Zucchini measured in feet, not inches
I met a nice new person today. We walked around the garden. As we passed the vining plants, she pointed under some leaves and said, “Look at the giant zucchini.”
How had we missed these? Had they grown overnight? Each was more than two feet long.
After she left, I went to the computer and typed, “What do I do with giant . . ” and Google filled in
I shredded the zucchini in the food processor, then set it over the sink to drain.
“zucchini.” Apparently, I’m not the first to ask this question.
The first recipe intrigued me: Super Easy and Delicious Zucchini Butter (or Marmalade). So I made it.
Well, I did what I do with all recipes, which is use it as a loose guideline and do my own thing. I used an entire head of garlic and four huge, onion-sized shallots.
The process is messy. Prep, cooking, and cleaning were more than two hours. But the result is
I sauteed the shallots and garlic, then added the zucchini to the pot. It emitted two large bowlfuls of liquid, which I froze as “Zucchini Stock” for a future soup or stew
delicious. I added several large spoonfuls of nutritional yeast, which made the zucchini butter taste like creamy, cheesy sauce. Whoa.
I would make this recipe again, but only in large quantities to make all that effort count. I put some in the freezer to take with my on a two-day train journey I’m taking next week. There’s a bowlful of it in the fridge to enjoy for a few days.
Two giant zucchini, four huge shallots, and a head of garlic cooked down small — and delicious.
Planning ahead for Thanksgiving at my sister’s, I’ll soon make and freeze a huge batch of zucchini butter to use as a layer in the vegan lasagne I bring every year by popular request. Like all my cooking it’s never been the same lasagne twice, but they keep asking for it so I’ll keep making it. I’m excited about adding zucchini butter from our garden to a special family meal.
