My wife is really good at coming up with new cooking recipes during happy garden times - last night was fried rice with all sorts of odds and ends from the garden tossed in including snap peas, baby carrots, chard, kale, green onions, okra, tomatoes, etc. - and then we vacuum seal and freeze the left-overs for quick meals down the road.

Lettuces, spinach, chard, kale and other leafy greens get dehydrated, crumbled and mixed all together and stored in dark colored jars. We use handfuls of the mix in all sorts of dishes - salads, soups, chili, stews, on eggs, various sauces, on fish, in meat marinades, etc.

If it can't be canned and freezer space is limited or not ideal it gets dehydrated in our house.

Dave

For green beans we add a bit of oil to the skillet, minced garlic and ginger heat it up on medium heat and throw in the beans. Can add sliced onions or other vegies, and add a splash of soy sauce. Cover. They will cook fast... 5-6 min but we like them to be somewhat crunchy.

I put Zucchini in the apple sauce once, blended it up. It was smooth, creamy and my kid loved it --- I should never have told them the secret ingredient as they've never forgiven me.

A British newspaper once had a recipe for "marrow rum." Marrows are overgrown, flavorless Zucchini. The recipe had you cut a hole in the squash, add sugar, suspend everything in an old nylon stocking and collect the drippings, which I think was the "rum." I never tried it, but regret not clipping such a wonderful recipe. We did buy a box of "Mrs. Brain's Pork Faggots," which was a frozen dinner. We didn't eat the awful-looking dinner, but kept the box.

Sigrid - you should have bought your faggots from a butcher who makes their own! A frozen meal version would be vile. Never judge a dish by its convenience version - or in the case of faggots, by its appearance.

You can find plenty of Marrow Rum, and other Marrow recipes if you Googel.

Until the 1960s when Brits started taking holidays in France Courgettes (ie Zucchini) were pretty much completely unknown here. We just grew marrows - deliberately, not because they were overgrown. Varieties bred to be grown as Marrows are more flavourful than large Zucchini.

Marrow recipes

floral_uk, I don't think I have the courage to try the marrow rum recipe! My favorite zucchini is the costata Romanesque or however you spell it. I do have a large file of recipes for using shredded zucchini. Zucchini chocolate chip cookies are one of my favorites. I also like the pancake recipe that ends up tasting like carrot cake.

It shouldn't be considered unusual but we are hosting a party this weekend and spinach was bolting. I should have harvested sooner and dehydrated some. But, I found a recipe for spinach dip that uses all vegetables and not any soup mixes.

I have not started any fermenting recipes yet. I have do a better job at labeling things. I found a jar in the fridge of pepper rings and had to taste to see what they might be. I think they are a simple pickled pepper ring recipe I anticipated using for sandwiches.

When I have a surplus of green beans, broccoli, or cauliflower, I like to roast them. Place a large jellyroll pan in the oven and preheat to 400F. Meanwhile, prepare your veggies: cut up the broccoli or cauliflower into florets of approximately equal size, or snap the beans. Make sure the vegetables are dry. Place the veggies in a large bowl, add some salt and pour in some olive oil, mixing to coat well. Remove the pan from the oven, spread the veggies out evenly and roast about 10 minutes. Stir to redistribute and roast another 10 minutes, or until lightly browned and tender. I often stir in some crushed garlic for the last couple of minutes. Chopped rosemary is particularly good with the cauliflower.

Roasting seems to reduce the size of the veggies so this is a tricky way of getting the family to eat more vegetables, and use up the inventory.

Zucchini overload season has started early this year, so we are making a batch of zucchini meatballs to freeze for the winter.

Something along the lines of this.. without the sauce.

http://www.skinnytaste.com/zucchini-meatballs_20/

We're also having a beet overload, so my wife made a beet sauce... totally delicious, like tomato sauce with a mild beet flavor.

That looks quite tasty Peter.... are you going to use the beet sauce to cover the meatballs? That would be ... interesting...

