Zucchini, zucchini, and...

more zucchini 

I am a little embarrassed to show my garden with all of the weeds, but I need to show you this ONE plant.

Yes, that is ONE plant!

I planted two zucchini plants, but this one has produced an abundance of zucchini this year...and still is!

In the past, when my parents would give us zucchini from their garden, I would normally make a couple loaves of bread.  Well, this is the largest garden that I have planted and I couldn't bear to waste such good food.  After all, that is why I planted a garden...to become more self sufficient and to eat the food that we lovingly grow ourselves, right?  Eat we did - and are eating - and will eat!

Let me tell you about some of the things I made with zucchini:

  I made my tried and true zucchini bread (a recipe from Better Homes and Garden cookbook).  We ate some and I froze some.

I made zucchini muffins with walnuts (a recipe I found on-line).  I froze some of these also.

I canned zucchini pickles (they taste like bread & butter pickles).  I plan on taking a jar of these to upcoming cookouts and reunions.  I also canned zucchini relish.

I used recipes for both of these from the Ball Blue Book guide to preserving.

Other things I have made with our abundance of zucchini are:

Z soup

Z fries (breaded with corn meal and parmesan cheese)

 roasted Z

 sauteed Z in olive oil with s&p

 fried Z (coated in flour, egg, bread crumbs)

 pasta salad with Z

 quiche with bacon, cheese and Z

scrambled eggs with shredded Z

stuffed Z (also known as zucchini boats)

My family's favorite zucchini recipe so far is zucchini lasagna.  Use your favorite lasagna recipe, but instead of pasta noodles, use thin strips of zucchini.  Delicious!  And, although this is their favorite, they we are tired of eating zucchini everyday, so.....we have been giving some away.  

What is your favorite way to prepare zucchini?  I'm still looking for different ways (smile).