I've heard stories of people who find bags of zucchini inside their cars, placed there by an anonymous neighbor who is overrun with them.
My plants are often the victim of squash bugs or squash vine borers so I wouldn't be averse to finding a bag-full of squash in my car once in awhile. So far, so good this year though; I planted my squash and zucchini under insect netting to protect them.
Now that the plants are huge from all the rain we've had and are blooming, I need to remove the netting so insects can pollinate the flowers.
Last year I wrapped the base of the stems with Vet Wrap (Ace bandages work too) to keep the borers from gaining access, so I will do that again. The wrap stretches as the vines get thicker so it's a great solution. Squash bugs on the other hand...
Why summer squash and zucchini are so good for you
Summer squash are very low-calorie vegetables, containing 17 calories in a 100 gram serving. They are also an excellent source of protein, vitamins A and C, thiamine, niacin, phosphorus and copper, as well as a good source of fiber, vitamins K and B6, riboflavin, folate, magnesium, potassium and manganese.
They nourish your eyesight with high levels of beta carotene and lutein. High in antioxidants, squash also keep free radicals at bay.
Summer squash come in many shapes and sizes, from warty crookneck squash to smooth zucchini, in round or oval shapes, and scalloped varieties.
According to Burpee Seeds, summer squash does everything but plant itself. As long as you give it full sun, warm temperatures, well-drained soil and steady moisture, (and keep them safe from those squash bugs!) you'll be rewarded with a bumper crop of squash about seven weeks after planting.
How to enjoy summer squash and zucchini
So, what can you do with this abundance of squash and zucchini?
A few years ago I asked some of my blogging friends for their favorite summer squash and zucchini recipes, and I originally published this post with the ten great recipes they shared with me.
Now I've updated it with more than eighteen recipes for you! There's certainly something here for everyone, whether you want to cook it, preserve it, or make it into a sweet dessert.
Photos are used with permission.
Terri from Our Good Life enjoys serving zucchini in this pasta with lemon, zucchini and basil dish. I love pasta dishes, and this one is delicious.
Angi at Schneider Peeps adapted her usual vegetable lasagna recipe to this dish that uses zucchini instead of pasta. She says "it's NOT about going low-carb!" Her zucchini lasagna is an innovative (and delicious) idea.
~~~~~Cassie at True Agape calls this summer vegetable bake her "newlywed recipe" - I'm sure you remember those newly-married days of having little money and having to stretch your food budget to the max, right? This dish will help!
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Another super-easy dish that can also be adapted to other vegetables, just assemble these foil packages of squash and zucchini and cook them on the grill, from Drugstore Divas.
to make squash au gratin. If it has cheese in it, it must be good.

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Hillary at 918 Plate makes Greek veggie zucchini boats.
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Turning zucchini into dessert




Some zucchini snacks
You can even turn zucchini and squash into snack foods that are super-healthy as well as delicious. Try these paleo, gluten-free and grain-free zucchini chips as a substitute for potato chips and crackers. Your family will love these chips from Amber at My Homestead Life.

How to preserve summer squash for later

They all look delicious to me. Which one will you try first?
You might also enjoy:
10 Ways to Use All That Winter Squash
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I like to sautee squash & beans in a small amount of olive oil with salt, pepper, and garlic. Let the veggies start to brown and they are amazing.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this, April. It sounds simple and delicious.
DeleteThe zucchini relish and cake look so yummy! I will have to try them! Thank you for the feature!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Cassie. Let me know how you like them.
DeleteI love both squash and zucchini, so I'm really glad that I got to visit with you today. I'm excited to try each recipe. Thanks so much for sharing! GOD bless you, beautiful friend! :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you visited today, Tai, and found all these new recipes!
Deletefresh from the garden summer squash is the best! there are some great recipes here, thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome; I'm so glad you stopped by.
DeleteOh wow, thanks for putting together this great list! I didn't plant summer squash this year, now I wish I had. My husband thinks he doesn't like squash, but I think that I could easily change his mind with these recipes ; )
ReplyDeleteI bet you could too, Michelle. He might not even realize it's squash unless you told him.
DeleteI've been making zucchini bread for days now! I have 34, 2-pound loaves in the freezer already. Only 20 more loaves to go. After I have 54 loaves frozen, then I can take a deep breath. My husband whines like crazy if he doesn't have his zucchini bread all year long. I'm swamped with zucchini this year. I'll be making at least 25 loaves to share with our new neighbors and friends this summer also.