Yes, actually. Last week we had zucchini pasta with beet sauce. This week it is zucchini meatball parmesan heros with beet sauce.

Zucchini meatballs - what a great idea. No zukes yet for us but soon and I have printed out the recipe. I like fermented diced beets. Easy to make and good with some feta cheese with or without any lettuce. Of course, now we have to have a second fridge in the garage. Found a good suggestion for dehydrating arugula. I have a lot of the wild variety that self seeded. Poster said they add dried greens to lots of different things like soups and meatloaf.

So now I must ask, Peter ... will you share your wife's beet sauce recipe, please?

Unfortunately I don't know it and she didn't follow a recipe. I can ask her. I know the basic gist of it was roast the beets, sautee onion and garlic, puree everything and put back and add basil, and milk and parmesan.

I think I'm going to try the zucchini meatballs also, I'm also getting overwhelmed with zucchini I've been making loaves of bread with them and freezing them
nd now my tomatoes are coming in

Nice haul, I think they'll be good in the meatballs!

I wanted to add we also make eggplant meatballs and they are fantastic. We grew lots of eggplant this year specifically for meatballs, and veggie burgers, which zucchini is also good for.

karl, zucchini chocolate chip cookies are very good. I have a fold full of zucchini recipes of all kinds but I'm still waiting for my plants to flower.

Defrost, I'd like that recipe if you don't mind, I havnt made any cookies in a while and need to use up more of these

Not too unusual but I'll be making some Italian Sausage, Pepper, and Onion Hoagies for dinner tonight. I get to use fresh sweet peppers, onions, and garlic from the garden.

A batch of Annie's Salsa is planned for the weekend!! Just in time as I am down to 2 jars left in the pantry.

Coming in a little late to the conversation, but I just made a roasted red pepper/zucchini dip which was quite delicious. I had everything on hand from the garden to make it (zucchini, peppers, red onion, and garlic).

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/roasted-eggplant-spread-recipe2.html

*okay, I know it says eggplant and I've tried it both ways & each are equally delicious. I used Anaheim peppers in lieu of red peppers because the bells aren't red yet--gave it a little kick.

I've been freezing a lot more meals this season than canning. So far, I've made 5 frozen Zucchini and Spinach Lasagnas, 1 frozen Zucchini and Stuffed Pepper casserole, and several bags of shredded zucchini for future soups, casseroles and breads in the winter.

Link to my: Zucchini and Spinach Lasagna

Now I have tomatoes coming in too, as well as about 75 heads of garlic that I need to figure out what to do with. I'm thinking I will roast a bunch of them and freeze the paste.

Busy, busy, busy!

Well this isn't all that unusual but got the craving for kabobs, used up a couple zucchinis a few sweet peppers and some cherry tomatoes. These are ready to go on the grill once it cools down a bit

WOW! Karl - feeding an army? Those look fantastic.

Dave

Thanks Dave, no not feeding a army, I used to when I lived out west, this is for the wife and I :) , I've had problems cooking for 2 or 3 lol , I'll be bringing to work for my lunches and sharing with some friends there, not going to cook them all tonight, will grill more tommorow or the next day

Our zucchini has just started coming in, we like kabobs and never think to add chunks of zukes. Thanks!

karl_tn, I haven't found my recipe for zucchini chocolate chip cookies yet. Our zukes have started coming so I NEED to find it.

Zucchini chocolate chip cookies? Yes please!

Until I find The Recipe (tried and true), I'm a big fan of King Arthur Flour and there are a lot of zucchini baked goods recipes on their website. Just put the word "zucchini" into the search field.

I finally found my recipe for chocolate chip zucchini cookies filed under desserts instead of zucchini. I need to make some for our house. The zucchini surplus has begun! http://www.cooks.com/recipe/t106w2i9/chocolate-chip-zucchini-cookies.html

I don't know if it makes a difference but this recipe uses solid shortening instead of butter or margarine or oil. I like to get the solid shortening that is packaged in "bars" instead of a can.

