I've been growing grey zucchini this season, which has a mellow, almost buttery flavor. I've been pretty good about harvesting the zucchini at the right size, but my attention lapsed for a couple of busy workdays last week, and Whomp! There it was. The foot-long zucchini. Would its overmaturity make it tough and bitter? It turned out just fine in a quick chicken breast sauté (in olive oil with onions, garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes), with the half left over being more than enough for tonight's ratatouille.
We sometimes carve really big, baseball bat size zucchini. The size that you're talking about I usually use in chocolate zucchini cake, or zucchini bread, or . . . you get the idea. But I scrape out the seeds and feed them to the chickens. Let's face it, the summer squashes are all about flavor. They're mostly water and there's not much nutrition in them. So it's okay to throw an occasional big one directly on the compost pile, bypassing the kitchen. I don't buy into this obsession to use every last zucchini.
Posted by: Kathy | September 20, 2004 at 06:29 AM
I agree! Zucchini's okay a couple of times a week (or maybe more if you can sneak it into a dessert), but it's not a "destination" vegetable in my book...unlike, say, eggplant.
Posted by: Chan S. | September 20, 2004 at 07:31 AM
You mean it only got a foot long? Seems this year teh zucs were a foot long the first day...ugh. By the second day they were baseball bats. I'll be making loads of zuc bread this winter. Gave lots away too. I think it must be this indiana soil I have.
Posted by: Girl Gone Gardening | September 21, 2004 at 07:24 AM
Three days of rain and our zucchini grew to 13 to 15 inch mini bats. I took one, cut it in half, scooped out the seeds and said "NOW WHAT".
We had two pounds of ground turky [uncoked]one large onion, chopped fine and a yellow apple, diced. I added a few red grapes and stuffed the zucchini.
I preheated the oven at 350%, baked it for 1 1/2 hours. It turned out real nice.
Posted by: J. Below | July 09, 2010 at 01:50 PM
Hello.
Your Zucchini was not over mature.
Don't be fooled by what is in the stores Zucchini is a bug fruit.
Most everything you see in the grocery is a result of quick turnover harvesting and no rotation. You will notice things like thicker skins on your home grown cucumbers and other items.
Posted by: Leros | August 23, 2010 at 05:03 PM
ha ha...
BIG fruit!
Although they can get bugs!
Posted by: Leros | August 23, 2010 at 05:04 PM