🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <jh9mc1120a8pslk5gl2phkb1g5savsobjl@4ax.com>,
 "Mitch@this_is_not_a_real_address.com" <> wrote:

> ...when I can't even figure out a decent way to cook it?  :-)
>
> The plants are pretty, though.  And big.
>
> Seriously, though.  Other than breading and frying (I'm on Weight
> Watchers), any tasty tips would be appreciated.

i love them stuffed.
Saute with some garlic and herbs
Grated and cooked with corn and diced onion and used as enchilada filling


marcella

Mitch@this_is_not_a_real_address.com wrote:
> ...when I can't even figure out a decent way to cook it?  :-)
>
> The plants are pretty, though.  And big.
>
> Seriously, though.  Other than breading and frying (I'm on Weight
> Watchers), any tasty tips would be appreciated.

Slice into wedges and saute with olive oil and garlic, s&p (only al dente )

Slice into wedges or cut into cubes and saute with yellow (summer)
squash in olive oil and s&p. Again only aldente and about half way
through give 'em a good splash of balsamic vinegar.

Slice them and use them in a lasagna style dish.



--
Steve
Ever notice that putting the and IRS together makes "theirs"?

On Wed, 06 Jul 2005 00:27:14 GMT,
"Mitch@this_is_not_a_real_address.com" <> wrote:

>...when I can't even figure out a decent way to cook it?  :-)
>
>The plants are pretty, though.  And big.
>
>Seriously, though.  Other than breading and frying (I'm on Weight
>Watchers), any tasty tips would be appreciated.


Take them into work and leave them anonymously.

Boron

In article <jh9mc1120a8pslk5gl2phkb1g5savsobjl@4ax.com>,
 "Mitch@this_is_not_a_real_address.com" <> wrote:

> ...when I can't even figure out a decent way to cook it?  :-)
>
> The plants are pretty, though.  And big.
>
> Seriously, though.  Other than breading and frying (I'm on Weight
> Watchers), any tasty tips would be appreciated.

Lightly steamed in chunks.

Grilled unbreaded in slices, marinate with salad dressing.
Foreman grill or open grill works.

Shredded and served raw on salads.

Cut into thick strips, dip in ranch dressing and eat raw.

LOTS of ways to prepare this wonderful veggie! :-)

HTH?

--
K.

Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

There is no need to change the world. All we have to do is toilet train the world and we'll never have to change it again.  -- Swami Beyondanada

>,,<Cat's Haven Hobby Farm>,,<Katraatcenturyteldotnet>,,<

http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewSellersOtherItems&include=0&userid=katra

Boron Elgar wrote:
> ......................
> Take them into work and leave them anonymously.
>
> Boron

Yeah, that's what everyone else does.

Actually, years ago, I thought breading and frying was the only way to
eat them. I haven't done that in years.
I like them now cooked very simply. I just steam them (or boil them)
until they get barely tender. They should still be a little crispy, not
cooked to mush. A little salt and a little butter and they are really good.
The trick is to stay ahead of them and pick them when still very tender.
No more than a few days after flowering. Healthy fast growing plants may
produce 8 or 9 inch zucchinis in a few days that will still be tender.
Stressed plants may take longer to make a smaller zucchini that is past
it's prime. If you neglect to pick them and they get too big, it's time
to take them to work.
One other thing, zucchini is best cooked right after being picked. This
is at least as important as it is with sweet corn. If I have zucchini
laying around for much more than a day, I throw it away and pick more.
If you fry it, you may not notice the difference but it's pretty obvious
when you steam it.

Steve

Sue wrote:

> .....................
> ...........................
> ................... (why do those darned things turn
> yellow and rot at about 1" long?) ..................

Lack of pollination. If bees are not doing the job you need to go out in
the morning and do it yourself.

Steve

Mitch@this_is_not_a_real_address.com wrote:
> ...when I can't even figure out a decent way to cook it?  :-)
>
> The plants are pretty, though.  And big.
>
> Seriously, though.  Other than breading and frying (I'm on Weight
> Watchers), any tasty tips would be appreciated.

Grilled, grilled, and grilled. Slice into long strips, toss them with a
little olive oil and salt and assorted herbies, and throw on the barbie.

