Z....Z....Zucchini!

Ah early September!  Thoughts turn to football (NINERS!!), getting to wear my favorite pair of comfy sweats on Sunday afternoons, cardigan sweaters, finding the perfect pair of new riding boots that I absolutely have to have this year, and what the heck am I going to do with all this zucchini????!!!!  Seriously, our garden this year produced the hugest, most prolific zucchini plant we've had in the 11 years we've lived in this house.  So what to do with them?

Perfect eating zuchs are between eight and ten inches long.  My favorite way to eat them -

In a medium pan, saute 1-2 cloves of chopped garlic in about a tablespoon of olive oil over meduim heat until the garlic is browned.  Add one sliced zuch and saute until tender but not soggy (it will start to look a bit translucent).  Add one diced tomato and one tablespoon chopped fresh basil (or 1 teaspoon dried basil) and gently stir just until tomatoes are heated.  Salt to taste and top with Parmesan cheese and serve.  Makes 2-3 servings.

Of course the fact that zucchini grow from inchlings to over two feet long in just over 36 hours (not really, but they grow FAST) means that coming back to pick it a few days later may find it past it's pan sized prime.  You could write an entire book of ways to bake with zucchini.  Brownies, cakes, muffins, biscuits, cookies.....and my favorite -

Classic Zucchini Bread

3 eggs, beaten
1 cup vegetable or canola oil
2 cups sugar
2 cups grated zucchini
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour (part whole wheat is good)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
Nuts or raisins or mini chocolate chips if desired

In large mixing bowl, beat eggs well.  Add oil, sugar, zucchini and vanilla and mix well.  Add dry ingredients and mix well.  Grease bottoms of bread pans and fill 3/4 full and bake at 325 degrees, 1 hour for large pans, 45-50 minutes for small pans.  Bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean.  Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.  Gently loosen sides from pan with a knife and turn loaves out onto rack.  Cool completely.

The one thing I did try one time that I REALLY would not recommend is making zucchini jam.  Yeah...shredded zucchini, sugar and koolade.  If you ever come across that one you might want to skip it.  Trust me.