Often when people leave for vacation, they experience a pleasant surprise of a thriving garden when they return (as long as it’s being watered while they’re gone). My clients often report that just a week away produces a huge growth spurt in their gardens. I’ve had this experience myself.
Recently though, I’d like to say that I went away on vacation, but the truth is I just got lazy and didn’t check in on the zucchini for a few days. Oops…
This morning I picked 5 zucchini from one plant, including one that measures 18 inches long with a diameter of 5 inches. It’s closest sibling is 14 inches long, and the one after that is 12. Now either I’d better find a few mailboxes to shove these in around the neighborhood, or I need some good recipes for stuffed zucchini. Here’s one that I found today on Epicurious.com:
This recipe calls for veal, which I personally don’t eat, and I found that many people commented on the recipe that they substituted turkey or chicken for the veal with great success. I plan to sub out the veal for a well-spiced tofu mixture I’m dreaming up. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Do you have any favorite recipes for stuffing overgrown squash? Share them with us here.
I have a “Bread & Butter” pickle recipe that uses Zucchini that I’m happy to share. I think it’s too long to post here. Just let me know if you would like it.
There are a few possibilities that could be causing your squash to die a young death. One reason could be poor pollination. I hand pollinated my squash with a paintbrush this year to make sure there were no problems, as in the past. Last year, partially due to the bee collapse, I heard from folks all over the country about squash fruit taking a dive.
Here’s another article on the blog that might help you. It offers answers to other common squash problems.
Zucchini Mishaps
Hope this helps.
Oh my gosh…I wish I had zucchini to cook! While the plant seems healthy (but rather smallish)about 50% of my zucchinis start rotting from the end towards the stem! Sometimes the stem end kinda becomes bulb-ish like a balloon as the other end rots. Any ideas as to why this is happening or how I might prevent it?
Thanks!
Try BBQed zucchini. Slice those big boys about 3/8″to 1/2″ thick. Dip in veg oil then breadcrumbs and BBQ them about 5 min each side until golden brown. On a burger bun they need nothing but your appetite. Delicious!!!