Or, alternatively, sauteed with peppers and onions and a little salt
(the salt helps draw out the juices and it carmelizes nicely) on high
heat so they get a little seared on the edges, then toss in a little soy
sauce at the  end (and sesame seeds if you have them). A good way to cut
squash (or any vegetable for sauteeing) is to cut it first into
quarters, then chop at alternating angles \/\/\/ to make irregular
trapezoidal pieces. The angles help things move in the pan better than
flat, regular slices, which have to be tediously flipped.

On Tue, 05 Jul 2005 21:58:30 -0400, Steve <tlswilso@aol.com> wrote:

>Boron Elgar wrote:
>> ......................
>> Take them into work and leave them anonymously.
>>
>> Boron
>
>Yeah, that's what everyone else does.
>
>Actually, years ago, I thought breading and frying was the only way to
>eat them. I haven't done that in years.
>I like them now cooked very simply. I just steam them (or boil them)
>until they get barely tender. They should still be a little crispy, not
>cooked to mush. A little salt and a little butter and they are really good.
>The trick is to stay ahead of them and pick them when still very tender.
>No more than a few days after flowering. Healthy fast growing plants may
>produce 8 or 9 inch zucchinis in a few days that will still be tender.
>Stressed plants may take longer to make a smaller zucchini that is past
>it's prime. If you neglect to pick them and they get too big, it's time
>to take them to work.
>One other thing, zucchini is best cooked right after being picked. This
>is at least as important as it is with sweet corn. If I have zucchini
>laying around for much more than a day, I throw it away and pick more.
>If you fry it, you may not notice the difference but it's pretty obvious
>when you steam it.
>
>Steve


Last night's (picked an hour before) were sauteed with some onion, a
tomato, a bit of tarragon, thyme, salt & pepper. Love that garden.

Still, in another week there will be more zucchini than lighting bugs
out there.  It is my neighbor's fault - she gave me the seedlings.

Boron

Mitch@this_is_not_a_real_address.com wrote:
> ...when I can't even figure out a decent way to cook it?  :-)
>
> The plants are pretty, though.  And big.
>
> Seriously, though.  Other than breading and frying (I'm on Weight
> Watchers), any tasty tips would be appreciated.

Toss them in a crock pot, sliced thinly, with one diced onion and about
the same amount of diced fresh tomatoes, and cook until they are soft
and the tomatoes have broken down - usually 4 hours or so on the high
setting, or 8 on the low setting. Season with Italian seasoning, or
fresh oregano, thyme and parsley, and salt to taste. My husband eats
this as is or over white rice as a side dish, and it also freezes well.
(You can cook this on the stove top if you don't have a Crockpot - takes
about 45 minutes from start to finish that way.)Depending upon what else
is producing in the garden, I will toss in green peppers or other
vegetables, too.

You can also slice them and serve young small ones in salad in the place
of cucumbers.

On Wed, 06 Jul 2005 00:27:14 GMT,
"Mitch@this_is_not_a_real_address.com" <> wrote:

>...when I can't even figure out a decent way to cook it?  :-)
>
>The plants are pretty, though.  And big.
>
>Seriously, though.  Other than breading and frying (I'm on Weight
>Watchers), any tasty tips would be appreciated.

I always cook them with stewed tomatoes.
Sue

On Tue, 05 Jul 2005 20:44:20 -0400, Boron Elgar
<boron_elgar@hotmail.com> wrote:

>On Wed, 06 Jul 2005 00:27:14 GMT,
>"Mitch@this_is_not_a_real_address.com" <> wrote:
>
>>...when I can't even figure out a decent way to cook it?  :-)
>>
>>The plants are pretty, though.  And big.
>>
>>Seriously, though.  Other than breading and frying (I'm on Weight
>>Watchers), any tasty tips would be appreciated.
>
>
>Take them into work and leave them anonymously.

Back when I actually had a crop (why do those darned things turn
yellow and rot at about 1" long?) that's what I did.
Sue

>
>Boron

"Mitch@this_is_not_a_real_address.com" <> wrote:

>...when I can't even figure out a decent way to cook it?  :-)
>
>The plants are pretty, though.  And big.
>
>Seriously, though.  Other than breading and frying (I'm on Weight
>Watchers), any tasty tips would be appreciated.

Make pickles.


* Exported from MasterCook *

                              Squash Pickles

Recipe By     :
Serving Size  :     Preparation Time :0:00
Categories    : Canning, Preserves, Etc.

