squash Archives - Bumblebee Blog

Bzzzz July 21st, 2008

One of my plans when I first started blogging was to create an online journal of what was going on in my garden. So let me tell you about my day…

Today I marveled at the perfection and beauty of my squash plants. Oh, don’t get me wrong. I am fully aware that they won’t stay this lovely. These perfectly formed and perky leaves will start to wilt. The bugs will discover them and chew tiny holes in them, some in lace-like patterns. Some leaves will wither and yellow even as the squash starts arriving by the bushel full.

But for now, I love these squash plants. They are perfect. They are mammoth. My hand cannot even reach from one side of the leaf to the other. Today, they represent the potential of abundance and are an ornament to my garden.

Today I also picked blackeyed peas. I have never grown them before, but a family friend gave me some seedlings she purchased at the local Amish market. Frankly, it was during the throes of spring planting and I just plunked them in a convenient spot. They are, perhaps, a bit crowded. And at first I thought they would need some sort of trellis to climb. But they have done just fine here, shooting up their long pods above the plants.

It was very satisfying picking a whole bucket of these beans today. Tomorrow I will shell them and find some appropriate dish to highlight their freshness. Secretly (okay, secret’s out), I am grateful that the men in my house do not like blackeyed peas. ALL MINE!

I also admired my pink bed today. When I planted the cock’s comb seedlings in the bed near the cone flowers I didn’t realize they would intermingle so companionably. But now I think I’ll do this again, since it’s a winning combination.

The cone flowers also make me smile because they are from a clump of flowers given to me by a friend about four years ago. I always think of her and her husband when I see them.

I also started harvesting the seeds from my spent cilantro plants. These coriander seeds will be a fine, fresh addition to some dish. I’ll need to begin exploring recipes soon to take advantage of the new harvest.

So, aside from the watering and bush squishing, that was my garden today.

What was going on in your garden today?

Posted In: Flowers, Gardening

Tags: beans, blackeyed peas, Blogging, cilantro, cock's comb, cone flower, Flowers, gardens, squash

14 Comments

Bzzzz July 3rd, 2007

Way back in February I happened on a cookbook entitled The Classic Zucchini Cookbook: 225 Recipes for All Kinds of Squash, by Nancy C. Ralston et al.

Thinking of my past summers with an over-abundance of zucchini (or zookanook, as my dad calls it), I quickly snatched it up. Then recently, I also noticed that there were NO copies of this handy cookbook at the local Barnes & Noble or Borders. (Local, in my case, being one hour away.) Obviously, I’m not the only one trying to figure out how to deal with all this zucchini!

And then just a couple of days ago, Carol at May Dreams Gardens was pondering what to do with her adorable cue ball zucchini. I posted a not-so-helpful, sketchy version of a recipe I now make all the time here at home. While I look for the version of the recipe that I have adapted and make from instinct and memory, I offer one of my FAVORITE recipes from the aforementioned book that you can use for all that abundance of zucchini!

Double Squash Cornbread Supper

Notes: Our little family TOTALLY LOVES this dish. The zucchini cornbread topping is so delicious, you can serve it all by itself.

Ingredients:

Cornbread Topping 2 cups grated zucchini 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 2 large eggs, slightly beaten 3/4 plain yogurt 1/4 cup canola oil

Chili Filling 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 onion, diced 1 red or green bell pepper, diced 2 fresh green chiles, such as poblano or jalapeno 1 medium-sized yellow summer squash, quartered and sliced 1 1/2 cups seeded and diced tomatoes (fresh or canned) 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, red kidney beans or pinto beans (home cooked or canned) 2 tablespoons cilantro salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions: 1. Start the cornbread topping by combining the grated zucchini and salt in a colander. Toss to mix well and set aside to drain for 30 minutes. 2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. 3. To prepare the chili filling, combine oil, cumin and chili powder in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and chiles. Saute until the onion is softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the summer squash and saute until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, beans and cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let the chili simmer while you finish the sopping. 4. To finish the cornbread topping, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda in a medium-sized bowl. Mix well. Combine the eggs, yogurt and oil in a small bowl and mix well. Squeeze the zucchini to remove any excess moisture and add the flour mixture. Mix well. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir just until well combined. The batter will be lumpy. 5. To assemble the dish, remove the skillet from the heat. Evenly spread the cornbread batter over the chili, spreading it to the edges of the pan. 6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is golden and firm. A tester inserted near the center should come out clean. 7. Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving with a pie server or large spoon.

Bon appetit!

–Robin (Bumblebee)

P.S.

The love triangle was back this morning. I am worried that the female bird isn’t eating.

Posted In: Food and Recipes

Tags: cornbread, Recipes, squash

4 Comments