What to Do When the Wheelbarrow is Full of Zucchini.......

   Good morning everyone!

   I know that up here in the frozen (mostly) North, we are just getting our gardens in, but so many friends are trying to figure out what to do with their abundance of zucchini and yellow summer squash, I thought I would share what I do every year with mine.
   I dont know how many plants you put in every year, but we have 10 in this year--5 of each type of plant. I am trying to feed five people in my family, my mother, and am also sharing with a neighbor who is learning how to garden on her own for next year.

   I try to put in enough that I have an abundance, because I use zucchini in a lot of dishes. Same with the yellow Squash.

   If you have a dehydrator, you can make some seriously amazing squash chips for snacks or easy meals with a bean dip---delicious and frugal, folks. I personally like to make my squash chips with a lime/cilantro/garlic salt seasoning, or a BBQ Spice rub for the Handy Hubby. However, sea salt and a little pepper are just fine too---think of what some of your favorite chip flavors are, and try to replicate it using the squash slices. Dry them at around 115* in your dehydrator after spraying the trays (they wont be for long term storage, so a little oil will just help them to not stick), and let them go around 8 hours.Some places make take longer due to high humidity or the strength of your machine as well, so keep an eye on them. :)
   I also can up a sweet relish that uses my extra zucchini every year--it is our hotdog/brat/ hamburger relish that we use on everything, including adding to things like sweet potato salad, or macaroni salad. Now remember, when you home can things like relish, it will not be the bright green of the grocery store--they achieve that color with lots of preservatives and food coloring. If you want to have a brighter green, add a few drops of green food coloring if you desire. I have done the recipe for three years, and each year decreased the food coloring until now my family is used to the darker green brown color of the relish. And any guests who are a little curious at first are raving after tasting it. Win win situation. :)

   I do have a friend who is allergic to zucchini--swells up like a balloon-- so I am careful to omit it from anything when they come over for dinner. However, I have used frozen, shredded zucchini in almost everything, not just limiting it to sweet breads, or baked goods. You can also dehydrate zucchini shreds, just be sure to use a silpat, or non stick sheet like you would use for fruit leathers, or you will find it almost impossible to collect all the itty bitty pieces of dried zucchini that fell through the spaces in your sheets.. It is an easy veggie to rehydrate (or use frozen), and puree up for a great vitamin boost to many foods, such as spaghetti sauce, hidden in pizza sauce, added to mac and cheese (such as Cowgirl Mac and Cheese that uses salsa and burger). I have also re-hydrated slices and used it on veggie pizzas outright or veggie lasagna in replacement of the noodles. Very similar texture and of course, healthier for you. :)

   Here is my Cuke/Zucchini sweet relish recipe:

   (makes one batch. I personally double or triple this when I make it since I have such an abundance, and the cucumbers get replaced with more zucchini if I have it, or more cukes if I have it (in other words, what you have the most of you use up, and fill in the rest with the other)

•    6 large or 9 medium cucumbers (or part of this replaced with green zucchini, just use similar sized)
• 1 large onion
• 1 large red and 1 large orange or yellow sweet peppers
• 2 medium or 4 small yellow squash

          *Dice all of these small by hand or in a food processor.

1. Add to a heavy stock pan, 10 drops of green food coloring (optional of course), 1 tsp each of the following: Nutmeg, mustard seeds, tarragon, cinnamon, crushed red pepper flakes. Add in 1 TBS of sea salt, 1 1/2 cups of sugar or honey, and 2 cups of vinegar.
2. Cook until thickened, which make take a couple hours. This can be water bath canned due to the acidity just like pickles. Water bath in pints for 20 minutes while water is at a rolling boil. :)
3. I have added many other things to this recipe--relish is very forgiving, and it is a great way to use up the odds and ends of veggies from the garden, such as carrots, or green peppers. We have "chunked" it up with more onion and added garlic, we have also added caraway and dill, lowering the sugar content. Either way, start with this recipe and try to think outside of the box. What does your family like? And what is their favorite type of relish?

   I hope this helps some of you who are a little overwhelmed with the harvest this year! I will be posting more recipes as we come close to our harvesting time! My personal zucchini favorite is a simple ground turkey and summer squash saute over homemade noodles, but with a little time and herb knowledge, it becomes an out-of-this world dish fit for company! :) :)

Many Blessings to you and yours!!

Heather