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  8               cups  squash, summer -- sliced
  2               cups  onions -- sliced
  1         tablespoon  salt
  1                cup  green pepper -- diced
  2               cups  vinegar, cider
  3 1/2           cups  sugar
  1           teaspoon  celery seed
  1           teaspoon  mustard seed

Combine squash and onions.  Sprinkle with salt.  Let stand 1 hour.

Combine peppers, vinegar, sugar and spices.  Bring to a boil.

 Drain squash and onions, add to liquid.  Boil for 1 minute

Remove from heat and pack in jars and seal.

Process in BWB for 5 minutes for pints.


Yield:
  "4 pints"
                                    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- -


--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral, 48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974)

<Mitch@this_is_not_a_real_address.com> wrote in message
news:jh9mc1120a8pslk5gl2phkb1g5savsobjl@4ax.com...
> ...when I can't even figure out a decent way to cook it?  :-)
>
> The plants are pretty, though.  And big.
>
> Seriously, though.  Other than breading and frying (I'm on Weight
> Watchers), any tasty tips would be appreciated.

Cut into coins and saute in butter with onion until light brown.  Quick and
easy.

What herbs go good w/Zukes?

http://grannyskitchen.com/zucchini/

it freezes well also... zucchini bread year around
<Mitch@this_is_not_a_real_address.com> wrote in message
news:jh9mc1120a8pslk5gl2phkb1g5savsobjl@4ax.com...
> ...when I can't even figure out a decent way to cook it?  :-)
>
> The plants are pretty, though.  And big.
>
> Seriously, though.  Other than breading and frying (I'm on Weight
> Watchers), any tasty tips would be appreciated.

>
> What herbs go good w/Zukes?
>

Some of my favourites are fresh thyme, fresh flat leaf parsley, or dried
oregano.

Also, for those zucchini that get too big and seedy, I stuff them and
bake them.  Scoop out the seeds, and some of the flesh, shred the flesh
with some carrot and/or parsnip, mix with some dices tomato, onion and
bell pepper (and optionally some seasoned sausage meat), plus seasonings
of your choice.  Top with bread crumb and olive oil, then bake in a
350-375F oven.

Andrew

In article <67OdnQ9eOtms8lHfRVn-pg@adelphia.com>,
 "TQ" <ToweringQs AT adelphia.net> wrote:

> <Mitch@this_is_not_a_real_address.com> wrote in message
> news:jh9mc1120a8pslk5gl2phkb1g5savsobjl@4ax.com...
> > ...when I can't even figure out a decent way to cook it?  :-)
> >
> > The plants are pretty, though.  And big.
> >
> > Seriously, though.  Other than breading and frying (I'm on Weight
> > Watchers), any tasty tips would be appreciated.
>
> Cut into coins and saute in butter with onion until light brown.  Quick and
> easy.
>
> What herbs go good w/Zukes?
>
>

Dill. :-)
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson

Sometimes in August a day's picking will yield a handful of beans, a small
pepper, a small zucchini, one tomato, and such - not enough of anything for
a meal. So I steam the mixture together with a little onion (long cooking
veggies go into the pot first, short cooking ones later) and dress with
olive oil, salt, and basil. That's good. When there are lots of zucchinis, I
like them stir fried and dressed with a dash of soy sauce and sesame oil.

I used to plant zucchinis in the spring, but discovered that it works better
for us to plant them in July. The squash borers have gone by then, and the
peas and lettuces are just finishing up and ready to give up their places in
our small garden. An early July planting yields in mid-August, which gives
us a zucchini harvest for 4-6 weeks. After that we're about ready to give up
eating zucchinis anyway.

In article <jh9mc1120a8pslk5gl2phkb1g5savsobjl@4ax.com>,
Mitch@this_is_not_a_real_address.com <> wrote:
>...when I can't even figure out a decent way to cook it?  :-)
>
>The plants are pretty, though.  And big.
>
>Seriously, though.  Other than breading and frying (I'm on Weight
>Watchers), any tasty tips would be appreciated.

I love it in soup.

--
http://yosemitecampsites.com/

In article <haamc1drc6ij50jh4vpuh2oe9c48ede977@4ax.com>,
Boron Elgar  <boron_elgar@hotmail.com> wrote:

>Take them into work and leave them anonymously.

I used to do that with figs until I got a roomate
that eats them.

