Back in April, we started our plants from seeds
with the hope of enjoying a harvest of delicious zucchini. So far, it has been a good growing season.
Growing heirloom varieties of zucchini and choosing not to use pesticides is challenging when it comes to squash bugs and squash stem root rot. You have a shot at controlling the squash bugs if you find them and can scrape them off the backs of the leaves before they fully develop.
The squash stem root rot is a different issue. You don’t have a clue it has arrived until the plant wilts. Once you start looking around and check the stem, you have an ‘aha’ moment. Last year it took out all my plants. So far this year, I’ve only lost one.
Soil borne fungus pathogens multiply when soil is wet for long periods and temperatures are high. The fungus can over winter and be present the next year if growing conditions are right. I’ll change my planting configuration for the 2014 gardening season because we really enjoy growing zucchini, and I don’t want to lose any of my plants if I can help it.
We love zucchini muffins for breakfast or a wicked good dark chocolate zucchini cake with fresh whipped cream and raspberries for dessert.
We also love fried zucchini with spicy Aioli sauce.
We don’t eat fried foods regularly so not only is the fresh zucchini wonderful but having it covered with a crispy topping is a real gastronomical treat.
Batter recipe for an average 12-15″ squash:
- 2/3 cup Argo Corn Starch
- 1/3 cup King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup water plus 1-3 tablespoons until desired consistency
Do you grow zucchini in your garden?
Here’s hoping you have a good week of gardening. We’re headed to Maine with the grandkids for a few days to do a little camping and exploring. 🙂
OH my word…these photos have me drooling!!! SO MUCH YUMMINESS here♥ I can’t even imagine how wonderful the chocolate zucchini cake tasted…sigh!
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Zucchini are some of my favorite and they are so prolific that you get to try them 50 different ways. I love that. I haven’t tried chocolate zucchini cake though… that needs to be added to the list!
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That fried zucchini looks really good! Judy has an outstanding recipe for zucchini chocolate cake.
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I put it IN the garden but it didn’t grow…something dastardly and wicked ate it. I get mine from the neighbor now…and love fried zucchini. There’s nothing like it….yum yum yum YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM! ! 🙂 🙂
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That zucchini does look yummy. I am so glad your garden is doing well. Have fun camping! Can’t wait to see the photos when you return.
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Your yummy looking zucchini dishes are making me miss mine more than ever. I only planted one plant this year in hopes of decreasing the squash borer population… it hasn’t produced any fruit yet but I have a few coming along slowly. I think we’ve had way too much rain for them this year. My zucchini at work isn’t doing well either 😦
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Absolutely LOVE this! Thank you! 🙂
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I love fried zucchini in restaurants! And a dark chocolate zucchini cake?? This sounds better than a reg chocolate zucchini cake. I have had some weird things happening with my plants. Some of the zucchini is rotten at the ends before it is fully grown. What is that? I had the stem rot problem last year… And we thought zucchini was easy to grow?? 🙂
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Do you ever wonder how our forefathers grew enough food to feed their families all through the winter?
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Yes! But it think half the secret was having 8 kids but then again they also would eat a lot more too… I don’t know how they did it!
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