We're all busy chopping, grating, sauteing, grilling, baking and processing our harvests. Last week was National Sneak Some Zucchini onto Your Neighbor's Porch Day, but let's pretend that is every day in the month of August!
Angie made zucchini blueberry bread and muffins. These were made with 1 to 1 flour making them shareable with her gluten free friends. Here is the recipe from ‘Land O Lakes Treasury of Country Recipes’.
Zucchini Harvest Bread (makes 2 loaves)
3 c all-purpose flour
1 ½ c sugar
½ c firmly packed brown sugar
1 c butter or margarine, softened
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp cloves
1 tbsp vanilla
2 c unpeeled, shredded zucchini
½ c chopped walnuts (optional)
Heat oven to 350°. In large mixer bowl combine all ingredients except zucchini and walnuts. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed (2 to 3 minutes). By hand, stir in zucchini and nuts. Spread into 2 greased 8 x 4” loaf pans. Bake for 50 to 65 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans. Cool completely; store refrigerated.
*I have added blueberries at the same time as the zucchini and it works well.
**Also, I have made muffins with this recipe. Depending on the size of the muffin tin, reduce the time. Mine take about 25 minutes.
***These freeze well. I wrap in plastic wrap and then foil.
Michele made zucchini pancakes with cornmeal, green onions, green peppers, and jalapenos. The corn gave them an extra nice crispy outer texture and you can be creative with the flavor profile you choose.
Patron Jimi S. wrote us about her favorite way to use zucchini: Unlike some who are trying to pawn off their extra zucchini on every passerby, I never have too much zucchini. I use a dehydrator to create Ranch Flavored Zucchini Chips. I use a mandolin to slice them as thin as possible (about 1/8”), sprinkle them with Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning, and dry them for about 18 hours. That may sound like a long time, but I’m using an old 1980s dehydrator and want them completely dried and crispy. If you’re not a fan of ranch seasoning, plain salt works well or try something of your own creation.
We love this idea! Thanks Jimi.
Susan is producing some tiny zucchini. Some of her plants didn't get as big and lush as the others.
But that doesn't stop her from creating some amazing Zucchini Cannoli! Here, she tells us about her process.
There was a recipe in Milk Street that talked about a refreshing salad the author had in Italy. In the magazine they described a cannoli-type dish that used zucchini in place of the cone, but the recipe they presented deconstructed the recipe and made it a salad. I thought the cannoli idea sounded fabulous and aimed for that instead. The result was delicious!
What I did: Sliced a zucchini lengthwise on a mandoline and then marinated the strips in a little olive oil, lemon juice and fresh mint. Next, I mixed about 2 teaspoons of honey, a little salt and a little lemon juice into a half cup of fresh ricotta. Finally, I put a bit of the ricotta mixture on one of the zucchini strips, rolled it up and stuck a toothpick through to hold it together. (And continued until all the zucchini strips are done.) I also dipped the tops of about half of them in chopped toasted walnuts.
The resulting dish was pretty sweet. I think you could add a little garlic instead of honey and have a savory dish. Other fresh herbs would also be a nice addition. I know it probably sounds like a fussy dish, but a plate of these would be a great start to a summer meal, and they didn’t take more than 15 minutes to make.
Sometimes the zucchini get a little too big. Angie's chickens are always happy to help out with this problem.
At this point of summer, we are well into summer and hopefully harvesting lots of great things from our summer garden. Have you thought about saving seeds for next year's garden? If you are new to saving seed, visit this link to view seed saving tips for beginner seed savers. The Banks Seed Library is happy to take donations of seeds during this time as well!
There is still time to think about starting a fall/winter garden. Plant cabbage, broccoli, chard, kale, carrots, and radish now for your fall and winter garden.
Check out our digital seed library inventory by using this link: Seed Library
Browse the offerings, which are separated into categories by sheets, and pick out what you would like. Then, e-mail those selections to us at BanksPL@WCCLS.org. Please also note if you would like us to make a substitution if the item you requested is gone.
We will fill the selections on a first-come, first-served basis and update the inventory regularly. We will let you know by e-mail when the items are ready and how you will get them in a way that honors the current safety requirements.
Questions? Send us an e-mail at BanksPL@WCCLS.org or give us a call. We're answering phones in the library from 9 - 5, Monday, Friday, and Saturday and 9 to 6 Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.