--
http://www.spinics.net/photo/

In article <1kgmc1136hhsj3bi75c7akupotg9l6o6qa@4ax.com>, Boron Elgar <boron_elgar@hotmail.com> wrote:
>On Tue, 05 Jul 2005 21:58:30 -0400, Steve <tlswilso@aol.com> wrote:
>Still, in another week there will be more zucchini than lighting bugs
>out there.  It is my neighbor's fault - she gave me the seedlings.

Couple ago I had only one zucchini plant. I used it to feed India. :)

Try coating it lightly in powdered ranch dressing mix, and frying in a
nonstick pan as-is. (I also do this with catfish.. YUM!)

Use it as a pasta substitute in meat and tomato dishes, or in meat and
cream of mushroom soup dishes. You can even make a sort of lasagna
that way.

Gut large ones and fill the hollow with a mix of sausage and mushroom
soup; bake. Looks like a cat barfed in your oven; tastes wonderful!

~REZ~

In article <GQeze.8123$GJ3.5708@news.cpqcorp.net>, "Kathy" <kathy@nospam.com> wrote:
>us a zucchini harvest for 4-6 weeks. After that we're about ready to give up
>eating zucchinis anyway.

One of the items in my, um, cookbook, entitled "Why No One Eats At My
House":

Zucchini poisoning.

;)

~REZ~

Marcella Peek wrote:
> In article <jh9mc1120a8pslk5gl2phkb1g5savsobjl@4ax.com>,
>  "Mitch@this_is_not_a_real_address.com" <> wrote:
>
> > ...when I can't even figure out a decent way to cook it?  :-)
> >
> > The plants are pretty, though.  And big.
> >
> > Seriously, though.  Other than breading and frying (I'm on Weight
> > Watchers), any tasty tips would be appreciated.
>
> i love them stuffed.
> Saute with some garlic and herbs
> Grated and cooked with corn and diced onion and used as enchilada filling
>
>
> marcella


Try this: Take some zucchini and cut them lengthwise into 1/4 in
planks. Place them on a sheet of aluminum foil. Slice some onions and
(ripe) tomatoes, and put them on top. Cut some corn off the ears (or
use frozen cut corn) and sprinkle liberally on top. Dot some butter,
margerine, or combination on top. Add salt & pepper to taste. Fold over
the foil. Put a few holes in the top with a fork to release steam. Put
the package on a medium-hot grill for 20 minutes or so (while the rest
of your barbecue is cooking). Enjoy without guilt (lots of vegies,
little fat). One 6-in zucchini makes good planks for one package.

Jim Thomas

<Mitch@this_is_not_a_real_address.com> wrote in message
news:jh9mc1120a8pslk5gl2phkb1g5savsobjl@4ax.com...
> ...when I can't even figure out a decent way to cook it?  :-)
>
> The plants are pretty, though.  And big.
>
> Seriously, though.  Other than breading and frying (I'm on Weight
> Watchers), any tasty tips would be appreciated.

Put it in curries. Delicious!

Mitch@this_is_not_a_real_address.com Wrote:
> ....when I can't even figure out a decent way to cook it?  :-)
>
> The plants are pretty, though.  And big.
>
> Seriously, though.  Other than breading and frying (I'm on Weight
> Watchers), any tasty tips would be appreciated.


I cut them Lengthwise and freeze them to make Zucchini Lasagna later.
just use the zucchini noodles instead of the Lasagna noodles. I boil th
zucchini before putting into the casserole so that they are nice an
tender.

Grilling them is great too, and on kabobs they are great. We also lik
them saute'ed in a Chineese stir fry too. I have grated them and froz
them to make zucchini bread before too.

You can also make homemade pizza with the ingredients you are allowe
to eat and slice a few slices of zucchini on them.

A long time ago I had a recipe where you could make fake pineapple ou
of zucchini, and it really tasted like pineapple. I'm not shure I coul
find that recipe now though

--
Maryc

Evelyn McHugh wrote:

> Mitch@this_is_not_a_real_address.com wrote:
>
>> ...when I can't even figure out a decent way to cook it?  :-)
>>
>> The plants are pretty, though.  And big.
>>
>> Seriously, though.  Other than breading and frying (I'm on Weight
>> Watchers), any tasty tips would be appreciated.
>
>
> Toss them in a crock pot, sliced thinly, with one diced onion and about
> the same amount of diced fresh tomatoes, and cook until they are soft
> and the tomatoes have broken down - usually 4 hours or so on the high
> setting, or 8 on the low setting. Season with Italian seasoning, or
> fresh oregano, thyme and parsley, and salt to taste. My husband eats
> this as is or over white rice as a side dish, and it also freezes well.
> (You can cook this on the stove top if you don't have a Crockpot - takes
> about 45 minutes from start to finish that way.)Depending upon what else
> is producing in the garden, I will toss in green peppers or other
> vegetables, too.
>
> You can also slice them and serve young small ones in salad in the place
> of cucumbers.



