Mini Stuffed Zucchini - Part 1!

‘I had myself a mini stuffed zucchini

on a day of rain and gloom.

Found it in a blogger's entry

and made it up at noon.

The taste of this gourd is rather lame

not much pizzazz brought to the game.

But, still it provided a tasty lunch

zucchini, you see, has loads of crunch!’

DanO2011

This summer of 2011 has been a challenge on many fronts for Americans living in the Midwest, especially where it has concerned the elements. The weather here, where I live in southwest Missouri, has been exceedingly hot and dry for the entire month of July. While most of my vegetables just dried up and went away, I actually thought I had a chance at redemption with two zucchini plants that I started in June from seed. The plants attained full size, but did not (?) produce very much in the way of fruit. Pictured here is one, of only two, that I have been able to harvest so far. (Not very big is it)? Call me an optimist; I still thought that there might be enough here to try a stuffed zucchini recipe I came across while surfing the net. Of course, this will be a very mini-meal-deal as there is just not much to work with.

Now, before I got down to the actual recipe, I thought to write down some thoughts concerning this popular member of the gourd family; one that I have just recently made an intimate acquaintance with. It’s true! Only last week, I had my very first taste of cucubuta pepo as part of a combo dish I posted called ‘Pasta y calabacin’. The meal was very good and I was intrigued enough by this initial foray that I decided to continue experimenting a little more.

The zucchini, (did I mention this before), was a bit on the smallish side. But, I’ll assume that it’s still representative of a fully developed fruit. (Zucchini envy)?  Picking it up, I noticed that the feel of the skin is very similar to that of a cucumber. (Amazing what your hands can tell you through intimate tactile sense). My probing fingers informed me that this is a ‘firm fruit’ that does not yield easily to pressure. Also, I could detect the presence of something like salubrious oil on the surface and though smallish, it still had heft to it. (OK, I admit this is beginning to sound a bit too erotic. Sorry ‘bout that)!

Surprisingly, lifting this little guy to my nose did not reveal much in the way of smell… I couldn’t detect anything, actually. So, in my mind, I already began to assume that there might not be much here in the way of aromatics. (Unless, that is, they were tightly locked up inside somewhere). As a side note, it’s a fact that many of the foods we find so pleasing depend on volatile oils that are released during consumption (mastication) which help excite our senses. And so, I wondered about that. Sadly too, our tongues can only discriminate between salt, sweet and sour tastes, and so, are somewhat limited. (If you’ve ever had a cold, then you know just how bland foods can taste)! Bottom line! This veggie seemed as bland as sand!

OK, so it’s about time to see what’s inside this little dude.Fortunately, I found another fragment left over from the calabacin dish from a day or so before.  I carefully trimmed off both ends and then sliced the remaining section in half, long ways, to see what was what. This is the result of that operation.  Hmm. Yes, not much to see! I’ll assume that the reason zucchini is popular is all about it have great texture from which to pile other stuff upon. If you want a well built home, you have to have a good base. And guess what? Sometimes, that’s really a good thing! Pasta, when you think of it, is also a non-entity with little intrinsic taste, and yet some of the best dishes in memory are built upon it. Lasagna anyone?

Coming soon! Mini Stuffed Zucchini Part 2. Click here! (Note: Don’t try clicking if the word ‘here’ is not orangish in color – duh!) On the other hand, if you really want to spend some time clicking on a word  with no link, go for it! Anyone who gets up past a hundred clicks, please drop me a line. Densa is always out looking for new blood!

Mini Stuffed Zucchini – Part Two!

In part one, I had one small zucchini that had been freshly harvested and one fragment left over from a day or so before. Together, they represent my entire crop of this fruit so far this year. Somewhat disappointing to say the least. However, this has not stopped me from forging ahead with some stuffed zucchini even if they will be smallish. Following is the way I had envisioned making this recipe. Due to the small amount of zucchini, I had loads of meat filling left over. This will not be wasted but shall the basis of another of my favs – stuffed bell peppers!

Ingredients:

2 med zucchini, sliced in half long ways

½ lb ground beef, browned

¼ cup red onion, chopped

2 tbsp bell pepper, minced

2 garlic cloves, chopped

4 tbsp instant brown rice

1 tsp fresh basil

1 dash of oregano

1 6 oz can tomato sauce

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 tsp olive oil

Directions:

Set the oven for 350F. Slice each zucchini in half, long ways, and then scoop or cut out the interior leaving about a quarter of an inch of flesh. Chop the pulp up and set aside.

In a skillet over medium heat combine the oil, beef, onion and garlic and cook until beef is just brown. Drain off the excess grease. Add the zucchini pulp, basil and oregano to make a meatloaf looking kind of mix.

Next, add the mix to each zucchini boat, and then place these in a 2 quart covered baking dish. Finally, top off each creation with a little tomato sauce and cheese. Cover and place in a 350F oven for about 30 minutes or until the zucchini feels fork tender. (I like mine on the well done side). Remove and let cool.  Serves 2.

Nutrition Facts: 2 shells equals ~500 calories, 25 g fat, 80 mg cholesterol, 900 mg sodium, 45 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 30 g protein.

Remember that cooking is just a touch of science to a sh**load of art. The world will have long since gone cold before the last recipe permutation can ever be created!

