Posted on 07/15/2023 5:28:55 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
BLTs are a great comfort food. If you want an excellent twist, add fried green tomato slices. Still keep the regular ones on. So wonderful.
For a while I’d throw a squib firecracker to scare her off, but now she just looks up for a moment, then continues munching. I have to physically run after her to get her off the property. Sheesh.
Meanwhile, we are heating up in So Cal - temps of 90-100 expected in the foreseeable future. Glad I planted a lot of cactus and succulents.
We do have a few other plants that like the heat, and are drought tolerant such as bougainvillea:
"Orange King" with an ever-blooming "Crown of Thorns" in the background:
This pineapple lily is just getting started:
Lots of Monarch and Swallowtail butterflies in the yard on the milkweed:
And my helpers who have had enough of the heat:
“The first BLTs of the summer will take away some of the sting.”
Hopefully! What a mess for you to clean up. Ugh! We’ve yet to have a bad Summer Storm - had our first Thunderstorm last night - and I hardly knew how to react, LOL!
We’ve gotten about 2” since Wednesday, so my veggies and fruit trees are well on their way to catching up.
I’ve got my own mess in the greenhouse to deal with - the two puppies I’m raising have now made that their ‘Summer Quarters’ and have dismantled my last clean bale of straw and made a nest for each. The very least they could do would be to provide me with some fresh eggs, LOL!
Use the yellow wherever it calls for green. I have one green and two yellow plants this season. the other green got dug up early by a raccoon and never recovered, poor thing, LOL!
They need some clean up and a shot of fertilizer, but they should still be producing for a few more weeks.
I have one zucchini plant this year, no yield yet. I haven’t grown them for years but I do like to make zucchini bread. I did grow for the first time patty pan squash. Never tasted any either. Had the first two sliced a little thick and sauteed with a bit of butter and olive oil, salt and pepper, a couple of sliced mushroom and a few asparagus spears and broccoli florets. Just yummy. The patty pan is much firmer than either zucchini or yellow summer squash. Daughters mother in law in eastern Europe makes pickles out of whole patty pans, might try that if we get a lot.
Thanks for the zucchini recipes.
My two faves are Zucchini Lasagne as a main course......
and Stuffed Zucchini as a side to an Italian menu.
Stuffed Zucchini
INGREDIENTS ▢4 medium zucchini ▢1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning ▢salt and pepper to taste ▢2 teaspoons olive oil ▢1 pound mild Italian sausage casings removed ▢1/2 cup onion finely diced ▢1 teaspoon minced garlic ▢2 cups marinara sauce ▢3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese ▢1 tablespoon chopped parsley ▢cooking spray
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a large rectangular baking with with cooking spray. Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise, then trim off the stem ends. Use a spoon to carefully scoop the flesh out of the zucchinis. Sprinkle the Italian seasoning, salt and pepper over the zucchini shells. Arrange the zucchini in the baking dish. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add the sausage and cook for 4-5 minutes, breaking up the meat with a spatula. Add the onion and cook for an additional 4 minutes or until onion is softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Season the sausage and vegetable mixture with salt and pepper. Pour the marinara sauce into the pan and bring to a simmer; cook for 5 minutes. Spoon the meat mixture evenly into the zucchini shells, then top with the shredded cheese. Bake for 25 minutes, or until zucchini is tender and cheese is melted and golden brown. Sprinkle with parsley, then serve.
STUFFED ZUCCHINI VARIATIONS
This is an Italian style stuffed zucchini, but there are so many other great ways to fill your squash!
Mexican: Make a filling with 1 lb ground beef, 16 ounces tomato sauce, 4 ounces diced green chiles, 3/4 cup black beans and 1/2 cup corn, then top with cheddar cheese and bake.
Asian: Make the filling for my chicken lettuce wraps, spoon it into the zucchini, then bake. Vegetarian: Make a filling with sauteed onion, 2 cups cooked grains such as rice or quinoa, 1 diced red bell pepper, salt, pepper, 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese, and fresh herbs.
Zucchini is packed with nutrients such as folate, Vitamin B6, potassium, manganese, Vitamin C and and Vitamin K. Zucchini is low calorie, low in carbohydrates and high in fiber. Zucchini also protects against inflammation, aids in digestion, improves thyroid function and is beneficial for your eyes.
BTTT!!!
My zucchini plant is churning out zucchinis sufficient for my own use and enough to give to neighbors. One of the cucumber plants seems to have some kind of disease resulting in yellow webbing all over the leaves. One variety is worse than the other one. So I don’t know how long I’ll continue to get cucumbers. The eggplant plants have finally taken off, maybe I’ll get some eggplants soon. Looks like a bit of a wait for the cantaloupe plants, although they’ve grown a lot in the past week or so.
I used to make that years ago thanks for the reminder. It was yummy. Also for anyone with zucchini that gets huge, chickens love them. Just slice lengthwise.
Special day today - my two great-nephews are being baptized in the same service - large family gathering after church - family gatherings are my very favorite thing these days.
Watching the hummers come to the feeder in the gray light of dawn (fresh nectar in it for them). The song ‘Morning Has Broken’ came to mind. We had thunderstorms last night ....
Sweet the rain’s new fall
sunlit from heaven,
like the first dewfall
on the first grass.
Praise for the sweetness
of the wet garden,
sprung in completeness
where God’s feet pass.
You can also make a zucchini relish w/ the large ones.
Just processor pulse into bits and add fave seasonings.
Nice sandwich topping.
I love that poem/song/hymn. :)
I have 8 medium sized zukes, and one MONSTER (how does that happen?) on the counter right now.
The smaller ones are going to be made into ‘Zoodles’ with my Zoodle-maker tool, some grated for future Zucchini Pancakes and some cut into bite-size pieces for a Zucchini and Stuffing Hot Dish. I INDULGE us just once each season. Not the least bit carb/calorie friendly, but SO, SO GOOD!
(I prefer ‘pieces’ versus ‘slices’ of Zucchini in this, so I normally nuke them with some water for a few minutes so they’re as well baked as everything else in the casserole.)
https://www.thespruceeats.com/zucchini-and-stuffing-casserole-3062402
Recipe’s a keeper....yum.
Thanks.
I did that before and came up with a great recipe which of course I did not write down. I had a tomato plant with many green ones, it was in a big pot and fell over. Many green tomatoes I wanted to not waste. So I made a relish with zucchini, green tomatoes, shredded carrot, red pepper, onion and seasonings. Best thing on a hot dog ever. I think I have one jar left.
Ahhhhh I love a tomato jungle.
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