My goodness we are getting a lot of great advice here. Too bad that I
haven't seen the original poster back here to comment on any of it.  :-(

Steve

Copied from a favorite Mexican restaurant in So. Cal., El Presidente, Sliced
Calibacitas (not sure about the spelling, it's been years).

My version is:
Cover sliced rounds of Zucchini with Mexican green salsa, I like La Victoria
Microwave until tender
Cover with Monterey Jack Cheese
Microwave until melted
Yum

<Mitch@this_is_not_a_real_address.com> wrote in message
news:jh9mc1120a8pslk5gl2phkb1g5savsobjl@4ax.com...
> ...when I can't even figure out a decent way to cook it?  :-)
>
> The plants are pretty, though.  And big.
>
> Seriously, though.  Other than breading and frying (I'm on Weight
> Watchers), any tasty tips would be appreciated.

>My goodness we are getting a lot of great advice here. Too bad that I
>haven't seen the original poster back here to comment on any of it.  :-(
>


Just got back.

Wow!  Some great ideas.  I'm going to try several.  We're having
stuffed zucchini tonight, and I want to try some fried.

We're making kabobs on the grill tomorrow, so I'll try some there.
And we usually have pasta with homemade sauce about once a week, so
I'll try the shredded zucchini idea in that.

Mitch@this_is_not_a_real_address.com wrote:

>>My goodness we are getting a lot of great advice here. Too bad that I
>>haven't seen the original poster back here to comment on any of it.  :-(
>>
>
>
>
> Just got back.
>
> Wow!  Some great ideas.  I'm going to try several.  We're having
> stuffed zucchini tonight, and I want to try some fried.
>
> We're making kabobs on the grill tomorrow, so I'll try some there.
> And we usually have pasta with homemade sauce about once a week, so
> I'll try the shredded zucchini idea in that.
>
>
My zucchini are doing a "here they all come".  I have 3 plants; one was
in the greenhouse and two outside.  We've been enjoying zucchini from
the greenhouse for about a month.  Now the outside ones have 3 large
zucchini on them since I missed picking them at the ideal size of about
8 in.  Here's how we like zucchini besides bread - Slice or chop one
spanish onion.  Cut zuchinni into bite size pieces.  Sautee in olive oil
with a little butter until onions carmelize slightly.  Sprinkle on a
little salt, pepper, and grated fresh parmesan cheese.  Enjoy :)

Mitch@this_is_not_a_real_address.com wrote:

> ...when I can't even figure out a decent way to cook it?  :-)
>
> The plants are pretty, though.  And big.
>
> Seriously, though.  Other than breading and frying (I'm on Weight
> Watchers), any tasty tips would be appreciated.

Get a vegetable dehydrator and make zucchini chips. No added fat, salt,
or anything. The dried chips taste good and freeze very well.

>My goodness we are getting a lot of great advice here. Too bad that I
>haven't seen the original poster back here to comment on any of it.  :-(

I'll say. I can't wait for a zucchini to try zucchini lasagne. But since
zukes often provide more all at once than one family can eat, what are good
ways to make use of the extras (other than put them on the neighbor's porch,
ring the bell, and run, like I used to do as a kid)? If you freeze them,
how, and what are thawed zucchinis good for?

Kathy

Kathy wrote:

>>My goodness we are getting a lot of great advice here. Too bad that I
>>haven't seen the original poster back here to comment on any of it.  :-(
>
>
> I'll say. I can't wait for a zucchini to try zucchini lasagne. But since
> zukes often provide more all at once than one family can eat, what are good
> ways to make use of the extras (other than put them on the neighbor's porch,
> ring the bell, and run, like I used to do as a kid)? If you freeze them,
> how, and what are thawed zucchinis good for?
>
> Kathy
>
>
Frozen & dried zucchini are good in soups or stews.  Our favourite way
is to sautee zucchini with onions and season with a little fresh ground
pepper, salt, and fresh grated parmesan cheese.