You can be a zucchini houdini

It’s late July, and many gardens are now overflowing with excess zucchini. The joke is often heard that one should not leave windows down when going to church or into town for fear that someone will leave a sack of zucchini in the car.

Deanna Godman

This zucchini from the author's garden measured nearly 18 inches long - perfect for a zucchini boat or multiple loaves of zucchini bread. Godman said she got five batches of zucchini bread from a similar sized one.

Zucchini is a tasty, nutritious vegetable, however, and a surplus can be considered a blessing. Zucchini is also available at the Taylorsville Farmers Market for those who did not grow enough or any at all.
Local farmer Sarah Fauber likes to use zucchini fresh in stir-fry, “cheesey” corn bread, and spaghetti sauce. She also has a recipe for a “zucchini boat,” which is a popular zucchini dish.
To make a zucchini boat, slice a large zucchini down the center and scoop out the seeds. Fill the hollowed out part with a favorite stuffing recipe, and bake with a little oil drizzled on top.
“If you run out of ideas entirely, and have access to a food dehydrator, make zucchini chips,” said Fauber.
“They can be used in soups and spaghetti sauce, and can be eaten as chips if seasoned while drying.”
To make stir-fry, Fauber simply slices zucchini down the center and then cuts it in half circles. She often sautés it with onions and garlic.
Fauber also often makes pickles from her excess zucchini and squash. She suggests cooking zucchini lightly before freezing it for future recipes. She received the following recipe for zucchini chocolate cake last year from Patty Tench, the then-manager of a farmers market where Fauber and her husband, Tom Scanlan, sell products from their farm. Fauber made the cake several times last year for the market.
“Of course I tried to make it gluten free, and all the chocolate chips sank to the bottom of the cake,” said Fauber. “It was still good.”
The ingredients call for buttermilk and suggest a substitution if it is not available. Fauber does not recommend the substitution though.
“In my opinion, there really is no substituting buttermilk,” said Fauber.
If you have a recipe you would like to share, contact Deanna at ideas@funmama.net.

Zucchini Chocolate Cake

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups peeled, shredded zucchini
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. In a mixing bowl, cream butter, oil and sugar together. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients; beat in half the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, then beat in milk and beat in remaining dry ingredients till smooth. Stir zucchini into mixture. Pour into a greased 13’ x 9’ x 2” baking pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.

Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes. Yields 12-15 servings.
To sour milk if buttermilk is not available, add 1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar to 1/2 cup of whole or 2 percent milk.