It all starts with an aggressive zucchini plant.
Be on the Lookout
It’s that time of the year when a sack of zucchini is likely to show up on your porch compliments of an over-zealous gardener. Don’t panic. Experiment.
A Zucchini Flashback
In the 70s, during my heyday as a gardener, I was “Jean, the Zucchini Queen.” In the dense, hard soil on our Ozark farm—that I affectionately termed The Clay Pit—zucchini was one of the plants that grew with gusto.
After being overrun with squash one season, I learned that a few, well-tended plants could feed the family, our neighbors, and relatives. But now, like Blanche DuBois, I depend on the “kindness” of others. If they let me down, there’s always Soulard Market.
Assembling a classic summer favorite.
When cooking with the versatile green vegetable, think beyond zucchini bread. (Though that’s a good thought to have.) There’s also a number of ways to serve zucchini as a main dish. This one for Zucchini Boats is great fun.
Boat Loads of Zucchini
Originally, green summer squash was called cocozelle, but in the 1920’s California growers began calling it zucchini.
Zip-a-Dee-Do-Dah!
This is one of those “no recipe recipes.” Simply boil several small, whole zucchini until tender, but not mushy. Slice in half longwise; scoop out pulp and mash together with some ground ham or browned sausage. Add a bit of sautéed onion and mushrooms, if you like, along with salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste.
Place mixture into the zucchini shells and top with bread crumbs, such as Panko and shredded cheese. Drizzle with a bit of melted butter. Bake 5 minutes at 375 degrees until cheese melts.
“Plant seeds of happiness, hope, success, and love; it will come back to you in abundance. This is the law of nature.”
Leave a Reply