ReplyDeleteWe steam zucchini and serve it as a side veggie. We also shred it and serve it to our dogs (mixed in their kibble). Our dogs LOVE zucchini - raw, steamed or grated.
Thank you for the wonderful recipes. I'll be trying most of these. I also add FRESH zucchini to our spaghetti sauce - it's always a big hit around here.
All I can say is WOW, Bobbie! That's a LOT of zucchini! Thank you for sharing your ways of serving it.
DeleteGreat post, I have a friend who thinks zucchini relish is the best stuff ever but I have never tried it!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
Jamie Marie, now we have some recipes to try!
DeleteSauteed in coconut oil with a fried egg and a couple of cherry tomatoes. It's the perfect summer breakfast.
ReplyDeleteThat's very different, Jennifer. It sure sounds good!
DeleteI love making ratatouille with zucchini and a bunch of other yummy veggies. These all look good!
ReplyDeleteRatatouille sounds delicious, Daisy!
DeleteThis is a nice roundup. I want to make some lemon zucchini bread.
ReplyDeleteOh, that sounds good too!
DeleteI can't wait for our summer squash to be ready!!! Thanks for adding this to From the Farm, this is one of this week's favorites!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Heather!
DeleteI love all the fresh Ideas! I think I'll look at that squash casserole with the cheese first! Thanks for posting this at country fair blog party! Love it!
ReplyDeleteJan
You're welcome, Jan. I hope you find a new favorite.
DeleteP.S> You were the most viewed post for our link up this month so you will be featured on our September link up as well as posted on all my social media and pinned on our pinterest board! Congrat's and thanks again for joining us!
DeleteThank you, Jan! I'm excited! Thank you for all the shares and the pin too!
DeleteCongratulations on receiving the most-clicked post from last month's Country Fair Blog Party! We can't wait to see what you have in store for this month :) http://www.cornbeanspigskids.com/2016/09/country-fair-blog-party-september-2016.html
ReplyDeleteThank you, that's an honor I'm thrilled to have!
DeleteWell...I think you’ve succeeded in naming a great variety of ways to use zucchini! Certainly not all the ways, since people have always been rather resourceful at hiding the vegetable.
ReplyDeleteI happen to enjoy it, and have just been gifted with a nice big bag! So, time to get cooking!
Blessings, Laurie
Congratulations on your gift, Laurie! Yes, cooks have been hiding squash and zucchini in other dishes for many years. But if you like a dish where squash is the star, this list is for you!
DeleteThanks for sharing my zucchini recipes, Kathi! Lots of yummy ideas here!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lisa!
DeleteSO many amazing ideas!! Thank you so much for putting them together for us and for sharing on the Homestead Blog Hop. As always, we love everything you write :-)
ReplyDeleteAww, how sweet. Thank you, Kelly!
DeleteOh my goodness! I think I love every one of these recipes already! We also wanted to let you know that your post has been chosen as one of our features this week on the Homestead Blog Hop.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations!
Thank you featuring my post on this week's hop, Ann! It's always an honor to be a featured post!
DeleteMy go-to recipe is to stir-fry zucchini, squash and any other veggies I have around (onions, bell peppers, eggplant) and purslane when I have it sometimes even lambs quarters in coconut oil under crisp-tender.
ReplyDeleteThen add a splash of balsamic vinegar and Braggs aminos (similar to organic soy sauce) and stir. Yum.
My most creative, easy way to use them, especially large zucchini that get missed when picking is to back them like a potato. Poke holes with a fork and bake until tender. Then cut into cubes and add to potato salad.
You can add up to 50% zucchini to the potatoes and it is unlikely anyone will notice because they don't have a distinct flavor.
Those both sound delicious - and the potato salad idea is ingenious! I'll be trying both.
ReplyDeleteI love zucchini but hubs, not so much. I'm always looking for new ways to try them and see if we can find the magic recipe he loves. Thanks for the great ideas!
ReplyDeleteSo many delicious recipes!! We love squash casserole and I've made zucchini lasagna a few times. We've also enjoyed fried lasagna rounds (like eggplant parm!). Zucchini is one of my all time favorite vegetables.
ReplyDelete