Zuccini Gold

Zuccini used to be so cheap to buy.
Today, it's like you are buying gold.
The prices are unbelievable.
We used to buy them cheap by the bushel and now we have to choose between 3 - 4 for 10 dollars.
I sure miss my Moms' Garden. She had a huge one and we never lacked vegetables, marmalades,
juices and frozen berries, in winter. She supplied us and the neighbors around her lol.
My parents loved to garden. My little boy used to help her collect the beans and peas and they'd spend lots of time talking and playing in the garden. Kids love gardens.

Time to garden for sure for many reasons.
 Even in a small yard, new techniques are developed to garden upwards or run a wire and hang plants upside down so they grow down. People don;t use clothe lines. That's passe today but I still prefer clothes lines to dryers anytime.

We love to eat zuccini and I remember my Mom used to freeze them.
So I think it would be beneficial to grow them in your own garden rather than buy
them in the store in winter.

If you grow them small, like in the picture above,
you could empty them inside, or slice them in circles and then slice again in half
or you can over grow them, empty them and slice in 1 " high circles so you have a circle, with an empty middle.( every one used to laugh at my Mom when they would see her overgrown zuccini but she'd just smile.)

You can blanch them a few minutes in boiling water water or steam them for 3 minutes
put them in ice water three minutes dry them in paper towels and then freeze them in zip lock bags
using a straw to get as much air out of the bag as possible. You make portion bags.

My Mom used to bake the big ones, so she would make portions of 6 - 8 to a bag.
They would have to fit a long pyrex baking dish. The same if you are steaming them in a pot. Usually we mixed stuffed zuccini with stuffed eggplant and stuffed tomatoes. We'd add water with garlic and boil or steam them. The vegetables would simmer and the taste was unbelievably delicious.

In winter my Mom would stuff zuccini and bake them .
She made recipes covering them in her spiced tomato sauce
sometimes adding shredded cheese on top.
 They were soo  good and a very healthy meal. You never gained weight eating her food.

The big circle zuccini were delicious as she would fill the middle and bake it and serve it like a small personal  pizza
 the small ones also could be cut in half into  4" heights and stuffed with meat and rice and then
steamed in a saucepan with tomato juice and your favorite seasonings.
My husband loves stuffed food.
I love stuffed cabbage rolls but I hate the process of getting the leaves to come off the cabbage. They say freezing it is the best way cause then the leaves come off quite easily.

Other people prefer to boil the zuccini and make a liquid out of it and freeze it that way, to add to soups, stews, breads etc.... So many recipes out there to use them in.

The zuccini insides can be used in porridges and soups right away so nothing goes to waste.
 Zuccini are rich in fibre, water, Vit A, C , Potassium, great for weight watching and to boost your immune system

It is excellent for your heart, skin, lungs and eyes.

Today the sun is shining and it feels like spring.
 So I am in the mood to garden or at least plan a garden for spring.
Nothing like inspiration to start a day. lol

There is always a problem of course,with bugs.
 Why would we expect everything to be perfect?

 To avoid that, they recommend not to water over the plant . My husband loves to stand and just drown the plants watering them and he makes me very nervous when I see him enjoying himself around the garden. lol

So I hope he reads this blog.
 DO NOT OVER WATER!!!! lol
Men are funny.
They don't like to be nagged and yet they do everything,  so you have to stand over them like babies and nag  lol

Water under the plant and if you see bugs, squash the eggs under the leaf, which look like red dots, or spray under the leaf with dish soap . Putting newspaper on the ground helps as the bugs crawl under it and you can kill them in the morning. My parents used to put dishes with beer or wine and the bugs would just pile in there, in droves.
 You think only people love booze? Think again. Bugs have a serious alcohol problem
They can't just ....walk on by.lol

This is a good lesson for me to look back on when growing zuccinis. lol

Have a great day ! :)