Q. It’s summertime! So how can you tell if a Redding-nite has no friends?
Give-up?
Here’s one answer…
A. She’s buying zucchini at the grocery store.
Hahaha…
Really, though, it’s not a laughing matter. If your neighbors and friends are gardeners and their zucchini seeds have properly propagated you’ll notice.
You’ll observe “The Desperate” ones, lurking about, smiling and ready, like a quarterback, for the hand-off. But it’s not a football they want you to snag. They’ll be trying to hand you a bag…full of oblong green veggies…. those ever-loving, prolific little bombs known as Zucchini.
Yes. Your farming family will come. Knocking at your door, toting large brown bags overflowing with long green logs…begging you to take “just a few.” You like your neighbor. You think, ” Well, I could use a few.”
And then your friend, who loving tilled a backyard patch of dirt and planted a tiny urban garden, greets you. Bulging recycled plastic grocery bags hung over his arms, shades of green peeking out, he suggests your family has to try “just a few” of these healthy squashes he’s managed to produce.
And your cousin decides to bless you with “just a few” garden fresh zucchini.
A little clarification here: The words “just a few” can’t be used in the same sentence with zucchini. That’s an oxymoron.
The first year we planted a garden at the ranch, I labeled myself an authority on the “How To” of successful small crop management. After all, I pointed out to our family and visitors, look at those zucchini plants. There was not one, but four hills of maturing zucchini vines, weaving their way towards the garden gate, encroaching on the carrots, corn, and tomatoes, heading south into the cattle pasture. I was thrilled. Inflated with pride, I bragged about our good fortune and discussed the benefits of “hilling” vs “rows” in raising zucchini. They listened. They nodded. They smiled, indulgently. (That was Not a smirk…there were no smug smiles, I’m positive).
No one shouted, “What the heck? Four hills of zucchini? Are you nuts! Are you trying to feed the entire Marine Corps?” ( Oh no…that was me…months later….screeching at the cows, grabbing zucchini from an overloaded wheelbarrow, tossing them over the garden fence, trying to entice those bovines into eating the big beautiful green zombies).
In our small rural town we leave our vehicles unlocked while grocery shopping, picking up mail at the Post Office or standing around gossiping. But, in the summertime, we watch for “The Desperate.” “The Desperate” are not difficult to identify…they’re the ones skulking in the shadows, dodging in and around parked cars, with their loaded brown bags, attempting to share their harvest when they locate an unlocked vehicle. If you are spotted casting about, like a zucchini Good Samaritan, friends and neighbors have been known to lock their car doors.
So, after you’ve given away all you can, taken boxes to the homeless shelter, and sold bags and bags at the local farmer’s market, what then? Well, you ask friends, rummage through cookbooks and surf the net for zillions of new zucchini recipes. And then you make and bake and freeze anything and everything you can dream up that could possibly include zucchini: chili, soup, spaghetti sauce, quiche, marmalade, pizza sauce, chips, bread, muffins, scones, cookies, cakes and when quite frantic, ice cream!
One of my favorite recipes is Chocolate Oh Chocolate Zucchini Cake. It’s quick, easy and freezes beautifully. If you are one of the lucky ones, with an over-abundant zucchini plant, or you have a friend who gardens, or if you’ve purchased this incredibly versatile vegetable, you’ll enjoy this delicious sweet zucchini treat.
Ingredients
· 2 c sugar
· 3/4 c butter
· 3 large eggs
· 1 t vanilla
· 1 t baking soda dissolved in..
· 1/2 c buttermilk
· 2 1/2 c flour
· 1/2 c cocoa
· 1/2 t salt, baking powder, cinnamon
· 2 c grated zucchini
· 2 c semi-sweet chocolate pieces Hold one cup in reserve.
· 1 c chopped pecans (optional)
Directions
Cream sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla.
Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk and add to the creamed mixture.
Blend dry ingredients together and stir into creamed mixture.
Fold in the zucchini and chocolate pieces and nuts.
Pour batter into a 9X13 greased and floured pan. Top with remaining chocolate pieces.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Cool. Dust with powdered sugar. Serve with ice cream if desired.
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