By now your garden should be overflowing with a bounty of crops that you have been nurturing all summer long. Along with your green beans and tomatoes, there is one crop that is ready to take over! The seemingly innocent zucchini that was relatively quiet all season has now started producing so many little green monsters you’re not sure what to do. You thought you had all of them picked last night. And then, when you return to the garden, they’re back! With a vengeance! It’s Attack of the Killer Zucchinis!!!! At first, your outlook is positive and optimistic. You can make some zucchini bread and share a few with the neighbors. But the zucchini just keeps coming.
Soon you start bringing your never ending harvest to work or to church; anywhere to keep this multiplying monster under control. Yet, when you return to your garden plot hoping that you had finally tamed the beast, lo and behold more zucchini! Never fear, My Garden Insider is here with tips and recipes to make your zucchini woes disappear. Stop ‘em before they fruit.
Zucchini blossoms can be used in a variety of dishes for their subtle flavor and rich color. A zucchini blossom can be diced and used in a salad or sautéed with other vegetables. You can even stuff the blooms with cheese and herbs for a delicate yet savory treat! You can find the blooms in your garden or at a local farmer’s market. Just be sure to use them right away as they are highly perishable. An added bonus of harvesting blooms off your plants is that it will reduce the number of fruits produced. How about that? Contain ‘em
Another way to limit your zucchini’s zest is to grow it in a container. Try a variety that is more compact and is easily trained up a trellis. Start a few seeds in your pot and once they have a few leaves, select the best plant and remove the others. Be sure that your zucchini has plenty of sun. Water and feed regularly for optimal growth and plentiful crops!Serve ‘em up on a platter
Zucchini can be fried, sautéed, shredded, pureed and diced. This versatile veggie will compliment any dish it appears in! Add raw slices to your run of the mill veggie tray. Change up your bread recipe by adding some chocolate chips or pineapple to the mix! Make zucchini bars or even better, try out some zucckies! (zucchini cookies) Don’t be afraid to experiment with new recipes. If it doesn’t turn out as planned, don’t worry. There is always more zucchini in the garden!
Sidebar
Zucchini Trivia
Zucchini is fat free, cholesterol free, low in sodium, rich in manganese and vitamin C and has more potassium than a banana.
The largest zucchini weighed 65 pounds and was 7 feet 10 inches long
Zucchini were introduced to North America by Italian immigrants in the 1920’s
There are at least a half dozen Annual Zucchini Festivals throughout North America each year.
Links to recipes…
Zucckies (Zucchini Cookies) http://www.mygardeninsider.com/into-the-kitchen/zucckies-zucchini-cookies
Cheese Stuffed Squash Blossoms
http://www.mygardeninsider.com/into-the-kitchen/cheese-stuffed-squash-blossoms
Grilled Zucchini
http://www.mygardeninsider.com/into-the-kitchen/grilled-zucchini-squash
