July Ultimate Blog Challenge - zucchini

(My brother's first garden in Texas)

It's that time of year again. Zucchini season has come around in these parts. Also known  as courgette in much of the European countries, this vegetable needs to be picked when the seeds are still soft and immature. 

Botanically, zucchinis are fruits but are treated as a vegetable. One word of warning if you save your own seeds. Cross-fertilized seeds can have high levels of cucurbitacins and produce bitter and toxic fruit that could be harmful and even deadly. The toxin is not destroyed by cooking.

You can eat zucchini raw, sliced or shredded in a cold salad but it's usually served cooked. You can steam it, boil it, grill it, stuff it and bake it. It can be barbecued, fried, or incorporated in other recipes such as soufflés. Did you know zucchini can even be shaped into noodle-like spirals and used as a low-carb substitute for pasta? A very versatile vegetable which is great because it grows quite prolifically.

Larger sized zucchini are well suited for cooking in breads. I try to make zucchini bread for the freezer every year to enjoy in the winter. Here's a basic  recipe: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/simple-zucchini-bread-recipe. 

A visit to my brother's garden (pictured above) yielded just the right ones to make this year's supply of zucchini bread. So, please excuse me while I busy myself in the kitchen.