Pasta y calabacin

If you wander out into the ‘net’ and enter an inquiry for ‘Calabacitas’ you will find about a dozen recipes for this popular dish out of Mexico. In English, the word calabacin means zucchini, a vegetable that forms the base of this tasty creation. Since I had some ripening on the vine, I thought I'd give this a try! It was worth it!

The main ingredients consist of the aforementioned zucchini; garlic, onion and some form of broth, be it vegetable or chicken. It’s what you can then add that will make this side all that it can be. That might include chili peppers for some zip or even green olives for an added dimension of tartness. It’s your call chef!

I made this creation today using pasta as a side and found the combo to be awesome. Next time, I’m going to try a ‘westernized’ version with some brown rice and cubed beef. Should be interesting…

One measly cherry tomato, a stunted onion, an anemic pepper & a really short cucumber!

What to do with these lone survivors of a sun parched backyard garden? Why, make a salad of course! The head lettuce had to come from the local grocery, but that aside, I had enough veggies to make a passable salad mid-summer style!

 Low yields from the garden are a sad reality for me this year. The heat wave that has plagued much of the nation has also done a number on my growing efforts. What with water bills on the rise, I just don’t feel comfortable letting the sprinkler run for an hour or more as in days gone past. (In the frivolous 80’s, I remember actually watering just the grass. Seriously)! These days, it’s a quick squirt in the morning and then maybe another dribble in the late afternoon. (Like an old man with a bladder problem, my water pressure is also little on the weak side). The plants have responded accordingly and now have all wilted with many moving on to plant heaven. Can’t say I really blame them.

What hasn’t yet wilted and died from thirst has been ably consumed by hordes of rabbits that I no longer quite see. (They must come at some ungodly hour when, exhausted, I get some much needed sleep). The carrot crop has been nibbled to the ground and are completely gone while the few remaining tomato plants receive drive-by nibbles. (Ah, the laments of the heat and bunny beleaguered gardener). Yet, there is a bright side… of sorts.

When you only get a small handful of harvest, you also learn to appreciate every morsel. That’s the lesson I've learned in a year when the produce coming out of my beds is still a luxury and not a necessity. (Were times to get tough and were I to have to depend on the garden for my sustenance, then the game would take on a whole new flavor). Thankfully, that was not this year. Maybe next...only Obama may know for sure!

Be sure to check out my soon to be released blog entitled “The ins and outs of fresh rabbit on the grill!”

It's a baby zucchini! I'm so proud!

Golly, it seems garden my journal for 2011 has begun to take on a monolithic tone as all I seem to talk about are my efforts at growing squash and zucchini. (That could well be because the only things now growing in my sun parched garden patch are members of the gourd family).

My first plants located in the back yard were immediately and savagely attacked by stripped cucumber beetles in conjunction with their alley, the squash bug. Before I even knew what was going on, they had all wilted and then left the planet for squash heaven.

While this was going on, I also managed to lose track of the other plants I was raising, and they too faded away. So, the back yard was a total loss! Now, I have little or no desire to go for a fall garden (i.e wounded ego). I may change my mind, but if I do so, it will have to after the current heat wave decides to let up.

The front yard area, however, has been another story. A success story! Earlier in the year, I had thrown all my extra veggies and herbs in that location and what to my wondering eyes, they have done pretty well. For some reason, all those bad bugs & beetles missed this one spot. Nary a one spotted in the last few weeks and the zucchini picture here are at the absolute height of well being and happiness. Dare I say it, but I just might get my very first ever zucchini from one of these plants very soon. I'm now wondering what the right size a zucchini should be for me to harvest for peak flavor?

Squash or Zucchini Anyone?

It’s now late in the game and the score is Bugs – 2, Me –Zip. Both my crooked neck squash and zucchini plants succumbed to a terrifying backyard press by legions of squash bugs and striped cucumber beetles.  (Adding insult to injury, the beetles were carrying bacterial wilt).

Yet, not all is lost!  Unknown to my foes, I’ve got two more plants hidden away in the front of my place. So far, they have escaped the notice of both bugs and beetles. I just have to wonder for how long that will continue?

In a year that has already seen torrential rains, hordes of cicadas, Japanese beetles and, most recently, hundred degree plus days, is it too much for me to ask for a couple of healthy fruit?

Eee Gads! It’s a bagworm invasion!

Here in southwestern Missouri that bagworm invasion is on. It pays to go outside during the early weeks of July and check your trees and evergreens for little objects that look like Christmas tree ornaments hanging form the branches. This is the larval form of the Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis or bagworm. Heavy infestations can do damage to trees and shrubs, so it pays to hand pick them where you find them and make sure they get destroyed!

Today’s menu will be carrots, onions and cabbage!

It’s about that time of the year when the heat of the day makes me want to hole up inside and scrounge my lunch out of whatever is available. This generally includes a trip or two to the fridge and then a glance out the window to see if there is anything growing in the garden that might be worth eating.

Today I was lucky in finding a small group of onions that never got very large. I brought these inside and added them to some carrots and a small leftover wedge of cabbage. After peeling the carrots and cutting them into equal sized chunks, I tossed everything into my steamer. After about fifteen minutes, I had the making of a pretty good meal. In the back of the cupboard I also found a can of cut green beans that got nuked in the microwave and voila! Lunch vegetarian style! This filling meal totaled just over a hundred calories including two pats of butter!