“Over here,” my dear friend Ruth cried as she bent over the spreading green bed of thick zucchini plants. “It’s almost a watermelon.”
“Can’t be,” I denied. “I checked this morning, and I picked every one.”
“Well, you missed this zucchini several days ago. It’s a blimp.”
Most anyone who has tried to grow zucchini in a garden has had the experience above. So goes the summer cycle of zucchini growing. Sometimes I wonder why I continue to plant them year after year in the garden. Zucchini can produce so prolifically to almost be a nuisance, and when you miss picking one, the results can be most surprising, like a hidden blimp.
When the overabundance of zucchini is too much, I thow a Z Party, with everything on the menu made with some zucchini. Here’s what my last Z Party involved:
APPETIZERS
- Thick sliced Zucchini Coins, soft cream cheese topped with sun dried tomatoes
- Zucchini Fritters made with shredded zucchini, onions, eggs & cheese
- Zucchini Sticks with blue cheese dressing
ENTRÉE
- Zucchini Lasagna – Zucchini slices layered with ready-made spaghetti sauce, ricotta laced with garlic powder, and shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Zucchini Quiche – Sliced zucchini, eggs, shredded Jarlsberg and gruyere cheeses, fresh chopped parsley, a touch of Dijon mustard, and baked in a crescent roll crust.
SIDE DISH
Zucchini & Cucumber Salad – Thinly sliced zucchini, cucumbers, and red onion mixed with red pepper flakes and Italian dressing and topped with freshly shaved Parmesan cheese.
DESSERTS
- Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes with chocolate frosting
- Zucchini Bread with cream cheese spread
My Z Party is always fun and we have some good laughs. Once I hollowed out a blimp-sized overgrown zucchini and used it to serve spaghetti squash with Italian sausage. I had an idea to make an A-B-C food party menu list for my family cookbook, and over the years I’ve been able to add quite a few foods. It helps to review the list when I’m at a loss for dinner ideas. I always get inspired remembering a favorite dish from a previous food party.
Now to catch all those blimps of zucchini hiding in my garden.
Happy Cookbooking,
Matilda
