It has begun! It is zucchini time in Scott County!  Yes it is hard to believe that one of our biggest producers has started producing.  I know I know, what is so special about zucchini?  Well it is one of the most versatile vegetables that can be grown, that is what is so special.  You can prepare and use this veggie in so many different ways.  It is good for you too!  It can be used in breads and muffins,  pies and cakes.  It can be added to soup and stews, it can be fried, stuffed and baked.  It can be added to tomato sauce and sweet and sour sauce.  My families favorites are pickled and made into veggie cakes and fried.  The list goes on and on.  Still, you will not stay caught up on the zucks coming from your garden.  That is when you start trying to beg your neighbor to take just one more!   But really no matter how your family likes zucchini prepared it is good and good for you!  It is an easy veggie to save seed from and grows good almost anywhere.  This year while doing some garden visits I have seen really big and beautiful plants.

 

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Look at this beauty!  I stood beside it to show just how big it was.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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One day you will check your plant and see this!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The next day you will see this!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Then every surface in your kitchen will look like this!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recently some of our gardeners shared their favorite recipes.  I want to share a couple of them with you.

001Vegetable Cakes

Shred together to the following veggies.

1 med. zucchini

4 green onions

1 med. carrot

2 med potatoes about half cooked

mix together and add salt and pepper to taste.  Throw in a handful of fresh chives chopped.  Add 1 egg and enough flour to make a pancake like batter.  Drop by spoonfuls into hot oil. Fry until golden.  Serve with sour cream.

Thanks goes to Ashlee Glaspy for this yummy recipe.

 

Apple (Zucchini) Pie

1 very large zucchini

Peel zucchini, cut lengthwise and scoop the seeds out.  Cut into slices to resemble apple slices.  In enough water to cover zucchini slices, cook for 10 min.  and then drain.

In a large bowl put:

2 Tbsp flour

1 1/4 cup sugar

1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1-1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

dash of salt

Mix all ingredients with zucchini and pour into pie shell.

Crumb Topping

1 stick butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup flour

Mix til crumbly and sprinkle on top of pie.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 min. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 30 min.

Hope you find lots of uses for that big haul of zucchini in your future!

 

Happy Gardening

 

Waynette Harness

 

 

 

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