Zucchini Envy and Tomato Jealousy
I did not grow these. Apparently Wikipedia gardens.
I have a vegetable garden, but this column does not apply to
me. I daresay I worked just as hard as the gardeners who are reaping heaps of
tomatoes and zucchini. I amended my soil and mulched and weeded and watered all
through the heat of summer. I still am.
So far I have picked one cucumber
out of six plants. There are two more but they are pale yellow and bloated. They were mushy and bitter when we tried to eat them. I’m not even sure they were cucumbers.
No squash have even formed from the gold blossoms, and not
many blossoms even formed on the tomato plants. I am watching over three little
green tomatoes. They look hard, and don’t seem to be growing.
I am open to advice, but in the
meantime, I have recipes for all of you picking tomatoes faster than you can
eat them, and bragging on how you are overrun by zucchini squash.
I just don’t want to hear about it.
Tina’s Gazpacho
8 tomatoes
4 cucumbers
4 Vidalia onions
4 green peppers
8 ounces cider vinegar
2 packages Good Seasons Italian dressing mix (dry)
1 46-ounce can V-8 juice
Peel and remove seeds from veggies, chop and put all in food
processor and pulse. Do NOT puree. Mix dressing mix with ¼ cup water and add to
vinegar. Combine all together in a large bowl, and add V-8 juice. Let sit
overnight.
This makes a yummy salsa as well – just leave out the V-8
and add fresh cilantro.
Ratatouille
1 eggplant
3 squash
3 zucchini
4 tomatoes
1 large onion
2 t. minced garlic
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon thyme
½ teaspoon rosemary
Wash and chop veggies and put all on pammed cookie sheet.
Cover and roast at 400 until tender. Uncover and brown a few minutes. Serve
over pasta, or baked potatoes or as a side for grilled meat.
Zucchini Casserole
1 16 ounce can creamed corn
3 cups grated zucchini
1 cup saltine crackers, crushed
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 onion
2 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients and pour into pammed casserole. Bake at
350 for one hour.