Defrost, do you think the shortening in a can would change the cookies? Also, do you squeeze the excess moisture from the shredded zucchini?

Peter, tried the zucchini "meatballs"--they were good! Yesterday I made a batch of regular meatballs for DH who is anti-zucchini and a batch of the other for DD who's a vegetarian. She's been eating around 4 zucchinis/day. That's allowing me to keep up with the harvest. Thinking of adding onion to the zucchini meatballs in the next batch.

Salt and vinegar zucchini chips, zucchini dip, bread, brownies, meatballs, roasted, dehydrated, baked zucchini parmesan fries, spiralized noodles, ribbon salad, and now cookies. This is a full-time job!

Oh, of course use onions! What's a meatball without onion?

defrost, thanks for the recipe!

My zukes are slowing down a lot, thankfully, but still producing enough.

I am about to make another batch of I think zucchini / eggplant combo meatballs this time, and roasted zucchini for freezing. Have a lot of other stuff in the fridge to try and preserve. I am finally getting tomatoes and ripe peppers now.

Shermthewerm, shortening in the can is fine, just too much for the amount I need. I think the cookie recipe is one of the few I make that uses solid shortening. I found other recipes that looked identical but called for butter. I should try one of the others to see if I can tell any difference. I don't squeeze out the excess moisture but I have also shredded up a zucchini to use over a couple of days of baking so it ends up needing to be drained.

My tomatoes are just starting. I need to try the meatball recipe. I have also considered making some "zucchini stock" for the freezer for winter soups. I better try dehydrating zucchini again. Nobody liked the chips I made last year because I used too much salt. But I could try plain pieces to use in soups.

Left a large zucchini at my daughter-in-law's whether she wanted it or not. Her neighbors zucchini table by the road was empty so I thought of leaving it off as a joke.

I just made a large batch of zucchini eggplant combo meatballs, and veggie burgers (with the same recipe.) Also added garden garlic, red pepper, onion, mint, fennel, thyme, basil, and oregano. Only other ingredients were olive oil, bread crumbs, eggs, and parmesan cheese.

I also tried blanching and freezing some, and roasting and freezing some, and grating and freezing some. We'll see how they all turn out.

Next time I will go for the chocolate chip cookies. The zucchini production is slowing down a lot though... thankfully!

Also froze some roasted beets, and more Fortex beans.

I'm exhausted! But I managed to clear out all of the perishables (including 20 zucchini -- some put into give away bags).

Your life sounds a lot like mine, Peter. Keeping up with the zucchini, you just have to take it one day at a time. This morning was zucchini meatballs (thanks for the recipe) flash frozen and bagged, zucchini brownies, roasted pepper zucchini dip, and a heap of spiralized noodles for my daughter's lunches this week--along with a double batch of pesto.

gardengrlz - I made that lasagna tonight - and it was excellent. As usual - I had to change some things - like use chard instead of spinach (because it's what I had) and added some mushrooms to the mix. The entire family loved it. Thanks for the recipe!!!!!

One of my favorite things this time of year is something a woman I used to work with turned me on to. Sauté up equal parts of zucchini, eggplant, and potatoes in LOTS of olive oil- the eggplant sucks a lot of it up. Season with salt, pepper, garlic. When it's nearly done, add a 16 oz can of tomato sauce, and simmer until veggies are done, and sauce thickens a bit. Divine.

Annie, those pancakes look good. Has the recipe already been shared, or would you mind sharing? Looks like you've been busy! Can't do the zucchini/pineapple recipe--am allergic to pineapple:(

WOW, Annie, that faux pineapple recipe will use up some zucchini and looks tasty. It reminds me of cooking a faux apple crisp using zucchini instead of apples. It was fun to try but since we have wonderful apples, didn't make sense to do faux apples.

zucchini pancakes recipe please! :)

Do you cook the zucchini meatballs before you freeze them.

