Zucchini isn’t anyone’s favorite vegetable, but I plant at least one every year because you can count on getting something. Almost anything else in the garden might take offense at not enough water, or too much, or be eaten by various microbes, insects and larger critters. Zucchini will usually produce all you can eat and then some, and the squirrels leave them alone. I’m in California, started planting in March, and my zucchini plant is happy and hard at work.
As long as I get them at normal eating size I’m happy with simple preparations, either sauteed or grilled, just add garlic and salt.
So far this year I don’t have any mammoth zucs, but all gardeners know the difference between “almost big enough” and “really damn big” is only about 3 days.
I diaried squash several years ago here. Here are two things that weren’t in my previous diary.
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The thing I’m most likely to do with overgrown zucs is make a big pot of Italian sausage and vegs. I will eat it with pasta but this is not a “sauce”, it’s a heavy stew. I will also eat this with bread like a “sloppy Joe”.
Zucchini and Sausage Stew
Italian sausage
Chopped onion
diced zucchini (remove seeds and stringy insides from very large zucs)
optional other vegs such as celery or mushrooms (every time I shop I look for sell-by-tomorrow-half-price packaged shrooms)
canned tomatoes and/or tomato sauce and/or tomato paste
minced garlic, salt, black pepper, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes
I think you can see how this works.
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Mrs. VanBuskerk’s Famous Zucchini Relish
You need a real grinder (or the big mixer with grinder attachment) to get the texture right, a food processor won’t do it. This is MUCH better than commercial pickle relish. Makes about 10 pints.
2 or 3 large zucchinis (8 to 9 lbs. total)
3 large red onions
1/2 cup salt
2 large cans/jars pimentos, 16 oz. total drained
5 cups cider vinegar
5 cups sugar
2 tablespoons Mustard seed
1 tablespoon Celery seed
½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
½ teaspoon ground Cloves
- Cut zucchinis in half lengthwise; remove seeds and soft flesh down to firm meat. Cut zucchinis and onions into pieces that will fit into a food grinder. Add salt, mix well, place in colander to drain over night at room temperature.
- Rinse zucchini and onions well and drain. Put through food grinder (coarse plate) with the pimentos. Drain excess liquid.
- Scald cider vinegar. Add sugar and spices. Add to zucchini mix, bring to boil, simmer 20-30 min and pack into hot sterilized jars. The recipe I was given doesn’t mention processing, for safety I did 10 min in boiling water bath.
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Actually for dinner here is pork chile verde that I cooked last night. Like most stews it should be even better today.
What’s for dinner at your place? Please consider sharing it with us for a future WFD; message ninkasi23 if you can.