What can I do with all these zucchini!!!!

As soon as summer arrives you start to see lots of posts in gardening and cooking forums about what to do with zucchini and I am sure I am not the only one who has started a list of recipes for all those zucchini! In fact, I love zucchini so much that I have decided to write a cookery book of zucchini recipes.

There are plenty of reasons to grow zucchini and not just for the fruit they produce in abundance. They are really easy to grow. It seems like they will germinate even months after you plant the seeds and once that little seedling has it's first leaves nothing is going to stop it. The rate of growth can be astonishing and suddenly you have a full grown plant.

In the summer the shops are well stocked with zucchini in various sizes and colours, so why bother growing them ourselves?

Well, I have 3 big reasons why you should grow them...

Zucchini leaves are big and exotic looking

For the leaves

Courgette leaves are not like the leaves of your average plant. They are enormous things several hand widths across and they look lush and tropical in your garden. Once the plant is established the leaves are everywhere! The grow from the centre of the plant out in a sort of star and are seriously impressive to look at. The way they look is just one appealing part of them because did you know that you can also eat zucchini leaves? Yes, every part of the zucchini plant is edible and this includes the leaves.

Most zucchini flowers only last a day but they flower in profusion

For the flowers

Zucchini flowers are incredibly beautiful. Often they are the size of your hand, bright yellow and delicate looking. One day there will be none there, but the following day the plant is covered. They usually only last a day, but fear not because tomorrow there will a million more.

A general rule is one zucchini plant per person. That will provide plenty of fruit

For the fruit

Anyone who has ever grown zucchini will tell you that you see a small one on the plant and decide to give it a day to grow a little more, but when you go out 24 hours later the thing is so big you can barely lift it! It's true to say that zucchini give us more fruit than we can ever eat so it pays to have a few recipes up your sleeve for your zucchini glut.

How to use zucchini:

Zucchini leaves make a lovely addition to soups

Leaves

The best leaves are the youngest ones because they are tender and cook quickly. I use them in sautes with other green leaves such as spinach, nettle, or freshly picked kale. But they also dehydrate well and can be turned into a healthy green powder that you add to smoothies, drinks and dishes.

The flavour is like a mild zucchini and really pleasant. Don't worry about taking a few leaves off a plant because it will survive and thrive. Just don't strip the plant of all it's leaves at once. I find that taking a few leaves off is necessary anyway to be able to get past the plants in my vegetable garden, so I am killing two birds with one stone by eating a few leaves. For some great recipe ideas try blanching the leaves and using them as you would for stuffed cabbage rolls, as a green vegetable or sautéing in garlic butter as a side dish.

In France baby courgettes (zucchini) are sold with the flowers attached

Flowers

In the Mediterranean courgette flowers are highly prized and there are countless dishes made with them. There are two types of flowers -male and female. The male flowers grow on a stalk and in my experience are usually a little bit bigger. The female flowers grow from the end of a baby zucchini and last a little bit longer on the plant. Both can be eaten but if you are using the female flowers (the ones growing from the tiny zucchinis) it's a good idea to take the tiny baby zucchini as well because if you cut the flower off the zucchinis frequently get mouldy and die. I speak from years of experience.

The most popular way to eat courgette flowers is to stuff them and either bake or fry with a tomato sauce on them. Another great way to use all those tomatoes you are growing! In southern France they like to dip them in batter and deep fry them for a few minutes.

They are also a beautiful addition to salads. Who doesn't like flowers on their salad?! You can use them whole or slice them to add an unusual dash of colour to the green of lettuce.

Grilled zucchini in oil is a simple and delicious dish

Fruit

No, not simply to be secretly left on your neighbours' doorsteps! Zucchini are delicious and nutritious. The young fruits are tender and firm and perfect for slicing in half lengthwise and stuffing with a mince mix, or some chopped, sauteed mushrooms mixed with cheese and breadcrumbs. Try slicing them into rounds and grilling them for a salad or eating them raw with your favourite dressing on. You can even add grated zucchini to cake recipes for a soft te der cake. Don't worry you don't actually taste the zucchini.

I hope I have given you some ideas on how to use that beautiful zucchini you are growing other than giving them away. We only get the chance to enjoy them in the summer so we should make the most of this simple and bountiful vegetable. Happy cooking!

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