I do yes, bake and freeze

ekgrows, oh I'm so happy you gave the Zucchini and Spinach Lasagna a try! It's a keeper around my house when I want something different.

Annie, you're a busy bee as usual. Can you please repost that Zucchini Candy recipe? I remember seeing it years ago and forgot to save.

I've saved that Zucchini Meatball recipe for later!

Gardengrlz, here's the candy recipe:

Zucchini Candy

10 cups peeled diced zucchini 1/2 inch cubes ( I use "worms" about 3 inches long and 1/12 inch thick and wide. The little dice would be good in muffins, though.

3 cups water

2 pkgs. unsweetened Koolaid

2 1/2 cups sugar

Peel zucchini, dice, removing seeds. Mix the liquid syrup together. Add zucchini. Bring to a boil and them simmer for 25 min. Drain. Put on dehydrator trays. Dry 14 hours at 125 degrees. Turn pieces over and dry another 4 hours. This will feel dry and not sticky when done. Store in jars or other tightly sealed containers.

If you dip in sugar when you turn them, they will be more like"gum drops" on the outside.

And Sol's Zucchini Pancakes:

Zucchini Pancakes
==================
Sol's recipe

2 cups grated zucchini
3 eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons melted butter (more for greasing the pan)
3/4 cup AP flour
1-1/2 tablespoons water
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Black Pepper and Salt to taste *
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Serve with:

6-1/2 ounces double cream brie
Roasted tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped chives

Preheat a frying pan over medium heat. Combine all pancake ingredients in a bowl, except for the water.
Mix until smooth, then add enough water to make a thin batter. Mix until just combined.
For 6-inch pancakes, add about 1/3 cup of batter to greased pan and cook 1-2 minutes per side.

Serve with double cream brie (or your favorite melting cheese), roasted tomatoes and chives.

*Add all the black pepper you like, but use a light hand with the salt, as parmesan provides some saltiness. I normally add 1/8 teaspoon salt, and find it's plenty. I often need more than 1 1/2 tbls of water as I like thinner "pancakes" to use as wraps. Use your discretion and make them as thin as you like.

Annie

Sigrid....my mom grew up during the depression in the south, and told stories of the men in the fields hiding some of the ripe watermelons under the leaves, poking a hole with a knife, adding sugar, then in a couple days they'd have some kind of alcohol...it amuses me that people on different continents still figured out how to make booze from fruits and vegetables!!

This is a marrow rum recipe that I found...

http://www.cottagesmallholder.com/farmers-marrow-rum-recipe-492/

DonnaR, that marrow rum recipe probably gets the most unusual award. It was fun to read the comments.

Yeah Donna wins the prize :)

Hmmm... Marrow Rum, zucchini wine... yep same thing, and an interesting idea. I'm thinking a little honey instead of all sugar, and perhaps use some brown sugar or just add a little molasses. The raisins would be a good touch, but so would a few figs. Lots of other spices could work with the nearly blank zucchini canvas.

Like one of the comments I read, I wouldn't bother with using the marrow as the fermentation vessel. Just juice up a bunch of zukes and toss 'em into a primary fermentation bucket. Wait until the primary fermentation slows and rack off to a carboy. What a good reason to try regular high-yield zukes next year!

I made the zucchini chocolate chip cookies yesterday with a patty pan squash that had gotten rather large. It also seems drier than zucchini. I did not peel although the skin was getting a bit hard but I did cut out the seed cavity before shredding. I forgot what these cookies were really like. The reason my husband likes them so much is because they are cake-like. I thought the batter was a bit dry but they still turned out very good. I use Pampered Chef cookie sheets which are rather heavy so the cookies needed the full 12 minutes, possibly 13 or 14. I thought they were slightly underdone. Cookies needed less time on my old blackened tin sheets.