@ana @saibh Zucchini is driving me nuts right now. If I stay away from my garden for just two days, I return to zucchinis the size of watermelons. One day they are babies, then bam, they're on steroids. This happens to me every summer. What do I do with all that seedy pulp? Is it permissible to give them away that size? Or will neighbors think they are getting a reject. Can I freeze them in an easy way?
Barbara Kingsolver said that in her neighborhood, people leave their excess zucchinis on neighbor's porches, ring the bell and run away. Everybody's got too many zucchinis.
Does anyone have a workable recipe for GF zucchini bread that doesn't involve me grating zucchini for an hour then pressing it to get rid of all the water. That's too much work. Okay, I can use non GF, but isn't there a quick way to process the zucchini? @Laura-F, You must have something.
Jeanne, just how big are they? Have you tried stuffing them aka zucchini boats?
@lovendures That's a great idea. Like with rice, tomatoes and sweet peppers? Sounds perfect. I will do it. They are big.
Yes! Scoop out the seeds ( you can save them to grow next year) and get creative with whatever you wish to stuff them with.
I envy all your zucchini woes. Last year I lost my crop to zucchini beetles. This year I treated with seven dust but while I was in Kentucky we went from 80 degrees to 17 overnight and I lost my garden. Greatest wife ever bought me some new ones but almost none of the plants made it. This was not a good gardening year for Dannyboy. If I lived closer I'd let you "ring and run" all you wanted @Jeanne-Mayell
@jeanne-mayell, my diet requires that I eat low-carb so I spiralize my zucchini to make "pasta." I like using the bigger ones for that, although I once tried to spiralize one so large that it almost broke the hand-crank on my machine. Jeanne, it sounds like that was one of your zucchinis.
Zucchini fritters are also really good. Lots of recipes online.
Question: does anyone know how you can tell if a zucchini might be bitter before you cook it? Thought I'd read somewhere that the larger ones can be bitter, but I'm not certain of that.
I never press the zucchini ...
I just use any zucchini bread recipe, but sub GF 1:1 flour mix for the wheat flour (I like Bobs Red Mill or Cup 4 Cup).
I use my Cuisinart to grate the zucchini (or carrots if making carrot cake). No one said you have to do it the hard way!
As for other recipes, I make zucchini with pasta (GF of course) all the time. I like it with fresh pesto and sundried tomatoes, some grated pecorino on top.
Another old family favorite is to do a fast pickle. Here's how:
1. Slice the zucchini "on the bias", thinly (1/2 inch at most)
2. Heat some olive oil (use the cheap stuff) in a skillet - enough to cover bottom
3. Fry the slices on low-medium flame til golden
4. Drain on paper towels
5. Throw in any handy container (that is not metal) the following to taste:
-vinegar (whichever kind you like, I prefer red wine for this)
-chopped fresh mint leaves
-red pepper flakes
-salt
-a little more EVOO (use the good stuff)
6. Toss in the zucchini and stir or shake.
7. Store covered in fridge - minimum 4 hours, should keep for 2 weeks.
@dannyboy Aw, so sorry about the beetles. Okay. a week ago I was at my veggie garden and a Chinese gardener named Carl who has the plot next to mine, was in his plot, silently moving among his squash and complaining about all the beetles. I said, "That's too bad. I don't have any!" He came over to my plot and examined the leaves and said, "Yes, you do." I had been looking for those yellow beetles. He was looking for larvae, little yellow wormy things. He said, "Jeanne, the larvae eat all day long. That's all they do. They will destroy your crop." So I stayed two hours and squashed about 500 little yellow guys with my fingers, which turned sticky yellow. I don't know why, with my empathic brain that can't stand to even hurt a little plant, but I have no feelings for those larvae. I squish em with my fingers and am glad.
Muwhahaha.
I have a friend who pulls worms off her tomato and other plants and tosses them to her chickens!
"Circle of Life" LOL