've picked 3 jalapenos. my tomatoes have done fairly well and everything else is a bust. my celery is so so. my weeds are thriving. my cucumber plant is currently in the garbage.

Debra She Who Seeks said...

At one place where I worked, the admin assistant made the most heavenly chocolate zucchini cake every year. It was to die for!

Lynne said...

Like the Zucchini Pizza crust. It's great you got so many Things you can make with Zucchini. What's more you can freeze them to keep for winter. WE use to have a big wasps nest on the peak of our house. WE got rid of it and never came back, Thank goodness! Didn't realize they came back to the same place.Considering the weather you did pretty good in your garden! Take care!

Mama Pea said...

I won't bore you here with a run-down of my garden highs and lows . . . but it's probably fodder for a blog post. I got a good start on zucchinis but now my two plants have stopped producing. No zucchinis at all. Nuthin'. (Am I really complaining about not enough zucchinis?)

Don't like the sound of your wasp invasion. Be careful, that could get nasty!

Joanne Noragon said...

They sell some of those spaghetti'd veggies in my market. I guess I'll try them.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

No zucchini in my garden this year. Sigh. I am buying it, but at least I'm getting some in the freezer. Sounds like your garden did way better than mine. We've been having a horrible wasp year too. Not sure if you have followed my posts lately, but Hubby even got stung working on a car. It's the worst year ever here.

Retired Knitter said...

Wow on the wasps. Do you suit up when you do battle? I would.

Ed said...

I recently read somewhere this summer that you need to hang a crumpled up old paper bag after destroying a nest and that deters them from building another one. I've never tried it so I can't vouch for it working but I read others that swore by it here on the internet so it must be true! :)

Have you shared your pizza crust recipe with zucchini before?

Susan said...

No, Jenn. Misery loves company, after all. My zucchini plants are going to be pulled this weekend, so I am savoring all the squash I can get.

Susan said...

I LOVE roasted vegetables! It's how I transition from summer to fall/winter. The possibilities are endless!

Susan said...

In all modesty, Debra, this zucchini cake (gluten free, no less) with the lemon glaze could give any zucchini cake a run for their money.

Susan said...

Lynne, it's an endless battle with the wasps and hornets around here. They are tenacious little devils. Even after I knock the nests down, if there is even a tiny shred of the old one left, they'll be back at it.

Susan said...

It's a sad day, isn't it, when the zucchini plants stop producing? My plants are showing signs of fungus, so they will have to go. I may shed a tear.

Susan said...

Joanne, I'd highly recommend trying them - being gluten free, they allow me to eat 'spaghetti' without worrying about the pasta. Plus they cook so fast!

Susan said...

Elaine, I hate to admit it, but when I do battle with wasps, it's usually in a tee shirt, no socks and in inappropriate shoes. I just spray and run like hell.

Susan said...

I hadn't read that. I will definitely give it a try when I finally get the behemoth out of the barn. No, I haven't shared the crust, but here it is - very easy: 2 cups shredded zucchini, put in colander with a sprinkle of salt, drain 10 mins, squeeze dry. In a small bowl, beat two eggs with zucchini and add 1/2 cup almond flour (or any flour) and 1/2 cup shredded cheese of your choice. Mix and spread in a circle on parchment paper on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 10 minutes, top with desired ingredients and bake for 10 minutes more. Let me know if you make it and how you like it.

Rain said...

The garden, sigh. I have so many green tomatoes too. The only success I've really had this year so far are root veggies and lettuces. I have some giant softball sized turnips in the pots, they pushed right out of the dirt, I have to do something about that soon! I see the beets pushing out and my potatoes are nearly ready to harvest!