Zucchini Recipes, Anyone?

John Augenstein
#1. September 9th, 2008, at 3:02 AM.

Bentley,
We’ve been blessed with a surplus of zukes for several years running. What we came up with this year is a dehydrator with about 10 slide out drawers. It works really well on all manner of summer squash, onions, apples, peaches and tomatos. With peaches and tomatos we have to line the drawers with baker’s parchment paper. I digress. Some zukes we leave plain. Some are sprinkled with various spices. A little salt and pepper, Tony’s Creole Seasoning, allspice.
When the above foods are dehydrated, the flavor concentrates. They are good for snacks as is or dipped in a little salad dressing (I prefer ranch, but 1000 island is also really good), and also good for cooking.
John in New Mexico

John Augenstein
#3. September 9th, 2008, at 5:36 PM.

Bently,
I got the dehydrator on Ebay.
“STX DEHYDRA 600W” 10 TRAY JERKY & FOOD DEHYDRATOR
Sale price:$92.20
Shipping & Handling:UPS Ground $28.80
It has a small fan and thermostat adjustable heater coil in the back and blows warm air from back to front. So far we have been really pleased with the results.
Hear’s another thing you can do. Wash the squash, cut off both ends, cut out any blemishes, slice them into 1/4 inch discs, put them in zip sealable freezer bags and freeze them. Later on you can take them out and fry them, use them in soups and stews, layer them in a baking dish and sprinkle cheese and bread cumbs or bacon bits or both and bake them. Go online and search for zucchini recipes. There’s lots out there.
Just as a point of interest, we have about 18 gallons of frozen zucchinis in our freezer. Anything that isn’t gone by the time they start to make next year will go to the worms, but I don’t think there will be any left-overs.
John in New Mexico

Cindy Anthony
#4. September 10th, 2008, at 2:18 AM.

I have an 8″ pleco in my goldfish tank who loves to consume a small zuchinni each week. He would short circuit if he saw the zukes in your pic. My pre-worm garden failed to produce even 1…however, I have had a worm bin all summer, and I started a scaled down trough in 1 section of my garden… you’re inspiring me to give them a try again next summer.

Jacques Bands
#5. September 10th, 2008, at 4:25 AM.

Hi Bentley,

When taking photos of an object and one wants to portrait the size, it helps to put an object of know size, eg matchbox or coin next to it, to indicate the relevant size. Obviously if the object is bigger, your comparision object needs to be bigger eg elephant next to a car.

From sunny South Africa – yeah summer is back.

Bob Packard
#7. September 11th, 2008, at 1:22 AM.

Hey Bentley, the picture of those zukes in the wheelbarrow is a pretty fair size comparison. I’ve never seen any at the supermarket that were as long as a wheelbarrow bed. Keep on growing.

Debbie
#8. September 12th, 2008, at 2:42 PM.

I love these comments.

I have never grown zucchini, cuz I didn’t think I liked it, but when I have a backyard again, I’ll certainly start learning to love it.

You can Google “solar dehydrator” and there are TONS of instructions on how you can make your own. You only need one day of sun (two for watery things like tomatoes). You’ll probably find a whole new blogworld out there for people who are urban gardening and urban homesteading.

Here is a suggestion and instructions on freezing zucchini. This blogger claims:

“I’m the only person on the planet who tends an enormous kitchen garden and yet bought thirty zucchini this summer.”

http://foodiefarmgirl.blogspot.com/2007/09/how-to-freeze-zucchini-my-one-claim-to.html

And Lastly, I recommend a book for all kitchen gardeners called _Animal, Vegetable, Miracle_ by Barbara Kingsolver.

Her teenage daughter made zucchini chocolate chip cookies for her 8 year old sister’s birthday guests and swore they never knew the difference.

http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/Zucchini%20Cookies.pdf

Have fun!!! Let me know if you try any of these.

Patrick McGuire
#10. September 18th, 2008, at 10:46 PM.

Check out this great recipe for zucchini bread. You can store it in the freezer and it is really delicious.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Moms-Zucchini-Bread/Detail.aspx

Jason Poll (aka Yoopergeek)
#11. September 24th, 2008, at 2:21 AM.

Here’s a recipe we used to work before having to kick gluten. Made properly, people won’t know it’s *not* apple cobbler. In fact, that’s how I was first introduced to it.

Ingredients:
* 4 cups flour
* 1 ½ cups sugar (?)
* 1 ½ cups butter
* 8 cups peeled and diced zucchini – no seeds
* 2/3 cup lemon juice
* 1 cup sugar (?)
* 1 tsp cinnamon
* ½ tsp nutmeg
* dash (< 1/8 tsp) cloves

Directions:
1. Mix flour, sugar (?) and butter and set aside
2. Cook zucchini and lemon juice in a pan until tender
3. Mix zucchini with sugar (?), cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves
* Cook about 2 minutes more
4. Remove from heat, add ½ cup flour mixture to thicken
5. Grease a 9×13 pan and:
* Add ½ of the flour mixture
* Pour zucchini on top
* Pour the remaining ½ of the mixture on top of the zucchini layer.
6. Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes

Cool and store in the fridge. Eat within a week.

Jason Poll (aka Yoopergeek)
#12. September 24th, 2008, at 2:22 AM.

My goodness…I shouldn’t go posting comments when I’m half asleep. My grammar goes right down the drain, and I forget to mention that the recipe is called:

Zucchini Mock Apple Cobbler