What To Do With All Those Zukes

Posted in Gardening Tips on September 20 2011, by Sonia Uyterhoeven

At this time of year we are confronted with a surfeit of zucchini. The deluge begins in July increases momentum in August, and by September we’re all exhausted by this prolific vegetable.

But make no mistake: Zucchinis are great. They make the beginner gardener feel like a veteran grower. They grow as soon as you turn your back on them, maturing sometimes in just days after flowering.

Zucchinis are heavy feeders and enjoy soil that has been amended with compost and cow manure. I like to amend my soil in late fall, but early spring is also fine. Zucchinis are a warm season crop and are best planted from seed about two weeks after the last frost day in your region.

Zucchinis are a fairly well-behaved member of the squash family with a moderately compact growth habit. My favorite way of growing them is the ‘hilling’ method: make a 1 foot wide mound of soil raised 3 to 6 inches above grade and then plant five seeds in a circular pattern on the mound.

Once the seeds germinate I keep the two or three most vigorous seedlings and remove the rest. I give the approximately four feet to sprawl in all directions. Make sure to keep them well watered during summer dry spells and they will quickly fill the area.

One problem that I have often encountered with zucchini is that the foliage gets tired late in the season. As a remedy, I plant two mounds in the garden; one two weeks after the last frost date and another three to four weeks later. When the first mound begins looking tired I pull it out and replant the area with a late season crop such as lettuce, turnips, or beets. The second mound will continue producing zucchini for the rest of the season.

So now that we have guaranteed you more zucchinis than one family can possibly eat, what should you do with the glut Zucchinis are superstars on the grill, just baste them with olive oil and season them with sea salt and pepper and you are all set to go. If you don’t feel like standing over the grill, Mark Bittman of The New York Times has a nice recipe for vegetable pancakes that calls for two pounds of grated zucchini!

If you are endeavoring to coax your kids to eat more vegetables try homemade pizza. I like the convenience of ready-made pizza dough, especially whole wheat dough. For a zucchini pizza, thinly sliced some scallions, tomatoes, and zucchini; toss them together in a small bowl with extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, and parsley. Cover the pizza with your favorite cheese, and then arrange the vegetables on top. Pizza needs only 10 minutes in a pre-heated 450°F oven.

If you have a sweet tooth and want to try something more elaborate, there are many recipes available for chocolate zucchini bread or cake, most famously from the Parisian blog, Chocolate & Zucchini (which has many other zucchini recipes as well).

Now it’s your turn: What do you do with all your excess zucchinis? Please share your favorite recipes, links, or ideas in the comments below!