Zucchini
One of my favorite garden staples is zucchini. I know it’s not everyone’s favorite (I mean, after all, it is a squash), but I just love that you can make zoodles, grill it, and bake it! There aren’t too many garden items that you can make savory and sweet items, but I’ve found that you can do this with zucchini.
Here are a few things we have learned growing zucchini over the last few years:
A healthy zucchini plant can grow a lot of zucchinis. The first time Josh planted zucchini for me, I had no idea how many it would produce. And I could not keep up! I couldn’t eat it nor give it away fast enough. We typically grow three mounds spaced several feet apart. The last two years, one out of the three plants has not made it the whole summer so I’ve been able to keep up with them.
Pick right before they take off in size. I think the ideal size is about 8-10 inches in length. I’ve found that small zucchini are easier to zoodle. And once the zucchini get really big, they can become seedy which make them difficult to use or eat.
Squash bugs are your nemesis. Companion planting can help.
If the bottom row of leaves are laying on the ground, cut them off so the plant can breathe. This can be especially helpful if there’s been a lot of rain or moisture as wet leaves can begin to rot which is not good for the plant.
You make some tasty recipes out of zucchini.
Zucchini boats: Cut in half, carve out the seeds or a little indentation along the middle, add butter or marinara sauce, top with parmesan cheese baking at 350 degrees for 20 minutes (or until the zucchini can easily be pierced with a fork).
Grilled zucchini: Cut down into small bite size pieces, drizzle some olive oil, add your favorite spices (we like to do paprika and pepper or Slap Ya Mama Cajun seasoning), grill for about 10 minutes until the zucchini can easily be pierced with a fork.
Zucchini lasagna (these also can be frozen and used later in the year)
Zoodles-Look out for a future post on how to get Zoodles with the KitchenAid spiralizer attachment.
Gluten-free Zucchini Brownies-This recipe freezes really well and makes a great breakfast or snack.