It is zucchini time again. This means that our gardens are exploding with green and yellow squash. Once we begin to get our fill, these versatile, local, cheap, and abundant veggies start showing up on the neighbors’ porches. 

Zucs can be baked, fried, grated, sliced, diced, cubed, pickled, air fry, dehydrate, canned, shaved, and mix with just about anything. In a pinch, you can eat them raw! 

Don’t get overwhelmed by these big, fat, squash. Every part of them is edible. This healthy garden gift is full of antioxidants, Vitamins C and A, potassium, and low calories. They grow from small to HUGE! Pick your Zuc to meet your culinary needs. Generally, smaller Zucs are more tender and tastier. You can peel the skin or leave it on.

Here are some Zuc Concoctions and ideas!

Bread, bars, and cookies

Pancakes and waffles

Nachos, salsa, and relish

Wrap around shrimp, fish, Chicken, or seafood

Shave and use as a stir fry noodle or for pasta.

Mix into meat balls, chili, or just a salad.

Fritter or fry as spears, boats, or chips

Prepare like / with your green tomatoes

Serve on shish kabobs or skewers

Perfect for soups and stews

Cut lengthwise, in half and grill as zucchini boats

Save and dry some seeds for next year’s gardens.

Hollow out and use as a bowl

Use in your smoothies

Here is a really different way to Zuc it up!

POOR MAN’S CRABCAKES

2 cups of grated zucchini

1 cup of Flavored Breadcrumbs

2 eggs beaten

1 tablespoon of Mayo

2 teaspoons of Old Bay seasoning

Salt and pepper

When you mix this up, it kind of looks like crab. You could even add some real crab or flaked fish to it. I made the faux crab into smaller cakes, not softball sized. Maybe the size of flattened golf ball, or potato Jo Jo’s. Instead of frying them in oil, or deep frying, baking them, I used the new air fryer we recently got.

The cooked Crab Cakes looked like the real deal. The Old Bay aroma was present. We made an avocado garlic sauce and had tartar sauce on the side. You can certainly make up any flavor that you like. The crab Cakes were served as a side to some Halibut that I had baked. After all the crab cakes were a vegetable side.

Now I know what real crab tastes like. These cakes were pretty good for Montana grown zucchini seafood. The texture and taste are close. The filling looks like a finer, stringier meat, not giant lump, but… we live in Montana!

At some point we all get Zucced out! Now is when you can, pickle, or freeze them. You will appreciate these tasty veggies over the winter.

Now doesn’t that make you feel better.

Montana Grant