Zucchini
First time gardeners beware!
There is an old joke about rolling up your car windows when you drive through the countryside for fear that farmers will throw their over abundance of zucchini through them. This is not too far from the truth. Anyone who plants zucchini will agree that no matter what the least amount is they plant, it is still always too much.
Native to the Americas, reference of zucchini as a food for Native Americans dates back to 2000 years B.C. Zucchini or the word squash is derived from the Massachuset (Massachusetts) Indian word askutassquash, meaning “eaten raw or uncooked.” Zucchini is low in calories and is a good source of potassium, vitamin A and manganese. It has large leaves and beautiful golden orange blossoms. Its fruit is a beautiful dark green and its shape is very similar to a cucumbers.
During the 15th and 16th centuries early explorers took squash seeds back to Europe with them and this delicious vegetable with its lovely blooms quickly became a favorite with European society. Unlike America, its popularity grew and remains one of Europe’s important food sources even today, especially in Italy. In America zucchini made a hardy comeback as a favorite vegetable right after WWII. American’s traveling to Europe reintroduced zucchini and its popularity has steadily grown to become a regular on tables in restaurants and homes. Zucchini and its blooms are used in baked good, deserts, soups and stews, salads, casseroles, and much more.
As stated earlier in this article, zucchini can be a very invasive plant and produce multitudes of the long green fruit. Last year I planted one plant and it alone produced over 21 zucchini that ranged in length from 12 to 16 inches. I would go out on a Tuesday evening to check my garden and there would be no zucchini, only a blossom or two and by Thursday evening during the same week, there were two or three ready to pick. I made zucchini cake and bread, used it in soups and casseroles, fried it, and gave some away. My husband told me I should just pull it out of the ground, but an avid gardener like me could never bring themselves to destroy a plant that is producing so well, no matter how sick they are of it.
Zucchini can be started right in the garden from seeds when all danger of frost is gone. The seeds can also be started earlier indoors and then transplanted to the garden. Planted in small mounds approximately two and a half feet apart, the plants grow rapidly and with proper care will produce well into late August. Its main predators are the squash and Japanese beetles and aphids.
Before you decide to plant zucchini, you will want to have several recipes to use in preparing this vegetable. I think zucchini lasts longer if left sitting on a counter top or in a wire basket. I have left it set out for up to five days with it still being fresh enough to use for cooking. It seems to wilt quicker in the refrigerator. The blossoms are also tasty and can be used in salads or lightly fried in butter.