Friday, May 20, 2011

It's a Squash, Squash, Squash,Squash World

Yesterday I came home from school and pulled even more squash/zucchini. It's amazing that squash can look puny one day and beastial the next. I had NO idea what to make for dinner. I haven't been "menu shopping" in quite some time, so it was a free for all/Hail Mary kind of night. I took the squash/zucchini, onion, garlic and oregano from the garden. I browned some ground beef, sauteed the rest and threw it in a Pyrex.
Then I threw some spaghetti sauce and cornbread mix over the top and made ourselves a cornbread-zucchini bake.

It's the first time I've tried anything like that and it was pretty durn' tasty. It was even good cold when I took left overs to lunch and became impatient and ate it cold for breakfast.


Thinking however, about the prolific properties of squash recently...I just almost emptied my fridge of squash yesterday and then picked this out of the garden today:

Good grief!! So, my gardening friends...here's the challenge...I'm starting a new page to this blog with 101 things to do with squash and zucchini. Post here or email your recipes to thecorneryard@ymail.com and I'll attribute, link to your blog and post your recipes there. It's a perfect reference site. Granny, Ifully intend to put your chocolate zucchini muffins/cake there and my zucchini pie, but there are so many more ideas out ther that are begging to be tapped. Send them on, Zucchini Lovers of America! Ok....that was rather cheesy - but send the recipes regardless, okay?


To conclude.....and this is something EG experienced in his visit....Onions make a fantastic sound when you crack the stems. A sound that is irresistable and enticing to four year olds. EG heard the mandates of no touching and experienced the allure of the alliums first hand. Yesterday I caught the perpetrator red handed.

According to her, she wasn't touching them, she was 'cracking them.' She then voluteered to go ahead and pull one for me for dinner to make it all better. Perhaps I can train her with the same affinity for trapping squash bugs.


The morning comes early. Don't forget to send or post those squash recipes!! Sweet gardening dreams.

18 comments:

  1. I recently ran across this recipe in Food and Wine and I cannot wait to try it, two of my favorite things, zucchini and pasta! If you try it, let me know how it is. Darn diet.

    http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/fried-zucchini-spaghetti

    Nartaya @ funandfoodgarden.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a guilty culprit! :) I love that face! I can't wait (and really hope that I get) squash out of my ears like you've got. I can't seem to make that happen here... :) Looking forward to using your recipe page though!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Your cornbread-zucchini bake looks and sounds delicious. I love when a new recipe comes together. My family usually tells me to write down what I did so that I won't forget for next time.

    I will need to look for squash and zucchini recipes to share.

    Your "helper" looks so cute in the onion patch.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I still have a freezer full from my monster plant last year! I'm not even planting it in this year's garden.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Awesome, Nartaya! First recipe done.

    Megan, you don't know the half of it. She saw me over the balcony and said in the sheepish - it wasn't me voice, "What?"

    Debbie - I couldn't "write" a recipe on it since I threw it all in without measuring. Those are the best kinds.

    ReplyDelete
  6. The June-July 2011 issue of MOTHER EARTH NEWS has an article called "20 ways to use your zukes' :-)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Two years ago I grew the yellow crookneck squash. ONE plant. I had so many of those buggers coming, I finally pulled the plant to make it stop. I STILL can't bring myself to eat them. But the stuff you're making with them looks so durn good. Must resist planting THE SQUASH...........

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh you must put in Pat's Zucchini Relish which Granny has on her blog:
    http://annieskitchengarden.blogspot.com/2008/09/september-9-2008-in-garden.html

    Then the tomato and zucchini casserole from allrecipes:
    http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Tomato-Zucchini-Casserole/Detail.aspx

    Daphne's Curried Vegetables:
    http://daphnesdandelions.blogspot.com/2008/08/eggplant-explosion.html

    And I grate zucchini and freeze it for the winter to put it into soups and breads. My favorite soup to add it to is minestrone. I don't have a real recipe but it you can see it here:
    http://daphnesdandelions.blogspot.com/2009/11/red-thanksgiving.html

    And since I said I freeze it for bread too my favorite recipe is:
    Spicy Zucchini Bread
    Makes 2 loaves
    3 eggs
    1/2 c oil
    3/4 c homemade applesauce (or unsweetened)
    T vanilla
    3/4c white sugar
    1 c brown sugar
    3c shredded zucchini (if you freeze and dethaw it, don't drain it, use the liquid)
    1 1/2c flour
    1 1/2 c whole wheat flour
    t salt
    T baking powder
    t baking soda
    2 T ground cinnamon
    1/2 t allspice
    1/2 t nutmeg
    1/2 t ginger
    1/4 t cloves
    Preheat oven to 350. Grease two loaf pans. Mix everything together (don't overbeat). Put in pans and cook for 50 mins or until done.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Ok! The recipe page is coming together. We're far from 101 things, but keep those ideas coming!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Haha....cracking 'em. Maybe she'd like doing snap beans the same way.

    ReplyDelete
  11. From a recent post:
    http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com/2011/05/meatless-monday-zucchini-and-black-bean.html

    ReplyDelete
  12. Excellent, David! Thanks for letting me list it. It's up now!

    ReplyDelete
  13. A fantastic idea! I'm growing squashes for the first time this year so I'll be visiting the recipes frequently!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Excellent, Erin. You won't be disapointed.

    I just watered and collected tons of squash bugs and eggs in my soapy cup, but sadly I also saw my first squash vine borer moth. Now it's a waiting game. Hopefully the plants are strong and can hold out against the inevitable assault.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thanks for the separate page to the zucchini recipes. I hope to get the put some of them to use this year.

    ReplyDelete
  16. What a great thing Ribbit (esp after my email to you lats week). I am finally harvesting my (your) first zephyrs today- gonna have to pick a few of these to try!

    ReplyDelete
  17. I wish I had your cooking creativity!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I love that kid logic. Not TOUCHING them, indeed.

    ReplyDelete