From Rosalind Creasy
Edible Landscape Skills

How many zucchini can four plants produce in a summer? I can tell you that over the past six weeks, my four plants have produced 52.5 pounds! At the local market, organically grown zucchini sells for $1.29 a pound. You do the math. I’ll report back in September and let you know how much zucchini I get in total (I pull out the zucchini at that point to put in a fall garden of broccoli, peas, cilantro, and greens). I bought a packet of zucchini seeds for $2.79, which contains enough seeds for the next two years, as well.

After years of growing my own vegetables, I was curious as to how much food I actually harvest. So, I started 100-square-foot garden (20 feet by 5 feet) along side my small front lawn. I planted four zucchini—two dark green and two yellow. At each end of the bed I planted a tomato—‘Early Girl’, a mid-sized, early variety and ‘Better Boy’, a large red beefsteak type. In front of each tomato, I put in two basil plants and the space in the middle has six bell peppers. As of today, I’ve harvested 6 handfuls of basil leaves for two recipes of pesto and enough to season a few zucchini frittatas. Soon the tomatoes and bell peppers will be ripe; I’ll keep you up to date on how many pounds I harvest as I go along.

And you know, if you haven’t yet planted zucchini, it’s not too late. Many nurseries have small plants, and they grow quickly from seed, especially now that the soil is nice and warm.

Sleuth Nutrition
Zucchini, the vegetable that people love to make fun of (especially as it is so easy to grow—often turning into a baseball bat seemingly overnight), is really good for you. Who knew? Often overlooked, zucchini is amazingly nutritious. It’s low in carbohydrates, and very high in lutein, an anti-oxidant, which, according to the Mayo Clinic, helps protect vision and may prevent macular degeneration. Zucchini is also a source of potassium, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin A, and phosphorus. And it is a mild anti-inflammatory.

I’ll bet that when you think of recipes for zucchini, the first ones that come to mind are zucchini bread and ratatouille. Yet it is so versatile. And you can sneak it into recipes to add nutrients to your family’s diet (it’s even easier to fit in the yellow and light green varieties for kids). For instance, if you start with grated zucchini (skin and all; let it drain in a colander for at least 20 minutes), you can add it to corn meal pancakes (see recipe below) or put it on a pizza (on top of the cheese). I always have more than I can use at once, and have recently learned that after draining, you can freeze the grated zucchini and add it to fall and winter stews, soups, and of course, zucchini bread.

My favorite way to prepare zucchini is to marinate it—whole or halved— and grill or roast it. I always start with good olive oil, and then have several variations of marinade ingredients, depending on my flavor mood:

Asian—with garlic, lemon juice, and grated ginger
Italian—with fresh chopped rosemary
Mexican—with chilies, cumin, and cilantro

I only marinate it for a few minutes; it gets most of the flavor when I brush on the marinade as the zucchini are cooking. I grill a whole lot of zucchini at once so I have plenty for leftovers and don’t have to do major cooking every day; it’s versatile enough to make several different meals. The first day, I serve it as a side dish as part of a grilled/roasted meal.

The cooked Asian zucchini I might slice or chop and serve over brown rice. Italian ones, I add chopped tomatoes and serve with pasta. And Mexican, I chop with chess and use to stuff burritos or enchiladas. And all of the variations are delicious tossed on greens with some nuts. I’m sure you’ll come up with many ideas of your own.
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Organic Zucchini/Cornbread Pancakes Recipe

3/4 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup grated yellow or green zucchini
3 tablespoons onion, chopped fine
3 tablespoons yellow or red bell pepper, chopped fine
1 cup of your favorite salsa

In a medium bowl put flour, baking powder, sugar, cornmeal, and salt. Blend with a spoon. In another small bowl put the egg, milk, oil, squash, onion, and pepper. Mix the wet ingredients with a spoon and pour over the dry ingredients and lightly stir until just barely moist.

Heat a frying pan or griddle, grease it, then cook 2 or 3 pancakes at a time over medium heat until both sides are golden brown and the insides are firm. Keep pancakes warm in a low oven until all are cooked.

Makes 8 to 10 3-inch pancakes. I serve these pancakes with salsa (homemade or bottled) for a light dinner or a weekend breakfast.
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Organic Squash Blossom Omelet Recipe

All squash blossoms are edible; and summer squash plants not only produce the largest flowers but also are the most prolific. Squash plants produce both male and female flowers—the female has a tiny squash at the base—and you can use either one in a recipe. If you harvest the female flowers however, you of course cut down on squash production.

Here I have used squash blossoms, red peppers, and yellow zucchinis for a colorful and real tasty entree.

For the filling:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
6 baby zucchini, cut in half lengthwise
6 large squash blossoms
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon or basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the omelet:
1 teaspoon olive oil
6 large eggs
4 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives

To make the filling:
In a large nonstick sauté pan heat the olive oil and sauté the onions over medium heat until soft, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and bell peppers and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the onion mixture to a bowl and set aside. Put the zucchinis in the pan and sauté them until lightly browned. Add the onion mixture to the zucchinis in the pan.

Carefully open the squash blossoms and remove any possible critters. Remove the stamens and pistils and chop the flowers. Add the chopped blossoms and the tarragon or basil to the zucchini pan, season with the salt and pepper, cover and set aside.

To make the omelet:
In a small mixing bowl mix 3 of the eggs with a fork. In a nonstick 8- to 10 inch sauté pan heat the olive oil until hot, but not smoking. Pour the eggs into the pan, (they should sizzle). Tilt the pan in a few directions to make sure the mixture evenly coats the pan and give the mixture a gently shake to make sure it is not sticking. With a spatula, gently lift sections of the cooked portions and let a little of the uncooked egg flow underneath. When most of the egg is set but the top is still moist, over one half of the omelet sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the parmesan cheese and spoon half of the vegetable filling over the cheese. With a spatula make sure the omelet is not sticking and then gently fold the other half of the omelet over the filling. Slide the omelet onto a preheated plate, garnish with the chopped chives and whole zucchini blossoms. Repeat the process for the second omelet.

Serves 2.
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Organic Summer Squash Sauté with Anise Recipe

2 cups tomatoes, skinned, seeded, and chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups yellow or green summer squash, sliced
1 cup of green and red bell peppers, chopped
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon anise seeds
2 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese (optional)

Put tomatoes in a colander to drain. In a large frying pan put the oil. Add squash, peppers, onion, anise seeds, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper. Sauté on medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until the squash is tender and translucent. Add tomatoes and simmer for 2 minutes, then add cheese and simmer 2 minutes more or until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

This is great as a side dish or as a filling for two generous omelets.

Serves 4.
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See also Lisa’s Got Squash? (Organic Zucchini Bread Receipe)
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Rosalind Creasy is author of Rosalind Creasy’s Recipes From The Garden: 200 Exciting Recipes from the Author of the Complete Book of Edible Landscaping.
Images Credit: Rosalind Creasy
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